The article says he doesn’t “barter”. It didn’t say he wouldn’t accept gifts. He has friends who will feed him an hour’s hike away. He scrounges for cast-off food which might include outdated canned goods. He is like a lot of these people: able to live their “ascetic” or “righteous” lifestyles only because others don’t.
I always had trouble with the Moonies and their fundraising at airports years ago when it seemed to me they were giving the message of “Live materialistic lives and give me your filthy lucre so I can live my righteous lifestyle.” This guy is quite self-sufficient if the more extensive article I found by Googling his name is correct in that he uses no government welfare programs (except maybe as his landlord). Nevertheless, he depends on wickedness to subsidize his virtue.