How to Incorporate Sustainability into Your Farmhouse

If you operate a horse farm, your proximity to nature has likely alerted you to the growing need for sustainability. Things like poor air quality, deforestation, and fluctuating weather patterns are quickly making eco-friendly living not just wise, but a necessity.

Here are a few of the best ways, both bigger and smaller, that you can incorporate sustainability into your equestrian lifestyle.

Think Before You Act

Before you invest in solar power or replace all of your appliances, it’s important to address your mindset. Living sustainably needs more than just action. It also requires understanding.

In other words, if you want to truly embrace sustainability, you must always think before you act. This mindset can be applied in a plethora of different ways, such as:

• Avoiding turning on the furnace or A/C units in the fall and spring: Instead, depending on the situation, put on a sweater or a t-shirt. You can also crack a window, turn on a fan, or start a fire in the fireplace.
• Install a smart thermostat: Once you’re heating and cooling your farmhouse, using a smart thermostat can significantly reduce your energy consumption.
• Purchase energy-efficient appliances: Old appliances aren’t just a sign of an outdated home in need of renovation. They’re also incredibly inefficient and, if allowed to break down, can create disasters and inconveniences that lead to more waste. As you bring in more environmentally-friendly models, just remember to dispose of old units in the right way.
• Sustainably light your home: Paint low-light rooms with brighter colors to increase the luminosity of naturally darker spaces. Light your home with LED lightbulbs. Replace heavy curtains with lighter options.

These are just a few examples. The takeaway here shouldn’t be to do specific things as much as to adopt an attitude of awareness. When you go to replace an appliance, remember to prioritize the sustainable nature of the new unit. When you renovate a room, think about lighting, warmth, and other factors that can be detrimental to the environment when mishandled.

Establishing a habit of thinking before acting is ground zero for creating an equestrian estate that is sustainable over the long-term.

Conserve Water

Humans use roughly 88 gallons of water per day in their normal activities. Horses need an additional 5 to 10 gallons as well, and that’s just to stay hydrated. In a world where water availability and quality is an increasing concern, water conservation should be high on your sustainability list.

Even if you’re in an area where there is plenty of water available, it’s still good to do your part to avoid excessive use of that precious H2O. The easiest way to reduce your water consumption is by installing rain barrels. These can collect water that can be used for gardening, indoor plants, and other thirsty landscaping needs.

Turn to Renewable Energy

If you’re feeling ambitious about your sustainability endeavors, consider steering into renewable energy. Solar power is particularly effective and can be used in a variety of different ways around a horse farm.

Along with installing solar panels, you can also check to see if your electric company offers a renewable energy option. It may cost a little bit more, but it allows you to power your home with peace of mind.

Stay On Top of Maintenance

Maintenance doesn’t just keep your possessions in good order. It can also be a form of sustainability. For instance, if you properly clean your furnace and A/C units and replace filters every year, they will run more efficiently.

Additionally, if an item is properly maintained, it will last longer. This naturally extends the period of time before it’s added to a landfill.

Follow the “Three R’s”

Finally, as part of that sustainable mindset, try to view your possessions through the lens of the “three R’s.” These are:

• Repairing: Resist the urge to fall into the consumerism trap. If something is broken, do what you can to fix it rather than disposing of it without a second thought.
• Reusing: When an item becomes too old or worn out to serve its original function, don’t get rid of it. Instead, look for ways to repurpose it in your home. A ladder can be turned into a bookshelf. Plastic spoons can become a lamp. Toilet paper tubes can be used to organize cables. Even an old shirt can be turned into rags.
• Recycling: When it finally comes time to dispose of an item, always look for a way to recycle rather than trash it.

he “Three R’s,” your life will naturally become more sustainable.

Creating a Sustainable Farmhouse

There are many ways to create a sustainable farmhouse. Maintenance, following the “Three R’s,” and tapping into things like conservation and renewable energy are all excellent activities.

However, it truly does all start with your attitude. If you can embrace a sustainable mindset, all of the rest of these suggestions will eventually fall into place. So start by observing your behaviors and mindset to discover where you can start improving right here and right