Overwhelmed by ‘sustainable living’? Farmer Nick says you’re probably trying too hard

If you've ever killed a houseplant and quietly vowed to never try again, Nick Cutsumpas has a message for you: You were probably just trying too hard.

Cutsumpas—who goes by Farmer Nick online—has built a following of hundreds of thousands around a deceptively simple philosophy he calls “mindful neglect.” The idea? Back off a little. Trust the process. Let living things do what they're designed to do.

It turns out, the same logic applies to sustainable living.

"Pick one project and just dive into that," Cutsumpas said. "Do not try to tackle your appliances, solar, heating, all these things at once—because then it's going to feel quite overwhelming."

Coming from someone who has solar panels going up this spring, a greenhouse powered by mini-splits, energy-efficient appliances throughout his home, and a recently-planted orchard, that advice carries some weight. We sat down with Farmer Nick to learn how he went from a corporate salesperson to an environmental influencer, and to get his best advice for living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle without trying too hard.

Cutsumpas didn't grow up with a green thumb. He actually grew up as an athlete and followed the expected path into corporate America, landing at IBM Watson in New York City. He quickly realized life in a cubicle wasn’t for him.

While living rent-free with his parents in White Plains, a nudge from his mom to start a backyard garden as contribution to the home sparked a passion that would later become his career. When Cutsumpas eventually moved to New York City and lost the garden, he did what he now laughs off as "the only rational thing": He bought 120 houseplants for his 600-square-foot apartment. He started sharing the journey on Instagram, gained thousands of followers, and even landed a few Netflix specials.

Cutsumpas is quick to point out a certain irony: houseplants, on their own, aren't sustainable. They don't grow food, they don’t offset your utility bills, and many are shipped from far away. But they’re an entry point.

"If I care about this plant on my desk, I need to care about the big plant we all live on," he said.

For Cutsumpas, that realization turned into a deeper curiosity about energy, appliances, building materials, and what it actually means to live sustainably. He’s seen that progression from his clients, too. People he helped fill their Manhattan apartments with plants later called him from their new suburban yards, ready to plant pollinator gardens or install solar panels.

"Seeing them take that next-level jump was really exciting," he said.

Today, he operates his garden and landscape design business out of a 10-acre homestead in Michigan—a deliberate move from Los Angeles, chosen for its climate resilience, access to fresh water, and fertile land. He’s mid-renovation on what he's determined to make the “greenest home in Michigan.”

One of Nick's deliberate choices as a public figure is in what he doesn't say—specifically, words like “climate” or “sustainability.”

"I've stopped saying a lot of those words when I can,” he explained. “I want to incentivize people to the benefits and not have a trigger word that has oftentimes been politicized in a negative way.”

His reframe is practical and effective. For example, he won’t boast to people about how his EV is better for the planet, but instead focuses on how it’s faster and cheaper to fuel. It's a strategy rooted in meeting people where they are, and it extends to how he talks about clean energy, too. When he discovered solar leasing through EnergySage (more on that in a moment), he didn't post about it as an environmental act. He shared it on his profile as a financial win that he had just learned about. Sharing his experience encouraged others to sign up.

“Just sharing it out there and seeing those things happen is so encouraging because it means people are willing to take that next level,” Cutsumpas said.

Like many homeowners, Nick had been eyeing rooftop solar for a while. But the upfront cost of a solar energy system (typically $30,500 on average) kept it out of reach, especially while he’s managing a major home renovation.

When he heard the federal solar tax credit—a 30% credit that led to roughly $9,000 in savings—was being discontinued for 2026, he scrambled to get panels installed. Unfortunately, so did everyone else, and the rush of demand made moving quickly even harder for his family.

"We had to make decisions really quickly, and with other home renovation projects and health things that we were navigating at the time, we were like, ‘Man, I don't think we can afford solar right now.’ It was a huge bummer."

Fortunately, through EnergySage, Nick discovered something he hadn't known existed: solar leasing.

"I did not realize that leasing solar was an option. Leasing it just like a car—without a down payment."

Through EnergySage's marketplace, Nick received multiple quotes from installers. One particular company stood out for being unusually affordable: It offered a monthly payment of around $125 through a leasing option.

"I'd much rather pay that than $40,000 to put solar on the rooftop right now," he said. “It’s a great alternative for those who may have missed out on the tax credit.”

His installation is scheduled for this spring, and he's already tracking his anticipated usage. The lesson he keeps coming back to: commercial solar companies can still access the federal tax credit and pass those savings along to customers through creative financing structures.

And for all the naysayers who think Nick is crazy for installing solar panels in Michigan, his response is this:

“Yeah, it may be cloudy in the winter months, but I'm going to be saving so much money in the summer. And if I put a battery on there, I'll just bank that electricity and save it for later." Smart guy.

When asked what features he'd prioritize in any eco-friendly home, Nick's answers were more accessible than you might expect:

A note for renters and city dwellers

Nick acknowledges that sustainable living looks different when you don't own your home or live in a building. His advice remains the same: start small and don't underestimate what's possible. (Remember, this is the guy who stored over 100 plants in a 600-square-foot apartment.)

Nick said he’s seen solar innovation moving fast in Europe—including balcony-mounted solar panels popular in Germany that allow renters to generate their own power from a small terrace. He's hopeful more of these technologies will make their way to the U.S.—they’re already starting to.

In the meantime, he said to keep it simple: get some plants or a small indoor garden. Maybe a solar charger or a renter-friendly battery.

"However you can grow house plants, food on your windowsill—just do it," he said. "Build that relationship with the green things in your life, and it will have amazing impacts down the road."

For all his talk of practical steps and accessible entry points, Nick does have a larger vision—one that involves AI, energy grids, and the long arc of how societies power themselves.

"I am optimistic about the impact that AI will have on energy," he said—not because AI is inherently green, but because the scale of energy AI requires will force a reckoning with renewables. The fossil fuel industry, he argues, simply can't power AI data centers cost-effectively. Renewables can. And that economic reality, more than any policy shift, may be what finally tips the scales.

It's a version of his favorite argument: You don't have to lead with values. You can lead with math.

"If I can show you that my car is faster than your car and costs less to fuel, I don't have to tell you it's electric for those things to be true," he said.

Farmer Nick has been making that case—through plants, through mini-splits, through an eco-homestead still very much in progress—one convert at a time.