permaculture

["Charles Knoles" <charles@growfood.org>]

Jeff said:
> Rigidity, bureaucracy, tradition, rules, and laws tend to build in
> organizations and over time destroy them.  This seems to happen in
> cultures, political systems, business organizations, and just about
> everywhere.

   I couldn't agree more.
    It is the edge between tradition and innovation that keeps
every aspect of the world alive.  This principle can be seen in biology,
art, business or any other endeavour you care to examine.   I've had the
unfortunate experience of watching rigid thinking take over my beloved,
wonderful transcendental meditation movement and I sometimes see the
same patterns of thought on this mailing list and get a chill up my spine.

> This could also happen in PC if we define it as rules or techniques.
> But if we define it as a process that observes and learns, then
theoretically
> it can evolve and adapt just as nature does.  Not everyone agrees with
> this view though.  Some want standards to verify that the movement does
> not get marginalized.

   Whenever there is a great body of useful knowledge there also comes
the great temptation to codify it and preserve it in its pure state for
future
generations but this is against the principles of growth, life,
succession and evolution that are such an integral part of permaculture.
  It also represents an inherent distrust of future generations who may be
able to see possibilities for inter-connection not previously existent
or understood by the original practitioners of permaculture but be
 disinclined to act because of the "thou shalt nots" that were perfectly
sensible and reasonable to their ancestors.  eg. working with
industry/government,
farms larger than 5 acres etc.

  In any case the persistent question that keeps coming up: "but is is
permaculture?"
when talking about doing anything but homesteading isn't very helpful to
anyone.
Permaculture only exists in your mind.  I don't mean this in any derogatory
way
as some of the most awesome experiences and useful tools "only" exist in
your mind
(eg. mathematics, love, creativity, transcendence, beauty).  I challenge
anyone to
come to my place and show me where the permaculture starts or stops.  "hmmm
right along your east property line is the boundary of the permaculture and
there is
a little but of non-permaculture encroaching on the south side of the
property." ;)
I think it's possible to use a permaculture approach to designing just about
anything
and if someone reads the designers manual and builds a kitchen or a flying
saucer
based on what they learn I say let them call it permaculture.

 Anyway I could go on and on and on but I'll switch off the philosophy
button and
say that I'm very excited about a big tree planting project that my
agriculture professor
and I organised.  We have a few hundred food bearing trees, vines, shrubs
etc. (many are
donations from the very wonderful raintree nursery) that are Aching to be
planted
on five acres of primo land in between the dorms and the classrooms/dining
hall.
I've started hyping up some of the students and I think it's going to be a
fun party!
 I'll post the details of how it goes and maybe put some pics on the web.

   Muchos smoochos

Charlie Knoles

President
Permaculture Club
Maharishi University of Management
Fairfield Iowa
52557
charles@growfood.org