From toby@patternliteracy.com Thu May 13 11:39:29 2010Return-Path: <toby@patternliteracy.com>
What do you know about the reality of homesteading (urban=20
or rural) for self sufficiency and independence?=20
=20
Toby Hemenway wrote:
On May 12, 2010, at 10:28 AM, jamesdavid Sneed wrote:=20
=20
That seems so disappointing, an elitist attitude that discourages=20
people from growing all their own food . . . . I find that
independence impossible in anywhere but the most remote regions, I
am returning to those locales, which to me is the REAL WORLD
Reality is often more disappointing than dreaming of something we've
never tried; yes, my point was indeed to discourage people from the
Trying something and failing, though disappointing, is better than not=20=
having tried. What do you know about the reality of homesteading =(urban=20
or rural) for self sufficiency and independence? You said sometime ago=20=
that you gave up your rural lifestyle to live in the city. Fine, but =do=20
not criticise others living a rural lifestyle intent on surviving and=20=
remaining on their land; maybe they have no other option.all
=20
simplistic, near-impossible fantasy that when it gets tough they can=20
just grow all their own food. I hope that idea dies soon; it's a
Simple lifestyle, yes. Frugal and efficient. As if millions of folks =
over the world aren't in need of this approach to living these days.much=20
You think the multinational vertically integrated agriculture=20
corporations, IMF, UN, Red Cross, etc are going to feed them?
=20
Good grief, you hope that idea dies soon...say it isn't so, Toby.
For someone who has written a great book on permaculture you're not =
help or encouragement. I think you've signed onto the wrong forum;
you need one that is 99% rhetoric and politics and .99% corporate=20
funding and .01% action.
=20
I think you've fallen off the edge of the Earth. Now I am wondering if=20=
Toby's account has been hacked and you are not who you claim to be. =This=20
is what I might expect to hear from a Monsanto greenwashing PR agent.=20=
You seem intent on trashing the decades of work by hundreds of =thousands=20
of folks. I can't believe what you've written. My thoughts about it:=20=
total and utter horsemanure. You do not know what you are talking =about.
=20partly=20
terrible deterrent to facing a real solution. I beg you all: Stop=20
thinking that way! And, James, when you return to the "real world,"
of the wild, just remember who made your equipment for you; that's
how self-reliant you'll be. The "I'll harvest the wild" dream only
Maybe he won't need much equipment or will make his own from scratch.
=20
insures the destruction of the last wild places.That's=20
anti-permaculture: stay out of the bush, says Mollison, and he's
right. With 7 billion people, all wild resources would be depleted in
a matter of months. I was recently in Alaska, and kept running into
people who thought they'd just hunt after the oil gets scarce. Not
with the size of the population of Alaska. That's a horrifying
thought: goodbye caribou, elk, deer, bear.
Ridiculous. Would you say the same about the American Indians
when they dominated the Plains and fed themselves harvesting the=20
buffalo? Ever heard of sustainable harvesting?
Encouraging wildlife by protecting and nourishing their habitat, =
through forest gardening. There is little or no impact on wild animal=20=
populations when harvesting in limited numbers for food, if done=20
correctly. The Sustainable Urban Homestead and The Sustainable Rural=20=
Homestead are ideally diversified small, mini or micro farms with=20this=20
livestock. This concept is integral to a realistic survival plan in =
day and time. Being part of a Greater Urban or Rural Homestead, i.e., =a=20
community of farms, or farming cooperative wherein the individual=20
members supply each other with goods to allow for specialization,=20
cropping or livestock production, for those lacking either.
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