From Fashion to Foundations

written by Lydia duPerier

When Arielle Crawford, a native Texan, found herself navigating the bustling streets of New York City, she never imagined the path her life would take.

Raised in the rural expanse of San Angelo, Texas, she had always harbored a creative spirit nurtured by her mother, who encouraged her to sew her clothes rather than buy them. She said this way of parenting taught her to be a “creator rather than a consumer.” This DIY ethos stayed with her, guiding her through a sustainable fashion career and leading her back to her roots. Today, Crawford is the visionary behind The Realness Preserve and Texas Cob Co., two ventures that intertwine her passions for sustainability, education, and community building.

“That’s the hero’s journey,” Crawford said. “You have to leave home to come back home.”

A JOURNEY AWAY & BACK HOME

Crawford spent years living worldwide, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Europe, South America, and ultimately New York City. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a reevaluation of her life’s trajectory.

“I bought a truck, and I sold all my stuff, I sold my business, and I left New York,” Crawford said. “I literally had no idea where I was going.”

She landed on a ranch in Llano, where she became a ranch hand for a year, living in an off-grid cabin while rediscovering her connection to nature. Crawford negotiated a work-for-trade with the ranch owner, an agreement in which she would live for free in exchange for work. This work included building infrastructure, plumbing repairs, plowing fields, sending them to the garden, and feeding the farm animals.

We get to create the world that we want to see and not feel like cogs in the system anymore.

After her time in Llano, Crawford found herself in Kerrville, Texas, where she says she committed to being off-grid for a couple of years. With just her knowledge and devotion, she lived in a Tee-pee, cooked over a campfire, and taught herself how to use solar power.

“I love naturalism, natural building, and off-grid living— it’s innate, it’s in us,” Crawford said. “All of our ancestors lived this way up until recent times. That’s why we know how to do all this stuff already.”

BUILDING COMMUNITY, LITERALLY & FIGURATIVELY

Today, Crawford and her husband lead two synergistic initiatives: The Realness Preserve and Texas Cob Co. The Realness Preserve, a nonprofit, focuses on naturalist education and inspires a return to sustainable, community-focused living.

“We teach everything from homesteading, to cloth diapering, to sourdough baking, to natural building, and off-grid living,” Crawford said. “Really anything that falls within sort of the naturalist realm.”

Crawford said she and her husband are passionate about education and its power to build community. They also believe community is the solution to many problems and see this firsthand through the family of like-minded people they have met.

“We like everything about bootstrapping; it gives you the grit, the determination, the vision, and the necessity for community,” Crawford said. “It shows that you must treat people well and live within a village, and we are just trying to bring back those values into our actions.”

Crawford and her husband created everything from scratch, and whatever profit they made from their construction company, Texas Cob Co., went right back into building The Realness Preserve.

Texas Cob Co., their LLC, is a natural building construction company specializing in creating sustainable structures using cob—a mix of clay, sand, straw, and water—and lime plaster. Their team makes all the materials on-site.

Anytime you're pioneering a space, there are no guarantees.

“I strap our baby on my back daily and go out and work,” Crawford said. “I also run everything from bookkeeping, social media, marketing, the website, and online sales, and I design our builds. And then my husband is the lead builder of our team.”

Cob is known for regulating indoor temperatures. With a natural U-value, it traps heat during the day and releases it at night, making it highly adaptive to environmental conditions, much like Adobe. Typically, lime plaster is applied over cob structures to enhance durability and combat mold effectively, even when used over conventional building materials.

Both initiatives are active on Instagram, such as @therealnesspreserve and @texascobco, where frequent updates and tips are shared.

We like everything about bootstrapping: it gives you the grit, the determination, the vision, and the necessity for community.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Life for Crawford and her family begins early, often before dawn. Mornings are spent preparing sourdough bread and tending to household chores, while afternoons are dedicated to their construction projects.

“We’re either working on client projects or developing our property in Kingsbury, Texas,” Crawford said. The couple and their apprentice and one-year-old child embody the communal lifestyle they advocate.

Every day comes with ups and downs, or “thorns and roses,” as Crawford calls them.

“Anytime you’re pioneering a space, there are no guarantees, and it’s just throwing out your line and hoping that people get it,” Crawford said. “We do it because we believe in it, and we’ve sacrificed everything. We’re all in like 100% skin in the game, and we just have to hope that people understand it and buy-in.”

When you prioritize quality & sustainability, you begin to see yourself as a creator, not just a consumer.

But the “rose” each day, Crawford said, is getting to live on the offense.

“We get to create the world that we want to see and not feel like cogs in the system anymore,” Crawford said.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING NATURALISTS

Through her journey, Crawford has embraced several mantras: “Do what is right, not what is easy” and “Live by design, not by default.” She says it is these principles that guide her mission to create a sustainable future for her family and community.

Crawford’s advice for those inspired to embark on a similar journey is simple: start where you are. Whether growing herbs on a balcony or composting in a small kitchen, every step counts. She emphasizes the importance of breaking away from the convenience driven consumer habits.

“Demote convenience as your king,” Crawford said. “When you prioritize quality and sustainability, you begin to see yourself as a creator, not just a consumer.”

Farmers markets, local food shares, and community gardens are excellent starting points. Social media platforms like Instagram can also help connect like-minded individuals. Crawford’s “Dirt Church”—a community day for making Adobe bricks—is an example of building connections and fostering learning.

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Her vision remains clear as Crawford continues to balance motherhood, business, and nonprofit work. By teaching others to embrace sustainable practices and fostering a sense of community, she’s paving the way for a new generation of naturalists. Whether through natural building techniques or communal education, Crawford’s work is a testament to the power of living authentically and sustainably.

We do it because we believe in it.