Stay Inspired for Sustainability: How to Find Your Own #Sustainability Crew

In the last eight articles of the Apartment Homesteader series, we’ve discovered dozens of ways to live sustainably in our apartments and condos as apartment homesteaders.

But what about when the road to sustainability gets rough?

When your hours get cut at work and you have trouble affording organic food….

When you’re running low on time and it would be easier to simply run to Wal-Mart for shampoo and deodorant than make your own with natural ingredients….

Read More: “Homemade Shampoo Disaster”

When you just want to throw your food scraps in the garbage instead of taking them out to your compost pile or reusing them….

When it’s raining and it would be so much easier to drive your own car to work than to wait for the bus….

When you’re living as sustainably as possible but see on the news that 200,000 gallons of oil leaked into the groundwater in South Dakota and wonder if anything you’re doing is actually making any difference at all….

You’ll have your moments of, “Is this all worth it?” We all have those moments on our journey to sustainable living.

That’s where your homesteading community comes in.

Your #Tribe, your #Gang, your #Group….

Your #SustainabilityCrew can help keep you inspired to live your most sustainable life. They can inspire you to go that extra step when you lack resolve. They can inspire you to implement new projects in your apartment homestead and keep going when the going gets rough.

And best of all, your #SustainabilityCrew can help you see that what you do to conserve, reuse, and live sustainably in your apartment or condo can actually make a real difference in the world.

Here are some ways to find your #SustainabilityCrew as an apartment homesteader.

Your Online Crew

Congrats! If you’re reading this, that means you’ve already found The Grow Network, an incredible community of like-minded individuals to add to your #SustainabilityCrew!

Have you joined the Honors Lab yet? The Grow Network Honors Lab is where you become an insider in The Grow Network world. Join a group of homestead enthusiasts from around the world and get new publications and blog updates in your inbox.

Also, participate in discussions on The Grow Network’s Facebook page! Thousands of people with homesteads of their own or homestead dreams flock to The Grow Network Facebook page every day to participate in discussions, find projects to implement, or learn from the experts. Be sure to like and follow the page to get updates and be part of the #SustainabilityCrew online.

You can also head over to HungryHomesteaders.com, my personal homesteading website. I ask the question, “What defines YOUR most sustainable life?” I blog about homesteading projects, toxin-free living, travel, food, essential oils, herbal medicine, and all the ways in which we seek to live our most sustainable lives. Also, like my Hungry Homesteaders Facebook page!

Go where the homesteaders hang out online to find your online #SustainabilityCrew.

Your Local Apartment-Dwelling Crew

After a little searching around to find your online crew, go local to find some fellow apartment dwellers who are interested in joining the #SustainabilityCrew movement as apartment homesteaders.

Check for local Meetup groups on homesteading and green living topics. You might be surprised to learn that there is already a local group of green-living lovers who can help inspire you to keep up with your apartment homesteading dreams!

Another place to find your local apartment crew is to attend block party events or other neighborhood events and talk to your neighbors about apartment homesteading. More of your neighbors than you realize might have their own countertop or patio gardens! Swap tips and ideas to live more sustainably in your apartments.

Connect with your neighbors by inviting them to attend area farmers’ markets and conservation events around town. Besides gaining a new #SustainabilityCrew member, reaching out to your neighbors may also give you some new pals!

Your Local Homestead Crew

Get inspired to save for your own homestead land or to expand your apartment homestead operation by finding local homesteaders to learn from.

Not sure where to find the homesteaders in your area? Start by shopping local farmers’ markets. Many area farmers will attend and sell their produce or products at the local markets. Some may even have visit days already scheduled when you and the apartment homesteading pals in your local crew can go visit the farm and check out their operations.

Read More: “Build a Community in 9 Easy Steps”

Another great way to find your local homesteaders is to join a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) group or produce-box delivery service and contact the farms where the produce comes from.

Local conservation groups may also host events where you can meet like-minded homesteaders to add to your #SustainabilityCrew.

Be Your Own Crew Leader

Having trouble filling out your #SustainabilityCrew with local apartment-dwellers or established homesteaders? Be your own #Crew leader!

Start your own Meetup group to find people in the area who are interested in conservation and sustainability projects. Meet at your local public library or in an area park. Find an area homesteader who would like to host a “get inspired” rally for sustainable living initiatives!

Host Apartment Homestead Planning sessions in your apartment or in a central location of your apartment complex for residents like you who want to live sustainably but need a little help moving in the right direction.

Host “make & takes” for personal care products or cleaning supplies and help your friends live toxin-free lives like yours.

Whatever direction you choose, be your own crew leader and inspire other apartment dwellers to live more sustainably. You did it; now spark the fire of change in the people around you. 

Your Expert Mentors

Finally, cap off your #SustainabilityCrew with a dose of expert advice.

Learn from the experts to live your most sustainable life in your apartment.

You’re already in the right place. Marjory and other experts with The Grow Network know their stuff and can help you learn to live even more sustainably!

Have you attended a Home Grown Food Summit yet? If not, sign up for the Honors Lab and make sure you’re on The Grow Network e-mail list to get alerts when registration opens for the next online Summit in 2018!

Your #SustainabilityCrew will help keep you motivated to live your MOST sustainable life in your apartment homestead. Join the Apartment Homesteader Facebook group—and invite your friends!—and together let’s inspire the urban world to live sustainably as apartment homesteaders and #SustainabilityCrew members!

You can read the rest of the articles in the Apartment Homesteader series here.