Designing for a Whole Lifestyle Shift

We live in uncertain times. For many of us, this is the moment for radically reconsidering how we live.

Most of us are aware of some of the ways our civilization destroys land, poisons water and air, and exploits people. Many more of us are now also aware that this unsatisfying way of life is also increasingly fragile and susceptible to supply chain disruptions, political chaos, and economic and climate disasters.

As whole systems design that addresses our most fundamental needs with the resilience of a healthy forest and with an emphasis on working with what is where we are instead of what can be bought from afar, Permaculture is uniquely able to help us on this long journey home.

Woman charring locally harvested bamboo fence posts to make them last longer
We harvested “problem” timber bamboo from a local business 2 miles away and then charred the bottom end in a fire to make longer-lasting free, zero waste, attractive fence posts for our garden. The bamboo tops became silica rich mulch. The local business appreciated our help and began saving food waste for us. The whole process was beautiful and gave us a sense of satisfaction that buying something made in a factory and treated with chemicals could not.

Going off-grid, becoming (collectively) self-sufficient, achieving independence from planet- and people- exploiting processes, and moving outside the industrial mainstream can help some of us finally feel like we’re living our deepest held values and honoring our intuitions about what we’ll need to adapt to an unforeseeable future.

off-grid dwelling viewed through forest garden. Energy, food, water, and beautiful experiences can all be sourced from the land.
Matt’s first off-grid homestead attempt! The successes and mistakes were both powerful teachers of what it is like and what it takes to try to live without depending on big corporations or fragile supply chains. One of the greatest lessons was how much good design actually matters to living ecologically.

We bring direct experience with many of the key struggles of making these changes and have a lot of perspective on what we wish we knew when we began. Whether you’ve already started a homestead or ecological community, or are just beginning to wonder what it would involve to do so, we can make sure you don’t have to do it all on your own.

If you’d like to work together towards a more resilient and integrated life, please contact us.