permaculture

[Ted Markow <tbag.markow@verizon.net>]

Wes,

Good points, especially about small, diverse plots.  Fits with my notion of
bioregionalism as opposed to globalism.  The larger the system, the harder it
is to respond to local issues.  Also, the more diversity there is in a system,
the better it can survive hits.

Ted

Wesley Trotman wrote:

> I think what this hinted about was the need to have closed loops as per
> nature. Some problems with larger scale agriculture is the difficulty in
> closing the loops also the energy in distibuting the produce plus the
> increase in pests and more you could probably think off.
>
> Say you have a field of say 200 acres which could grow enough grain for 100
> people. The simplest loop is the nutrient loop how do these 200 people
> return their body wastes as nutirents?
> Its a different matter when you only grow enough grain for your family and
> your immediate family and perhaps also close neighbours,
>
> Up to 50 years ago the Chinese managed large cities, albeit with lots of
> labor, by having a complex system of return of wastes back to the farm
> lands. Seems even back then their numbers were causing problems. It seems to
> me the growing of small and diverse plots for local consumption is the right
> way to go.
>
> Wes