Food at Findhorn

courtesy of Ecovillage Findhorn

Organic and biodynamic farming methods are incorporated at Findhorn. In 1994, the ecovillage initiated a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme called EarthShare. Growing from a 5 arce farm to a 15 acre farm, EarthShare currently supports 200 households and accounts for 70% of the communities fresh food needs. Ecovillagers at Findhorn receive organic milk, cheese, eggs, and meat from the nearby Wester Lawrenceton Farm. Click here to learn more about Food at Findhorn.

Renewable Energy at Findhorn Ecovillage

At the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland, most homes are equipped with solar panels for hot water heating. They also use wood as a primary source of heating homes. Over the years Findhorn Ecovillage has bought 4 wind turbines, which have a total capacity of 750 kW. Unfortunately, all of these renewable forms of energy only amount to 28% of electrical needs of the community, while the remaining 72% coming from fossil fuels. In the years to come they hope to increase the percentage of electricity coming from renewable sources. To learn more about Findhorn's Renewable Energy System click here.

28% of electricity generated from renewable forms of energy does not sound like a lot, especially when you think of the 72% of electricity coming from fossil fuels. But when you compare it to an average household, it is a great success. Typically, households in the developed world receive most, if not all, of their energy needs from fossil fuels. When a community strives to generate as much renewable energy as possible with a limited amount of funds, just as Findhorn does, then you can see that 28% is an achievement.

Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland: Lowest Ecological Footprint Ever Recorded

A study done in 2007 by the Global Ecovillage Network of Europe and the Sustainable Development Research Centre (SDRC) found that Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland produces the lowest ecological footprint ever recorded in the developed world. Ecological footprinting is a tool used to "quantify how much energy and raw materials are used, and how much solid, liquid and gaseous waste is generated. Ecological footprinting then converts this into a measure of land area, gha (global hectares), required to produce all the resources used and absorb all the waste that is produced." Major factors contributing to reducing the footprint were from local food production and a mostly vegetarian diet at Findhorn. Although Findhorn generate about 16% of its electricity from natural gas, other renewable energy sources helped to lower Findhorn's energy footprint. The study found that Findhorn's community food footprint was 37% of UK's national food footprint average, and the home and energy footprint was 21.5% of the national average. The ecovillage's ecological footprint amounted to 2.71 gha per person, while the UK's ecological footprint is 5.4 gha per person. That means the Findhorn community have reduced their consumption of energy and raw materials so much that it is now about half of the national average. To read the full study of ecological footprinting at the Findhorn Ecovillage click here.

What is an Ecovillage Anyway?

One of the most popular definitions of an ecovillage is taken from the book, Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities: A Report for Gaia Trust, by Robert and Diane Gilman. The Gilman's describe ecovillages as, “human-scaled, full-featured settlements in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and which can be successfully continued into the indefinite future”. The common bond between ecovillages around the world is that they specifically aim to create an ecologically focused community. This is what differentiates them from intentional communities, Kibbutzim, and other co-housing operations. Another important thing to point out is that every ecovillage does not try to be completely self-sufficient; rather there are varying degrees of sufficiency. There are some urban ecovillages that understand that their urban surroundings makes it hard to live lightly on the earth and therefore do their best to incorporate environmentally friendly living practices. No matter where the ecovillage is located, they try to create an environment in which the equity between humans and their surrounding natural environment are balanced. Along with supporting an ecologically sound life-style, ecovillages, similar to other communities, incorporate a holistic approach to social well being, by striving to fulfill physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the individual and the community as a whole. The idea of sustainable development is also embedded in the nature of the ecovillage. Ecovillages have sprung up all over the world as an approach to address sustainable development practices. I think the ecovillage way of life will thrive as we look for more sustainable and low impact ways of living in the wake of climate change and with the environmental movement gaining momentum in mainstream society.

The Beginning

The JEM group and I are researching ways people can begin to live a “lower-impact way of life” and lessen their ecological "footprint". The ECOVILLAGE is a growing movement that we want to create awareness about.

For my portion of the project, I will dedicate this page to creating awareness on how ecovillages are using effective, long lasting, and renewable food and energy systems. Along with looking at the environmental aspects of an ecovillage, I will also incorporate various social dimensions that are associated with food and energy systems within the ecovillage as a whole.

Each week the JEM group will be showcasing different ecovillageS from around the world. Check back to read more about what communities are doing to address food and energy issues.