– Julia –
WELCOME! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Julia, an educator, life-long learner & collector of skills/trades who takes her teaching beyond the walls of the classroom.
A self-taught gardener, food preserver, “recipe tinkerer” and health & wellness adventurer who relishes in sustainable lifestyle choices, I find joy in sharing ways others can benefit from a similar economical mindset. My background in agriculture and environmental science planted the seed in making the connection between digging in the soil and the health benefits that growing your own food provides, while my education hat feeds various perspectives on how to reach a variety of learners. In addition to the food and plant route, I value incorporating concepts forged through yoga training and my science-based roots to create systems that are sustainable for mind, body and the environment.
When not planting in the garden or making concoctions in the kitchen, I’m either mountain biking, hiking, or jogging in local open spaces; listening to too many podcasts or slowly working through my pile of books. I also love to travel when it doesn’t interfere with seed starting season.
My mantra in the garden, kitchen & wellness in general is challenging yourself to growing at least one new plant variety each year that feels good.
I believe strongly that passionate producers should never feel limited by not having formal training or a certain level of expertise to achieve their goals.
– sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty –
Sustainability suggests using only the resources necessary to meet our needs while not depleting or compromising them for future generations to meet their own. It’s not just an environmental term, applying to natural resources, however, can also be applied to social and economic ones. When brainstorming a comprehensive name for my scope of work and initiative of teaching and being a resource to others, the word sustainable came to me. It was in the name of my first class I taught in this journey, and I’ve always encouraged myself to economical not only with resources and financial costs, but also the efficiency of systems. To accomplish everything I set out to do, I had to be mindful of time. Time for work requirements, time to grow and harvest plants, time to cook and preserve food, time to meet my fitness and wellness needs, and time for fun and family. Personal sustainability requires constant assessment and shifting. I continuously ask myself questions such as: “What the most effective way to accomplish this while maintaining joy in my many interests and hobbies, while still having time to serve others?
And so I created Julia Steiner Sustainable Living. What’s your sustainable?