The challenges of a financially viable permaculture life!

My wife and I are debt free, but we still have plenty of bills to pay.

Electric went up %60 this year.
Solution! I have put more solar up and have found really high-quality panels for pennies on the dollar for future use.

Insurance for the farm went up %40.
My solution was to raise my deductible to $5000.  Do I need insurance?

Land taxes went up %10.
Solution! I’m going to park an old tractor in the front yard to try to lower the value of the land! Maybe a pile of wood for the rocket would help too.

Grain tax we spent about $1000 extra on this year.
Solution! We plan on growing more grain ourselves.  We found 3 acers close to home we can plant on for free!

Working extra jobs without a way to hide the income. Tax brackets are real.  
Solution! Work less for small companies and more on the homestead.  Pay more attention to the line where I no longer make money for working more hours.

What are your challenges and solutions?

What is a 'grain tax'?

I calculated calories vs production vs land size. If growing corn, open-pollinated old varieties, I can expect to meet my total caloric needs on < 1/2 acre. Cost of food is not really an issue for basic foodstuffs. Cost for me is 'luxuries' like meat, milk, eggs, spices.

This year I grew 100 lbs of corn on 3% of an acre, < 2500 square feet. That is 150,000 calories, or 75 days worth of food, just corn. Add in the beans and squash that grew in between the corn as a bonus.

Christopher Shepherd wrote:

Working extra jobs without a way to hide the income. Tax brackets are real.  
Solution! Work less for small companies and more on the homestead.  Pay more attention to the line where I no longer make money for working more hours.

I bring this up often, but it's because I love the idea: in Hemenway's Permaculture City, he discusses how people are used to thinking of being thrifty as "using less money" which is good, but it's even better to "use money less" which is exactly what you are trying to do here. Source more of your needs without using money to do so, providing for them off your own land if possible. Without exchanging money for things, you avoid two taxes: the tax on earning it as well as the tax on spending it. This is brilliant!

Hi Thom. Grain tax is just a tax we pay when buying from a grain mill.  In Ohio all grains are taxed unless you are a corporate and are tax exempt.

We raise %50 open pollinated corn and %50 non-gmo corn for animal consumption.  My son likes to raise 5-7 hogs a year for the locals. This is where we run into trouble growing enough feed.  We raise plenty to eat for ourselves, but not enough for many other families.  

Hi Rachel.  I haven't always been this way.  I used to think, just work more.  After I lost my 401k when a corporate bought out a little company that I help make too much profit, it made me look deeper.  Sometimes the things that look bad are huge blessings in disguise.  That happened when I was 31, I was debt free by 40.  I have never given another penny to a 401k.  Permaculture has really made me observe things before acting.

Of course, there are measures to be taken after the fact, but it is important to determine how state and local taxes and regulation will affect you before you purchase property.  The stats that are often presented may not significantly impact a specific individual.  Or, they may impact in a sideways manner.   Usually fewer taxes means fewer services.  But, if the individual is not in need of those services, then there is a net gain. However, if there is an assumption that needed services will be available, and they aren’t, then there is potential for financial disaster.  Things that might impact a decision might be hidden charges for services, road maintenance, medical services, education costs, social services, unemployment benefits, and special education to name a few.

I love questions like this because they’re an opportunity to see how to un-ask the question. 🤪  Not answering questions is a proud Permaculture tradition.

One of the best things I learned from Permaculture in my garden is to jump the “problem/solution” mindset. For example, if I’ve got a problem with pests or weeds, then for me the most useful question isn’t “how to solve the problem,” but “how am I creating the problem, and how do I stop doing that?”

When I used to look at everything as problems, I was running around all the time trying to “solve” them, squashing bugs, spraying diseases, pulling weeds, etc. When I tried to see that I was doing things to create the problems, it freed me up to STOP wasting time creating problems: Weeds were abundant because I wasted time tilling. Pests and diseases were abundant because I wasted time applying fertilizers, which research shows causes those problems. Watering was a problem because I wasted time planting plants where there wasn’t enough water to grow them, and so on.

When I stopped trying to solve problems, and instead invested my time into creating a holistically healthy system that didn’t produce these problems, the garden became a lot more productive and required a lot less work!

The same thinking has really helped me create a viable permaculture life with a lot fewer problems.

I used to run around trying to solve all my “money problems” with brute force, just as in the garden.

If I wasn’t making ends meet, I figured I either had to reduce my expenses or get more money. Brute force. I had to go out and find more customers or raise my prices or reduce my expenses.

Instead of running around solving problems, I found that the people who were really thriving were instead investing their time in creating a holistic support system where these problems weren’t so… problematic. They were creating vibrant social structures for themselves with good support networks. They were building COMMUNITIES instead of trying to rustle up more “customers.” They were investing their time and resources into efforts and activities that naturally grew wealth over time, instead of getting stuck chasing dollars to solve problems.

I find the more I invest long term in creating a vibrant financial support ecosystem for myself, the fewer problems arise.

Now when I have a “money” problem I try to think, “how is my personal support system causing this problem, and how can I stop creating it?” This usually helps me find more holistic ways to invest my time.

I carry no debt 'cept the mortgage which is under $100k. Single, disabled mom, on disability, with disabled 20yo.

We've been way below poverty level for generations, we make do or do without. Some ways we use money less are to barter, pick up free resources, and learn to repair our things. We gather abundances for future use, like gathering bricks from folks looking to take them to the dump, we'll use them to create accessible paths thru the food forest.  

I've learned to pickle cucumbers, can apple butter, clean a carburetor, fix the waistband on my pants, gather leaves and bark for remedies, and so much more.

We just finished a greenhouse for seeding plants and propagation sticks. I'll barter rooted stock for plants I don't have. I'll be able to get out and garden, even when it's cold and raining.

Rachel, I love that you brought up the concept of "using money less". In my first Permaculture class, one of the things we learned early on that stuck with me was "Reduce your need to earn." I realized that that was what I had been doing for years, and it's very powerful; gives a person a lot of flexibility and freedom.

By the way, thank you Rachel for your lovely review of our book! 💚

Also thanks for the reference to Hemenway's _Permaculture City_; I haven't yet read that but you reminded me it needs to be on my list!


"I bring this up often, but it's because I love the idea: in Hemenway's Permaculture City, he discusses how people are used to thinking of being thrifty as "using less money" which is good, but it's even better to "use money less"

Jenny Nazak wrote:Rachel, I love that you brought up the concept of "using money less". In my first Permaculture class, one of the things we learned early on that stuck with me was "Reduce your need to earn." I realized that that was what I had been doing for years, and it's very powerful; gives a person a lot of flexibility and freedom.

By the way, thank you Rachel for your lovely review of our book! 💚

Also thanks for the reference to Hemenway's _Permaculture City_; I haven't yet read that but you reminded me it needs to be on my list!


"I bring this up often, but it's because I love the idea: in Hemenway's Permaculture City, he discusses how people are used to thinking of being thrifty as "using less money" which is good, but it's even better to "use money less"

You're welcome and thank you, too! :)

Yes, read it, read it, read it--I have several times, it's soooooooo good!