Allergic to money

I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but someone’s got to just say it.

This industry is allergic to money.

I went to a native nursery this weekend charging three bucks for rare, native plants. I’ve seen non-profits go into the wilderness, literally hand-pick seeds for over a year, and then give it all away for free. And that’s just the start.

It’s bass ackwards.

I get it. I’m guilty of it myself. We want fairness. And equality. And putting a price on nature just feels plain wrong.

But we need to talk about the consequences of not charging enough.

Price influences perception. Marketers have known this for decades. $90 wine actually tastes better than the same wine at $10. (Plassmann et al. 2008, Stanford / CalTech).

When the people who value nature most never charge for it, we entrench the very myth that we’re trying to fight — that nature isn’t worth all that much.

Am I saying to charge left, right, and center? No. Fairness and accessibility cannot be brushed aside.

But — to get people to value the natural environment — we need a better balance.

To the people who can afford it, both non-profits and for-profits alike need to start charging a healthy margin for soil, seeds, and plants.

We cannot sneer at luxury retailers, give away our diamond-equivalents for free, and then complain that we spend most of our time grant writing. We have agency in this.

So let’s be clear.

Nature should be a public good — but it’s not. Not everyone is on our team.

We need power. And money. And influence.

And we need to stop being so afraid to say it.

New York’s non-profits, for-profits, and government agencies have some of the most clever and compassionate people I’ve ever met. We can do this thing, but we have to start playing the game.

As for Mulch, don’t let the free seeds fool you. To rewild the city, our ambition is — and will remain — to become a self-sustaining business.

In the words of the late, great Steve Irwin:

“Money’s great. I can’t get enough money. And you know what I’m going to do with it. Buy wilderness areas. Every cent goes straight into conservation. And guess what? I don’t give a rip whose money it is mate. I’ll use it and I’ll spend it buying land.”

Till next week,
Mayank