permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

On Fri, Jun 5, 2015 at 10:18 AM, christopher nesbitt <
christopher.nesbitt@mmrfbz.org> wrote:

> other than to say that there is a place for aquaponics in a field as broad
> as permaculture.


Steve insists that aquaponics and hydroponics are not part of the
permaculture toolbox because they are not Earth Connected
and that practicing these forms of agriculture for the purpose of growing
food is not worthwhile because the product is nutritionally deficient. I
think he also says that the various forms of life giving energy in this
(are there other ones?) universe, observed and unobserved
will not be infused in the end product of the process, i.e our food,
ignoring the "non natural" production process as not being in sync or
worlds apart or not life giving. I insist that aquaponics, done right, is
perfectly natural, hydroponics as well.
I get the message from Steve that one's head must be in the right place to
grow food that is maximally nutritious, life giving and life sustaining.
One can believe in a cornucopia of possibilities, worlds of life giving
energies simply by observing life around us. Think about how much of our
mind's potential we use in a lifetime, each day, hour by hour. We may use
more and more of it and learn how to apply what we learn from what we
observe in a multiplicity of ways. I think Steve is saying that we must
approach permacuture and food production in systems within it at the most
basic level, that which is most in alignment with the pure distilled
essence of Nature, as we learn what it is, its breadth, depth, scope.

I have been amazed at what can be seen through the lens of permaculture. I
tend to view most of what I experience each day and the work I do through
that lens. I still continue to be amazed at Bill Mollison's idea that the
only limits to a permaculture design are any limits to the imagination of
the designer. He should get the Nobel Prize for his work.

There are real, legitimate permaculture/agriculture/aquaculture projects
going on around the world that would amaze us. On PBS TV I watched a
documentary on revitalizing ecological, economic and food production
systems in communities living along a brackish river in some African
country. They needed salt tolerant plants for food and forage, rebuilding
mangrove stands at river's edge and, the aquaponics part, raising brine
shrimp in river-fed lagoons for food with the nutrient rich water released
into the farmland providing fertilizer for the salt tolerant food and
forage crops. They gained food, forage for livestock, made money and
restored vital stands of mangrove. If I can find a link to that documentary
I will post it. This is aquaponics at its best. If anyone else has seen
this video and can fill in some of the missing details that would be a good
thing.

LL


-- 
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
Ello: @ecoponderosa <https://ello.co/ecoponderosa>
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://sites.google.com/site/venaurafarm/