The young are getting the word.

I've only discovered permaculture a few years ago myself. My family and I live on a .99 of an acre slightly out of city limits.  Since I discovered permies , I have been trying to make positive changes to live a more responsible life, and I've been dragging my family with me.  It started with total resistance from my family. They thought I lost my mind.  Then it went to tolerance shaking there head's, mom's trying to save the world again.  Slowly they are starting to come around. You just can't argue with results.  Up until recently my youngest just turned 22, kept telling me I was trying to grow to much, making to much work for myself.
Last night he was talking to me about expanding the garden. Trying to grow all of our veggies.  How he was reading on the internet that Americans are getting fatter and have more diseases because the food in the store has little to no nutritional value.  (I've talked to all my family about this, but I guess it's more legit if you find it on the internet. Picture me banging my head against the wall.) Anyway even though I had a big sigh, I was also happy to have him on board, and happy the information is getting to the younger generation.  It gives me hope for our future.  On a personal level it will be great to get some help. Until now I have other than a very few exceptions done all the gardening alone.  
Slowly they're getting better at conserving, recycling, repurposing, and upcycling. Let's be honest, I'm still working on improvement too.  My oldest son, the biggest hold out bought silicone muffin liners. He likes muffins, and said he was helping me save the world. He was joking around, but progress is progress.  
I just wanted to share. I young man with no interest in gardening, little to no permaculture interest or knowledge still managed to get the information.  It's a win in my world.

I had a similar experience with my daughter a few weeks ago. Talking about earthships, rocket mass heaters, cob, and bokashi. I said, you know, I happen to have an in at the coolest place on the universe for all this stuff.
She helped set up a garden at her old high school, with a worm farm and composting. The kids are going to be okay.

(and good for you, Jen, they do get it eventually, so it's thanks to your hard work!!)

I understand your victory and frustration with your family all to well! My family consists of a few adults who come from outside the craziness of dealing with me growing up. They thought I was completely nuts for the first year. But between paying less for grocery's and clothes and the cheaper "rent" due to the money saved and the fun they have now helping out they've come around. Even started telling me about things like dwarf fruit trees and have I heard of them. I had to point them to the back yard to the baby orchard lol

Yesterday my son tried a hot sauce made with Carolina reaper peppers. I don't know if he likes it, or just thinks it's manly to use, but he asked if I could get seeds to grow some. I looked it up and and found some one of my favorite sites, because, why not.  You won't catch me eating them though.
It will be interesting. I bought a habanero pepper last year, and everyone loved it. It wasn't that hot. Makes me wonder if being cross pollinated with sweet peppers made it less hot. I'm not sure it works that way.  Anyway I love my son's interest in the garden.

I spend a lot of time on Tumblr, and permaculture and sustainable ag are definitely having a moment thanks in part to the "cottagecore aesthetic," which is basically Instagrammers doing a Holly-Hobbie-meets-Martha-Stewart thing.  Lots of weathered wood and dewy produce; it's idealism and escapism, but it's like a gateway drug to gardening/ homesteading/ farming for the nerds (full disclosure: I am a nerd).

If only I could get my son to like vegetables... the process would be a lot easier! But yeah, I have some hope.

Some of my university students talk about their hopes for the future. Some have the consumerist dreams of big car and big house, but some talk about promising paths. I don't think we'll ever catch everyone, but I do think there is a critical mass and if we all do our best to show the awesome sauce, then maybe we can reach critical mass.