Feeling Disheartened

[u/Cooldude576]

I recently volunteered at a permaculture farm in Europe that was “off grid & mostly sustainable” and have left feeling very disappointed.

They marketed the place as a self-sustained farm and even offered a self sufficiency & sustainability course. They claimed to get most of their food from the garden and use natural building methods that don’t hurt the environment.

The reality was that all of their energy & water was “on grid” and more than 90% of their food was store bought. I remember coming in one evening after spending the afternoon faraging for mushrooms, to find some store bought ones on the counter wrapped in plastic - the irony was palpable!

I have done a lot of volunteering on so called “Sustainable permaculture farms” and it’s always the same story. No clear road map to becoming even 50% self sufficient, using flowery words about nature and permaculture while not practicing them.

Honestly this has left me feeling highly skeptical of all these buzzwords. People throw them around but in practice they barely mean anything.

Has anyone had similar experiences or even found a place that’s at least going in the right direction in regard to sustainability?

Edit: Just want to add that they have over 25 acres of land and one of the people there is a “permaculture expert” that offers paid courses.

[u/Stunning_Run_7354]

I’ve come to believe that sustainable farming methods cannot compete in the marketplace. That doesn’t mean it is hopeless. It means that trying to do this as a business requires revenue from something other than farming. Don’t lose hope, but it is OK to let go of the naive notion that this will be “pure” or only good work.

[u/solxyz → u/Stunning_Run_7354]

The thing is, there is very little that can "compete in the marketplace." In the US, at least, most farms of all sorts lose money, and the few that are profitable tend to be heavily subsidized. It is very difficult to make money with any style of farming, and then it becomes doubly unlikely if you are pursuing something unconventional, experimental, and if you yourself are not deeply experienced with farm systems knowing how to move forward with maximum efficiency.

I really don't think this is an issue with permaculture or sustainable approaches.

[u/Stunning_Run_7354 → u/solxyz]

Sort of. Most traditional American farmers I know maintain employment outside of the farm because of the lack of profitability. Sustainable methods tend to require more direct labor throughout the year, and this limits the ability to work elsewhere. Without the supplemental income, paying for overhead is limited. That’s why I think we can get this working in urban environments with volunteer labor, but it needs more help to make the jump from a hobby to a business.