self-compassion and belonging
food, health, and regeneration
for parents and grandparents who care
Tending Yourself
Self-compassion and self-leadership for your inner world, so you can be more effective at caring for what's important to you in the world around you
Real Food, Real Health
Tips and strategies to support you in caring for yourself and your family sustainably and ethically (but without the guilt and perfectionism)
Reconnecting to Everything
Thinking for ourselves, in ways that restore connections and build hope
Hi, I'm Kate.
I write about self-compassion and self-leadership, belonging, real food, health, and regeneration.
I believe everything is connected, so whether you focus on sleeping better, becoming a calmer parent, regenerative food growing, or moving away from "business as usual" toward something more ethical, your small actions and even your sincere intentions really can make a difference.
My goal is to help you feel the difference personally and in your close relationships. Everything else ripples out from there.
Learn more about me here,
Read 9 ways to know if you're the kind of person who might enjoy my work,
Or, keep scrolling for more about A Real Green Life 🙂
Readers say ...
"Well researched, honest and inspiring...
Kate is a regular contributing author to Permaculture News and I always look forward to receiving her articles. They are always thought provoking, well researched, honest and inspiring.
Kate's articles present different perspectives on the world (Everything is Connected), and our place in it (Tend Yourself) or share valuable knowledge, hints and tips (Real Food, Real Health). I know the wider Permaculture community also appreciate Kate's contributions; many comments are shared on her posts.
Thanks Kate."
Anna
Permaculture News Editor, PermacultureNews.org, 2023
"Food for thought...
I subscribe to quite a few homestead/green lifestyle newsletters. Yours is so relatable, informative, and gives excellent food for thought; Get Off the Bus is a great example. Thanks so much for your work. Cheers from a Nova Scotia!"
Jessica
Raven's Ridge Permaculture
"Wisdom I can sit with...
Kate, I really like "When Nothing You Can Do Makes a Difference." It's wisdom I can sit with -- wisdom I've been looking for as I think about how to prioritize things going forward. I have it right next to my journal as a reminder."
Lorraine
About the "real" and the "green" in A Real Green Life
I use the word "Real" partly in the sense that it's focused on what's real and important to you. It's living according to your values, as opposed to allowing your life to be driven by capitalism and consumerism. I'm also referring to things like real food, real relationships, and real connections to nature.
I use the word "Green" in the sense that it's about
making choices that are as regenerative as possible, or at least that do less harm. Industrialization and colonialism have conditioned us to live in ways that are extractive and destructive. A Real Green Life seeks to undo that conditioning.
You and your family are inextricably connected to the Whole. So, when you sincerely commit to caring for your self and your family with a focus on your truest values, you are also taking care of the Whole. This is what I call living a Real Green Life.
"Business as usual" vs "a real, green life"
Business as usual | Real and green |
|---|---|
Industrial farming and food manufacturing, supermarket food, fast food, people eating in a rush or eating alone | Real food, grown in healthy ecosystems, local, seasonal, slow, homemade, people eating and sharing with enjoyment |
Giant mono-culture farms, depleted ecosystems, shrinking biodiversity, disappearing top soil and dwindling indigenous knowledge about food and place | Small diverse farms, cottage industry, stable farming communities and ecosystems, room for indigenous people to continue their traditional lifestyles and ways for them to share their wisdom and perspectives |
A growth-at-all-costs global economy dominated by a few giant corporations who sell to the entire world | A steady state economy dominated by millions of small businesses who serve local communities |
Low-quality mass produced products, poorly paid workers, world-wide distribution, a linear progression from raw material to disposable products to landfill | Locally made, fair trade goods, designed to last, a circular economy recycling and re-using materials |
Dependence on supermarkets, superstores, government institutions, and experts; loss of personal autonomy | Increasing self-reliance, learning/remembering how to think for ourselves, re-building the skills of self-sufficiency and interdependence |
People living lives of quite desperation on the up-sizing treadmill | A meaningful life, with fewer possessions and richer connections to family, community, and nature |
On HOMEGROWN FOOD and HOME HEALTH CARE
April 12, 2026
There are so many ways to use chokos and choko vines. People food (including recipes), animal food, weed control, and mulch are among the uses listed in this post.
READ MOREMarch 24, 2026
Organ meats were among the most prized foods humans ate prior to industrialization. Here’s why, along with how to start eating them again.
READ MORENovember 18, 2025
Purslane is one of those “weeds” that volunteer themselves right on our doorsteps to provide free, nutritious food far surpassing anything we’ll ever find in a supermarket. Its eaten throughout the warm, dry parts of the world, in an endless variety of ways.
READ MOREOctober 27, 2025
Real food is regenerative, not extractive. Small-scale, regenerative agriculture can help address our food, climate, and community crises.
READ MOREAugust 7, 2025
Taro is an easy-to-grow, nutritious homegrown alternative to rice and pasta from the supermarket. It can be a self-renewing food source, especially useful for when extreme weather events cut supply chains — because the wetter it gets, the happier taro is.
READ MOREApril 15, 2025
I used to put off the task of rendering fat for cooking, soap making, and skin care – because it was time consuming, messy, and intimidating. After making every imaginable (and some un-imaginable) mistake, here’s the simple method I use now. Clean, odour-free rendered fat without the mess and stress.
READ MORENovember 24, 2024
Sweet potato tubers + greens combined give you a calorie AND nutrient dense food from one growing space. Here’s how to grow them at home, including ideas for protecting them from rodents.
READ MOREOctober 10, 2024
Over time, wild edibles (weeds) can help us build deep health and resilience, offering a spectrum of nutrition that no supermarket shelf or bottle of pills can ever provide — and weeds are free! Here are six that grow almost everywhere.
READ MOREAugust 6, 2024
Aloe vera is so easy to grow and so useful when you need it. Here is a story, mostly told in pictures, of a nasty chemical burn and how aloe vera came to the rescue.
READ MORERecent Thinking for Ourselves Posts
March 8, 2026
Anxiety and overwhelm feel horrible. And a scattered, dis-regulated nervous system affects EVERYTHING, especially our relationships. Breathing can help. In this post I share how paying attention to your breath can help you calm your nervous system, bring you back to yourself, and even help ease the sense that there is never enough time.
August 18, 2025
Volition is a source of energy that informs our intentions and energizes our actions, but not all volition comes from the heart. When we’re swept away by clever, compelling messaging from outside of ourselves, we lose touch with our internal volition — with our values and our authentic desires.
August 6, 2025
If you grew up without learning that mistakes are ok you may have developed a strong inner critic who, like a 5 year old trying to prevent trouble, now controls your adult life to keep you from taking risks. The antidote is to give your self the compassionate leadership you missed out on when you were growing up.
April 11, 2025
Locating power outside of myself leads to me trying to create safety for myself by controlling the people and events around me. Conversely, locating power within myself liberates me to change my internal experience regardless of my outer relationships or circumstances — and that makes a difference to how satisfied and effective I can be both personally and in my efforts to make a difference in the world around me.
October 22, 2023
It’s uncomfortable to be around someone who is suffering because it wakes up all that’s untended to within our own selves. We can’t stand that, so we hurry to put a band aide over what-ever is hurting in the other person, to quiet things down again, so we can get back to pretending we’re fine.
On HEALTHIER SUPERMARKET HABITS
(Caring for Ourselves posts)
January 31, 2023
Whole foods require more planning and organization than processed convenience foods, but the pay-off is worth it. The benefits include: better nutrition, a feeling of empowerment and reconnection as you learn to engage with your food closer to its source, and the satisfaction in knowing you’re taking better care of the Earth just by how you eat.
November 14, 2022
Our physical and social environments have huge influence on our habits and behaviors. People who design supermarkets and sell products know this and take full advantage of it. This post will help you examine what’s shaping your shopping routines and your buying decisions, and learn how to change them.
Readers say...
"Honest, genuine, thought provoking...
As a homeschooling Mum pursuing a more meaningful life for my family, ARealGreenLife supports me in questioning and expanding my existing world view."
Melita
"No fluff.
So much interesting and important info, neatly packaged, no fluff. "
Gunter
"Insightful ideas and concepts...
I love your stuff - you come up with very insightful ideas and concepts. For example, I never realized that essential oils had become such a big industry that it was impacting on the environment.
Cathy
"Lucid insights...
Thank you Kate. You express your insights and understandings lucidly...
I appreciate the broad perspective you share on subjects that are meaningful to you—social, spiritual, environmental, economical—and the research and reading you do to inform your writing."
Meg
"Realizing how numb we are...
Dear Kate, Thank you for posting such deep and thought provoking blog posts. ... I think you are doing a great service to make us all aware of the consequences of our actions. It makes me realize how numb we are, and how comfortable it is to be numb, just doing what everyone else does and not questioning the real impacts of our lives."
Anonymous
"Non-threatening, easy to read, commonsense...
Reading A Real Green Life offers people the opportunity to question why they live the way they do."
