permaculture

["Kathleen O'Brien Blair" <ktho@comcast.net>]

I suspect all the hardships this author describes have always been an
integral part of farming and possibly why so many were so eager to leave
the farms after WWII. I also suspect that's why so many farmers eagerly
embraced the petroleum juggernaut because it made things easier and more
predictable. It wasn't until the 70's when Big Ag started eating small
farms that it got bad for them.

Also - there are fewer social structures to help people recharge from a
hard season of work. There's a reason why those old pictures you see of
old farmers show them stooped. That kind of hard work makes you tougher
sometimes - but always re-shapes your body. Without the social spiritual
sustenance of a large family living in close proximity and some kind of
"church" experience that gave people a common gathering place,
*everyone* is more isolated. Mind- I'm not beating the drum for church -
Christian or otherwise - I'm just sayin'.

I don't have answers but I always think it's instructional to first look
back at history. History is basically pattern that repeats itself.

Kathleen