Sustainability in an Un-Sustainable Society

The focus of today’s post is around the topic of sustainable lifestyle. For me, it is all about self-reliability. Self-sustainability. Not out of a fear-based mentality, but because I find value in being able to take care of myself without having to rely so dependently on external sources, in any aspect of life. In this context, I am mainly referring to food sourcing and the ability to sustain myself without so many of the tools of domestication we have today. Yes – Primitive skills are important. Who knows what could happen at any moment, leaving you only the tools of nature work with! Say, the power goes out mid-winter, for example. It would come in handy to know the hand-drill method of creating fire, naturally, to heat your home. What about how to layer clothing to retain the most body heat possible? What is the best fiber to wear to retain this heat? The answer is wool, over and over, again! Do you know how to check for dehydration? Well, you can press your fingernail, causing it to whiten… If the pinkish color returns immediately, you are hydrated. If it takes a few seconds, you need hydration. You can use the same method with your skin: Pinch the skin on your hand, and it should snap back into place with elasticity. If it does not, you need water.

The same concept goes for food. I want to know where my food is coming from. Every part of my meal. Personally, I don’t want fruit shipped from Argentina in January, supplied by a farmer I do not know. In my opinion, the least impact I can have on my environment is by sourcing all of my foods locally, from Vermont or within the North East. This involves the least use of fossil fuels in transportation and the knowledge of who is producing the foods I choose to put in my body. I know they are safe, free of excessive toxins from transportation, and from right in my area. They are what my natural environment is providing me; Not an environment in another corner of the world, which I am not tuned into. Not only do I find it important to know my local source of foods, but I like to be able to forage foods on my own. This means, having the ability to identify wild edibles in nature, know how to consume them safely, how to trap animals for consumption in the wild, etc.

For me, self-sustainability is gratifying. Knowing that I can thrive, totally in-tune with my current ecosystem feels natural to me. I do not need papayas in February, flown to Vermont from Hawaii – Killing large numbers of animals in the process due to the toxicity produced by the methods used in getting the produce here. I would much rather take a ten minute drive to a farm near my home, to pick up some nourishing raw, organic milk and cream from some beautiful grass-fed Jersey cows who want to share their milk. Do you know the farmer of your produce? Luckily for Vermonters, we are blessed with an abundance of local foods year round. Winter time brings us tons of root vegetables, great for nourishing soups. Dairy and meat are definitely a staple for me during these cold months, especially. The animal products are always available in abundance. I know the farmers of my food. I play with the cows who give me their milk and see the whole process of where my meat comes from. I see them eating highly-mineralized grass which will be converted into minerals in my body in just a few minutes. A cup of Chaga tea, extracted by myself personally, from a mushroom that I found in the wild forests here in Vermont has healed me on a much deeper level than any supplement imported from China, California, or who knows where, ever has. I feel safe knowing how to build a snow-hut that I can sleep in overnight… Warmly, for that matter! Or how to make totally durable cordage from a plant like Milkweed, that grows abundantly all around the North East.

Yes, we are living in a highly domesticated society at the moment where it may seem these primitive and sustainable practices are useless because technology has replaced these natural methods. However, it is quite the opposite. Now, more than ever, we should be practicing self-sustainability if the whole mission itself, is to pursue sustainability in this lifetime and try and take care of the planet. Maybe we should take a second to consider where our food is coming from and what we would do if we had to survive in an extended power-outage. This world throws us curve balls regularly, and we don’t know what is coming next. It might be a good idea to delve into the knowledge and understanding of living self-sustainably, in honor of your being and Mother Earth.

I find deep passion in practicing these primitive skills and knowing the sources of everything I consume. It brings me the utmost joy and satisfaction to build a fire in my fireplace, completely by hand, for fun (and sometimes out of necessity) – Using two sticks to create a burning coal which I use to light a roaring fire. No matches, no lighters. Going to the farm, hanging with the farmers and cows is totally fun for me. I am anything but fearful! Really, I am excited. Excited to have come to a place in my journey where I am living a lifestyle that feels optimum for my health, happiness, and for the planet!

In January, I attended a primitive skills workshop where we learned how to make fire by hand, build snowshoes with natural materials, build live-able snow huts, create animal traps, etc! Below is a video of our class making the snow huts! I am featured in part of it, helping to build a hut called a Quinzee, that we slept in, in -8 degree weather!

They are totally amazing crew up there, and recommend all of their courses!

One more video I want to share with you, was made by my friends Camille and Frank Giglio. In the video, they share their vision of sustainability and living in harmony with your surroundings. They are on the same mission toward sustainable living as I am, and bring great awareness to the topic!