permaculture

["GlobalCirclenet" <webmaster@globalcircle.net>]

Well my partner Barb will gloat over your agreeing with her about weeds ;-)
 Actually one patch of our  perennial area had too many wildflowers to
murder it, so she had me ring it with rocks like the planted parts to look
like part of the plan. Never saw such big bumblebees, and this is high
desert. And I stand corrected about backyard gardens.  What was I thinking
- I always promote grow your own, or else buy or swap locally from those
who have the room and time and know how. What I do is unfortunately only
"backyard" without machinery. I can't use the rest of this 15 acres because
of elk browsing.

paul@largocreekfarms.com
http://herbfarmer.net
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 9/10/2004 at 12:08 PM Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

>GlobalCirclenet wrote:
>
>> I do think your Gaia's Garden book is helpful. However, backyard gardens
>> that "combine low environmental impact, low maintenance once
established,
>> and high yields with elegant aesthetics" may attract those who can
afford
>> "elegant esthetics"
>
>Weeds provide elegant aesthetics, weeds alone. Revel in the diversity of
>weed and other wildlife they may attract
>and the effect they have on the soil and surrounding ecosystems. A
>backyard garden is a magnificent microcosm
>elegant aesthetics on the cheap.
>
> > , but doesn't reach the broader potential of
>> permaculture to alter industrial agriculture. That may be a difficult
and
>
>Certainly it does; how about 30 million backyard gardens in the US; think
>of the
>potantial to alter industrial agriculture if they were done naturally
>within permaculture systems.
>
>> elusive goal for any author.  On a more positive note, I'm encouraged to
>> see interest in " free peer to peer open source system of permaculture
>> training, knowledge base, & access to resources" from "mIEKAL".
>
>That will happen.
>
>> My own gardens are already organic simply because I won't pay for
>> chemicals, and all the critters are welcome because I won't pay for
>sprays
>> and such.
>
>It goes without saying that you wouldn't want those chemicals on your
>property
>or near you.
>
>  Herbs, veggies, and flowers all grow together, not because I read
>> it somewhere but because I had to plant where I had room. But there is a
>> method in my madness, I'm trying to develop a reproducible food
>production
>> system for local profitability and sustainability, in a hostile climate
>> suited only to cattle and elk. The irony here is, ranchers with
thousands
>
>Great. Tell us more about your gardens as they progress.
>
>> of acres can barely afford to eat.  In my view, sustainability includes
>> sustaining the people who do the growing, sustaining farm families, and
>> maybe revitalizing rural America. Using permaculture to move in that
>> direction is my concern. Permaculture has a big toolbox, but it needs to
>be
>> even bigger.
>
>Wise words. I am with you on this full tilt. I live in a farming region:
>dairy and hay mostly.
>Its interesting to see thoughts of natural farming practices creeping into
>the minds of these
>farmers. The old timers in my neighborhood knew nothing else and have a
>real feeling for working the land.
>
>-- 
>L.F.London
>lfl@intrex.net
>http://market-farming.com
>http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech
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