permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

At 02:14 PM 10/31/02 -0500, you wrote:
> The awareness training is so useful in that it develops one's ability to
> understand the landscape, observing and knowing what is there and what the
> land wants to be.  So much of this is brushed over in the Permaculture
> design courses, or misinterpreted as an analytical exercise.  To me,
> earthskills and caretaking in particular are what you do in zone 5.
> Mollison says not to do anything there except learn; well, if you are one
> with zone 5 then there's pleanty you can do there.  The great observations
> and illuminations come from zone 5; it is there that you can learn to be at
> home.

At the risk of offending, this kind of quasi mystical stuff not only does 
very little to inspire me, if I was one of the many deeply religious people 
I have met through the years at organic farming functions I would likely 
find it out right offensive.  IF this really is a system for everyone I 
would strongly suggest separating the new age gloss form the main body of 
the design system, it is not at all necessarily to develop good designs.










Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM