#TheGoodTribe Interview with Jennifer Nini, founder of Eco Warrior Princess

Want to learn more about living an eco-friendly lifestyle? What if I told you there was a website where EVERYTHING you wanted to know about sustainable living was all in one place? 

Enter Eco Warrior Princess- Jennifer Nini. Eco Warrior Princess brings you media that actually matters. From sustainable fashion, beauty, or wellness to environmental issues and conservation, Eco Warrior Princess is a great source for those looking to live more sustainably. 

As a sustainable company, The Good Tee is always on the lookout for resources such as Eco Warrior Princess to help good humans like you live a more conscious lifestyle! 

This week on #TheGoodBlog, we got to talk to Jennifer Nini, the founder of Eco Warrior Princess. She’s a jack of all trades! Jennifer is a writer, activist, and a certified organic farm owner. We’re here to give you the inside scoop of what exciting things Jennifer has planned in the future with Eco Warrior Princess AND her own permaculture farm! She’s authentic and real, and full of GOOD advice. Check out this weeks must read.

1. Tell us a bit about your journey. What made you decide to create Eco Warrior Princess?

In 2008, I went on a trip to China to visit some garment factories in the hopes of starting a fashion business with my then business partner. I got to see firsthand the production process and learned about how some of the factories were operating and it was an eye-opening experience. I should also mention that I was raised in a political household with parents who were union members and advocated strongly for worker’s rights so this knowledge influences my thought processes and decision making. We returned to Australia and we never did get the business off the ground but the experience impacted me greatly and I would discuss it with anyone who would listen. My partner encouraged me to write all my thoughts down in a blog. After more encouragement from family and friends, I finally decided to do it. In 2010, I created ‘Ramblings of an Eco Warrior Princess’ which was later shortened to just ‘Eco Warrior Princess’. It has also grown to being a multi-contributor site and no longer depends on my ‘personality’ to drive the media brand.

2. With EWP, you cover a variety of topics from sustainability and ethical fashion, to business, tech and politics. How do you manage educating and advocating for such information-heavy, heart grabbing topics? 

I have long described myself as an activist and I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged critical thinking, civic participation (in the form of volunteering for political campaigns) and who encouraged us to take action and not be passive when one feels strongly about something. I have interest in many of the topics we cover at EWP, including politics and that helps in pushing forward. My sheer passion and determination alone helps to keep us driving forward even in uncertain and dark times. However I also realized that if it was going to be sustainable health-wise I needed to be in nature. About seven years ago, my partner and I bought a farm surrounded by forest and it is nature that has helped me stay connected and focused. Despite the many issues and problems I am exposed to on a day-to-day basis (in the media, this is unavoidable) I can let it all go each day when I convene with the natural world.

Image by Ben McGuire via EcoWarriorPrincess

3.  How did the decision to start a permaculture farm come about? 

We always knew we would grow organic food free of synthetic sprays but it wasn’t until we learned about permaculture from my in-laws that it became something of a focus. My father-in-law had a few books on the subject, including the very first book on permaculture published back in the 70s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren (who are considered the founders of permaculture). I read through the book ‘Permaculture One’ and his other books and was immediately drawn to it. Permaculture doesn’t just focus on plants, soil and growing food unlike organic gardening. It weaves in systems, thinking, and principles of living and to me, this is necessary because we cannot change the world by growing organic food alone. We need to approach life in an entirely different way, from the way we use resources, to the way we interact with one another and our natural world, even to the way we share our surpluses (right now, late stage capitalism has people hoarding, not sharing) and permaculture can offer guidance on how we can rebuild a better, greener, fairer world.

4. What are some eco-friendly/sustainable changes you’ve made to your lifestyle since living on the farm? 

HQ is off-grid and is run on 100% solar power. We also harvest all our own water used on the property, including what we use in the kitchens, bathrooms and on all the garden beds and paddocks and because of this, we are hyper conscious of water conservation. The farm is in Australia, the driest continent on the planet, and droughts are a fact of life, increasingly more so with climate change. Thus we focus on planting Australian native plants when landscaping as they are drought tolerant and well suited to the harsh climate. We also grow lots of our own food. I haven’t done a recent count but the last count I did, we grow about 50+ varieties of herbs, fruit, vegetables and nuts. 

Image by Ben McGuire via EcoWarriorPrincess

5. What has been your proudest moment for EWP? 

That’s a tough one. It has been a long journey and the journey is far from over. There is no one moment actually. I am proud that EWP has helped to shape the discussion around ethical fashion and sustainability since we were one of the first in the online world to cover these topics. Now it seems every online magazine, every media brand, every influencer is focusing on these issues, but it was definitely not like this when I launched EWP almost 11 years ago. When I launched, I was just hoping someone other than my family members and friends were reading it. So, I’m proud that EWP has helped to shape a movement towards sustainable living, and that our work continues to inspire action and hope in others.

6. Where do you see Eco Warrior Princess and yourself in 5 years? Any exciting things coming up for EWP? 

Five years from now we hope to open the farm gates up for people to come and experience a sustainable farm life at HQ for themselves. We want to run ‘green’ workshops from here, sell our organic produce and products and inspire a new ‘back to the land’ movement. But there is a lot to do between now and then. Develop more gardens for one including a cut flower garden which is on the agenda for 2021-2022. If you’re interested in what it takes to see a farm dream realized, you can track our journey on Instagram Stories :)