permaculture

[Greg <FarmerGreg@UrbanFarm.org>]

Robert,

Unfortunately it is not about politics.  It is about people being 
right, which places the other side as wrong.  Perfect circumstances 
for a war.  And it is about people being unkind.  If we could just 
look in our heart and ask ourselves how do we want to be treated then 
treat others that way we would go a long way.

Greg



> Sigh.  Permaculture politics.
>
> I am not qualified, fortunately, to have a real
> opinion about some of these detailed discussions,
> being as how I have never been to a full scale
> design course, only a weekend intro plus five
> years or so of reading on my own, trying to figure
> out concepts.
>
> If I could have my own permaculture wish (where is
> that fairy godmother when you need her?), it would
> be for a way to make permaculture more accessible
> to those with lower incomes.
>
> Regarding permaculture training, as I understand
> it the basic course is lecture oriented.  This
> being the case, I have a suggestion for a
> permaculture experiment and observation.  One
> thing I have learned about permaculture is the
> importance of observation and being willing to try
> new and different choices.
>
> What about an on-line or "distance learning"
> permaculture design course?  ("Distance learning"
> is the modern name for what used to be called
> "correspondence courses".)
>
> It could combine the following elements:
>
> (1) Required readings,
> (2) online discussion forum (presumably limited to
> the attendees)
> (3) Maybe even a "chat" forum for live
> discussions.
>
> Cyberspace has both limitations and opportunities
> for personal contact, about which I won't say much
> more right now, but having been in cyberspace
> since hmmm 1993, and moderating many discussion
> groups (21 at most recent count), it is a way to
> convey a massive amount of information.  And
> several of the groups I moderate have, over time,
> developed into tender and caring human
> communities, even though we are scattered all over
> the world and have never met in person.
>
> A regular program of permaculture distance
> learning would help open up permaculture training
> to people with lower incomes.  I am not
> necessarily suggesting free training, but I would
> suggest a lower tuition charge than is presently
> generally the case, since more students could be
> accomodated via distance learning than in an
> in-person course.  using the internet would
> eliminate the cost of travel, which adds to the
> price of permaculture training, and it also
> resolves the time problem.  e.g., I get 2 weeks
> vacation per year, so if I do a full design
> course, there goes my annual vacation.  And while
> a permaculture course would be "getting away" from
> my normal routine, I wouldn't think of it as a
> vacation.
>
> Anyway, this is my suggestion.
>
> Robert Waldrop
> Oklahoma City
> www.bettertimesinfo.org
> www.oklahomafood.coop
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture


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***ATTENTION***  Please note my new email address.  FarmerGreg@UrbanFarm.org

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Greg Peterson
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