permaculture

["Frances and David" <fdnokes@hotmail.com>]

Yes, the point is moot that a global list has much to offer all, if not 
literally, then by inspiration.
As to the term 'traditional', we could agree to use this for original 
forest/land adapted cultures.
Or we could concede that it has a spectrum of meanings. I suppose there 
needs to be room in our lexicon somewhere for those types of practices that 
were practiced pre-mechanized agriculture...
In our studies of living on the land, we have many books around the house. 
One that David is fond of, although I have sometimes felt that it stole time 
from  worthier studies, is one on so-called traditional farming. It's really 
all about methods developed by pioneers. And yet, we cannot throw the baby 
out with the bathwater on that one, either.
Personally, I'm looking forward to traveling in Europe and seeing what 
deeper awareness of food and the land might be like. There are many who are 
well informed in N.A., but not a sense that the knowing has a very deep 
reach historically as it might in European cultures where the transmission 
of certain concepts including fermented foods, for instance, has gone on 
unbroken in many a family. Just a different sense of food and our part in 
it. More participatory. More respect for cultural heritage, and less giving 
over to packaged, process remedies to food in the hectic paced lifestyle of 
so many of us in North America.
One thing that I love about fukuokian thought is the sense that the simple 
things in life are enough. That observing nature is a full time pass time 
that is rewarding and enriching in and of itself.

~
Frances

-----Original Message----- 
From: Dieter Brand
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 2:35 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] fukuoka_farming mailing list needs 
aco-moderator.

> However, as I understand it, the practice of natural farming
> goes way back
> in the roots of the indigenous cultures of NA and elsewhere,
> including such
> place as Central America.

Basically, I think that we have to look at traditional farming in our area 
to find adaptation of NF that will work locally.  To import one-to-one NF 
farming methods from a humid region with rich soil such as Japan to an arid 
region with poor soil doesn’t make any sense and is bound to fail.

> Or, perhaps the point is that the traditions of natural
> farming have
> survived in these other cultures, whereas abrupt shifts in
> population in the
> Americas meant huge losses of cultural habits of
> adaptation?

I think the spread of European cultivation methods and the moldboard plough 
that took place as a consequence of colonization has buried traditional 
farming techniques below layers of conventional farming methods to the point 
where the meaning of traditional farming is no longer understood in some 
parts of the World.

> What boggles the mind somewhat is the variety of regions and
> zones and how

Well, yes there is a point in having local discussion groups; yet at the 
same time, it is good to be inspired by what is happening in other regions.

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