permaculture

[Thomas Paul Jahn <thomaspauljahn@gmail.com>]

Me too Richard. I also have been looking for years into permaculture trying
to identify techniques that could be applied in agriculture. I have seen
the tragedy from inside the system as an associate professor in agriculture
and ecology.

I came to the conclusion that there is plenty of techniques. But no help
for agriculture. There is simply no need for agriculture. Look at examples
like Havana. I don't know recent and exact numbers, but people in the city
seem to be 80-90 selfsufficient. There is no need for ariculture. Even for
cities.   The resistance is just in the heads of people. All kind of
people. Farmers and citicans. And understandable so, because the concept of
land versus city, agriculture versus culture is very old. But it is just a
question of the understanding of nature and the physical construction of
our cities.

The biggest concern people may be left with is pollution in the cities.
Therefore we developed a concept of preparing your growth areas as raised
beds, using mycoremediation and biochar as the main components for soil
restoration. (Described on the
webpage<http://jordforbindelse.wordpress.com/fresh-english/>).
The rest is natures work.

We have therefore decided to help the revolution on the way. We have
already started building raised beds in Copenhagen and Århus. As community
projects. People learn by participation and give the knowledge further
while receiving help from others. In this way, the system will spread. It
looks already very very promissing.

Nothing in the concept is our idea. Nothing is new. We just tried to put
the pieces together:
We know that we can even grow cereal crops in the system as described by
Fukuoka or Marc Bonfils. This will ideally be in larger gardens or fields
closet to residential areas. But I see it as many small patches interspaced
by trees rather than large open field. There is simply no need for
mashines. The sythe is undervalued. We don't need that much corn. Farmland
of 500 hectar is madness. And has always been. There is no need for it
anyway. It's purliy for profit. And the time of economy is right here.

Yes, the idea of braking up large farms into small and newly emerging
communities would be an ecxcellent solution. Here in Denmark we definetely
need such a kind of reform. But in reality, we do not even need that much
space for new dwellings. What we do need is the right practise and concept
for growing our food in our residential area. All the land that we do
*not*need should be allowed to spring into forest and be zone 5. Isn't
that the
whole idea of permaculture?

The only new thing with our concept is that we are actually doing it. And
we *can* do it, because there is no money involved. We really go to the
edge when it comes to local resources and human resources. Once people
realize what they can do, they are sold. It's beautiful.

Yes, as Lawrence said, it is the right time to do it. In the spirit of the
99%. Imagine when we first have done the primary work. There are sooo many
people that will be inspired to provide extra care for the cultures. It's a
whole new culture much like I imagine the Chibcha people in Amazonia. We
have just to kick start it. Right in front of the peoples eyes.

It is not enough to practise permaculture in the country side. People don't
see it. The resistance remains in the heads of people. Also in our heads,
of us permaculturists. We gotta make it work. Because it will work. We all
have seen plenty of examples of extraordanary abundance and productivity.
Sure it can work in cities. Not as aquaponics or other technical fixes. But
right on the soil nature provides. And building soil is building new
capital.

I know it sounds freak'n crazy. But why not. You need a vision. But we also
haves tarted already. It's very exciting! Join it!

cheers
Thomas



2011/11/6 Richard Archer <permaculture@juggernaut.com.au>

> On 4/11/11 1:35 AM, Thomas Paul Jahn wrote:
> > There is a sheer iron resistance to the idea that farming can be done
> > without heavy machinery. Hundreds of horse powers are out their on our
> > fields. And people have completely lost confidence that it can be done
> > otherwise.
>
> Hi Thomas,
>
> You introduce your post with a criticism of modern farming practices.
> This caught my attention because integration of permaculture into
> farming is something I am keenly interested in.
>
>
> > However, maintaining a healthy garden gets down to *one  simple
> > method*called “chop and drop”.
> > ...
> > I rackon, once the physical primary work is done, I can manage 2 hectares
> > and maintain them in a state of a paradies just as a single guard ...
>
> This technique works well on a garden-scale. As you say, up to a couple
> of hectares. After the initial earthworks are complete, there isn't
> really much need for hundred-horsepower equipment at this scale.
>
> But if instead you had 500 hectares to manage, what sort of approach
> would you take?
>
> Would you set up a small village of 200 people to help you work this land?
> Would you set up passive permaculture systems?
> Could animals perform the tasks of tractors and machinery?
> Would you use tractors to perform the "chop and drop"?
> How would you harvest grain and hay crops for storage?
> Could you grow enough oil crops to fuel a tractor to work the rest of
> the land?
>
> Because whether we like it or not, modern agriculture is an industrial
> process on a massive scale. How can permaculture help make that process
> more efficient in a carbon-constrained world?
>
>  ...Richard.
>
>
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