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Yanick and Nasha are striving to live autonomously in Provence, France. Their aim is for their family to have as little involvement as possible in the materialistic cycle of modern life. ‘The state puts everything into ones hands, but one must always work to sustain that materialistic way of life. Money serves to make the system function and people become slaves to it. We aim to be as small a part of this cycle as possible. The decision to live in this way is a form of combat against materialism and we will continue to fight for that decision’
In 2002 they bought a secluded plot of land by a river in an olive grove. The landowner supported their way of life and gave them preference over a rich Swiss businessman who had offered over twice the price. While maintaining a modest income from olive, lavender, apricot and mountain herb farming, it took three years for them to build, nestled in the olive trees, their own round house made of mud straw wood and cement.
For reasons of expense and environmental consequences their goal is to move as far as possible from the use of non-renewable fuel and lead a self sufficient life. They get electricity from a 140-watt solar panel which provides them with light and music. The river next to the house is a fundamental element for the family, providing water,
energy and pleasure. They are in the process of installing a mechanical pump that will bring water from the river to a tank. In winter they will use solar energy to heat the water. They are also working with ways to generate electricity from the fast flowing river, and plan to make an irrigation system to water the garden. In using renewable energy and recycling what they can, they try to live in harmony with the land.