permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@calypso-2.oit.unc.edu>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 20:46:49 -0400
>From: Jenna Dalious <jpd117@email.psu.edu>
To: agenvir-l@pentagon.io.com
Subject: Re: What do you think of this?

The CSAS Newsletter states:
>>In the research and education program at The Land Institute in Salina,
>>Kansas, Jackson said they are beginning to better understand the
>>complexity of the prairie ecosystem and are creating combinations
>>of plants in what are called perennial polycultures. In the
>>future these will supply food, hold the soil in place, and
>>approximate the native vegetation of the place. Such a system
>>will be more sustainable than today's extractive cultivation of a
>>few crops based on high inputs of fossil fuels and other scarce
>>resources.

You asked what we think -- I think it's wonderful!  Polyculture must be
researched intensily if we are to save our topsoil and preserve genetic
diversity of the native vegetation. But I am wondering, what type of plants
will be grown by this method and how will they be harvested?  I know
vegetable crops can easily be harvested by hand, with many advantages such
as less plant damage, less fossil fuel use, and less compaction of the soil
from heavy machinery.  However, I am not aware of the methods used to
collect things such as grains by hand.  Can anyone fill me in?  It seems to
me that it would not be very difficult and I am probably missing a very
obvious solution to this problem.  Actually, I am interested if anyone has
information on traditional methods of harvesting and processing plants that
does not require machinery.  Thanks,

Jenna

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                              Jenna Dalious
                              jpd117@psu.edu
           President, Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly
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