What is sustainable living? Our ethos
What does it mean to live in a healthy manner for all, without sacrificing modern comforts, dignity and aesthetics?
That’s the golden question. That’s what we plan to explore together with you. And as a place to start, this our sustainability ethos so far & how we apply it…
In short, It’s about how we choose to live together in this world and what we pass on to the future. A person should be able eat with us and be healthy, buy products from us they feel good about, support a more self-sufficient lifestyle with ease, and always be among friends.
1: Practical solutions, not more problems.
Keep it real. Keep it positive. Our focus is on results only for those who want them, with no added stress for anyone, just oodles of encouragement and optimism.
We’re not about converting everyone to complete homesteading. We prefer to simply find ways of enhancing existing lifestyles in ways that make sense. Our approach is to take gradual, practical steps toward greatness.
2: Do no harm…
…to yourself:
When it comes to food, everything we stock is made from natural ingredients that nourish, not kill you slowly. And for household products, it’s about avoiding anything that may compromise a healthy living environment. We have a vested interest in keeping our customers alive and well after all.
…to your fellow man:
This is more about how the product is made and who we are supporting, and is often a forgotten step in the sustainability equation. We figure it makes little sense to source a product from overseas if it is available locally, where we can meet the families behind each product and get to know their values. It makes a lot less sense to buy from countries where our products are taxed by terrorists, are known to support slave labor, and/or are blatantly destroying the earth. So we only buy from positive origins that support a sustainable humanity.
…to the world we live in:
Of course, what good is a sustainable humanity if we end up poisoning the world we live in? Our take on this is more about making individual efforts to improve rather than the politicized environmental rhetoric though (we’re no fans of increasing government control). We very much believe the earth is to be respected and kept clean. Period. That’s a no-brainer. For us, this impacts our packaging policies more than anything. We’re taking a bold stance: no landfill. We source compostable materials where we can and require our suppliers to package their goods in recyclable materials at the very least.
It’s not all about packaging though. Less reliance on disposable goods and a renaissance of lasting product quality is our aim. We also empower anyone and everyone to live more self-sufficiently. Living off the land and using more renewable resources just makes a whole lot of sense to us.
We believe it is possible for humanity to live in harmony with nature and we’ll do our part to make that happen.
3: Open, practical education.
If we’re to make lasting change, we need to share knowledge of what works. Peeling back beyond popular understandings to what actually makes a difference in practice is what’s key. We’re all coming at this from different perspectives and circumstances, so knowing if there are better choices that are within our reach - without slowing growth & progress - is how we can all move forward.
We aim to create a collective hub of learning for everyone. Because only when empowered with the right information is consumer-driven change made all the more possible. We’re not here to sell you products, we’re here to discover what’s possible when we all have access to the tools we need. A big part of this is our workshops and bookstore, where you’ll find a growing knowledge base of self-sufficient living, with a focus on titles that help us become better people & positive role models for future generations.
4: Community gratitude.
We are social creatures and we are strongest when connected, not living in isolation. And nothing brings us together like contributing to something bigger than ourselves… each other.
We believe the best foundation to build from starts with appreciating what we’ve got. We find when we come from that perspective we’re more likely to pitch in and give back when our community needs us. So expect a welcoming social space from us, with loads of community get-togethers, and a strong emphasis on supporting local industry & initiatives, as a celebration of what our community has to offer.
We’re all about helping each other grow in an environment of inexhaustible compassion, honesty & support.
So that’s our take on it, but what does sustainability mean to you?