permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Sorry, I accidentally resent Loren's reply to Michael before I added my 
comments to it. Loren basically echoed my feelings but with a teasing 
yet pointed comeback. Michael has a lot of ideas which deserve 
consideration and conversation. More types of courses, which address 
other areas than just the design of properties for food production, 
sounds promising and needed to enlarge both the scope and audience for 
Permaculture. Food, however, is fundamental and basic in most human 
circumstances. While growing ones own food is a rather foreign concept 
to many Americans and westerners it might be good to remember that 
Americans just recently became net importers of food (importing more 
than we produce). We need to be encouraged and empowered to become 
producers and the standard course hopefully does that.

The PcDC that I teach (and every teacher I know) offers far more than 
just how to grow food and introduces profound revelations about the 
nature of ecological systems (forests, water cycles, weather cycles, 
gardening and agriculture) that is CRUCIAL to the understanding of ALL 
humans, no matter their specialty or focus. Despite our contrasting 
perspectives on the matter of certification, the design manual, upon 
which the curriculum is based, is a hugely important collection of ideas 
which serve and address real and deep needs in all humans and their 
landscapes.  Not to say that it addresses ALL of them, but it comes damn 
close. It truly deserves a semester or two, or three. If what you are 
teaching is not this curriculum, then don't offer a PDC certificate for 
it. Offer a DIFFERENT certificate for it (but please share your 
curricula amongst your peers and coleagues...we might learn something.)

I would like to read some of the new curriculums being created / 
imagined. I might want to teach some. I might want someone to teach me 
or to teach with me.
Keith

Keith Johnson wrote:

> Loren Davidson wrote:
>
> > At 08:44 PM 3/6/05 -1000, Michael Kramer wrote:

--
Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 1209
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(828)669-6336

also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
Culture's Edge at Earthaven Ecovillage
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
http://www.earthaven.org
http://www.bioregionalcongress.org





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