The Sustainability of Living off the Land

Many of us have fantasized about living off-the-grid at one point or another; growing our own food and experiencing the validation of being completely self-sufficient. But is this dream of cottage-core life sustainable, and more than that, attainable? Through living off the land, people can explore the endless possibilities that agriculture holds. 

Learning how to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle that not only benefits them, but also the environment is the ultimate goal of all those who live off the land. Benefits to living off-the-grid include reducing your carbon footprint, supporting the fight against climate change, and benefiting ecosystems that are neglected. Through media exposure, this particular lifestyle has gotten a lot more attention from the public. Accounts like @Homegrownandhandgathered educate the public on how living off the land can be a more sustainable and naturalistic way of living. This specific creator discusses how to use crops from one’s own garden to make delicious recipes throughout the year. Their use of community gardens are great examples of how living off the land can be made more accessible to those who don't have a garden of their own. Homegrown and Handgathered share their journey through learning how to utilize the world around them to the best of their abilities.

Although the idea of living off-the-grid sounds fun, it’s important to recognize that this is an idealistic way of life that is truly unrealistic for most people. In reality we need to make money to pay bills and have access to foods that contain all the vitamins and minerals we need. Making the idea of living off the land accessible is the best way to achieve our own version of this lifestyle. For example, you can do this in your own home through composting. This majorly reduces the amount of waste your home produces by putting your food scraps back into the Earth instead of contributing to landfill. Using the entirety of your fruits and vegetables to make new recipes or composting can be great ways to ease into living off the land.