permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <toby@patternliteracy.com>]

On Dec 29, 2013, at 8:41 AM, Thomas Paul Jahn wrote:

> I would go that far to say, the important questions don't ask for numbers.
> 
> As I understand Fukuoka: this is what he tried to elaborate on in his book
> "the natural way of farming", by addressing the scientists among us.
> But more importantly he says, 'natural farming is the perfection of human
> being' addressing our spiritual side, that doesn't ask about number to
> start with.

To someone who is hungry, the only important question is, "Where can I get 
some food?" Meeting basic needs has to come first, and it means growing real 
food--getting the numbers up. When their kids are not dying, then they may 
have time to ask spiritual questions.

I agree with you that the spiritual side of permaculture, and of all human 
activities, is what makes it all worth doing. The author's point here is that 
there are many permaculturists (and I have seen plenty) who have fooled 
themselves into thinking that they have created a highly productive system 
that provides for many of their needs, yet in truth they are purchasing most 
of their food and other goods from the store. There's a form of denial going 
on there, masked by a quasi-spiritual "I'm living in harmony with nature 
because I've got an herb spiral" attitude that is damaging both to the planet 
and to permaculture's potential to reach people. At some point, somebody has 
got to be growing enough food to feed people. 

I'm curious to know how many people are feeding themselves--really meeting 
caloric and nutritional needs--via Fukuoka's methods.

In the end, even for us rich people with food in the pantry, numbers matter, 
because the less food that we grow in ecologically sound ways--especially if 
we're in denial about how little we're growing--the more is grown via 
industrial ag. 

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com