permaculture

[MABOYD5@aol.com]

Hi, thought I'd jump in on this conversation, not to comment on the 
philo/ideo context but to toss in an example.  Altertec works in Guatemala 
(since 1988?) with farmers who learn the principles of organic ag from a 
permaculture perspective.  Office in Guat city and also Berkeley CA.

Initially Altertec sought out farmers who had maintained more or less organic 
practices, interplanting, saving their seeds, traditional erosion control 
etc. and taught them the science behind why it worked.  And helped them 
improve on it.  Then they taught them effective pedagogy to become the 
teachers to other farmers, which has always struck me as key to their 
success.    I visited in 1991 and they already had a strong first group of 
farmers who were finishing up the 18 course/3 year training.

This is a bit from their flyer (which you can get from David Hammond, 811 
Shattuck Ave Berkeley CA 94707.  Last I checked their website wasn't 
functioning, but you can try altertec.org and see):
"Altertec offers no material or financial incentives for adopting organic 
techniques because we believe that such practices will be permanently adopted 
only when the farmer understands their inherent value.  Instructors use 
visual and experiential teaching techniques whenever possible b/c many 
participants have difficulty reading and writing.  the most active farmers 
can participate in a voluntary permacultural model farm program, holding 
local-level courses at their own farms.  b.c we feel that farmers' willing 
and active participation is essential, Altertec hs a policy of working only 
in villages where we have actually been invited by local leaders...As we 
train more qualified instructors, altertec has expanded its teaching team to 
more than 50 people working throughout 10 depts of Guatemala..."

A current project is "technical training and counterpart agency role for 
Peace Corps' first program worldwide to focus on IPM and pc."

So they're doing it, and quite well, check it out!  I'm enjoying your 
conversation...have you both read Shaman's apprentice by Mark Plotkin?
Martha Boyd