Living with Co-Stewards in a Lower Waste Community

A French Farmhouse Post

My family is one of three parties that co-owns and shares a tiny* old farmhouse in the Aveyron. Something we’ve long admired about the region is that lower waste living doesn’t seem to be an outlier concept, nor is it a polarizing political topic. It’s just common sense.

Above: Linens drying on the patio of the farmhouse.

Before diving deeper, I should note that I’m keeping today’s words tailored to my experiences. Every town, every household and every financial situation is unique, and accessibility can often play a heavy hand in this subject. But there’s no way of overlooking the stark differences between how our neighbors in France approach everyday consumer and household practices versus what I’ve routinely observed while living in Florida, New York (both the city and upstate), North Carolina, D.C. and California. Here are some of the most notable differences I’ve observed.