I like Tom Ward's 3-phase system for implementing solutions: first, what he calls "quick fix", then
"retrofit," then what he calls "ultimate permaculture." So in this case the quick fix would be to get a
municipal compost program to deliver two 10-yard truckloads of compost per acre. That's the solution if you need organic matter
right now no delay, (say, hungry neighbors needing food!) and thus you will be a little less than choosy about what's in it.
It's taking advantage of the crazy abundance of resources this culture has at the moment. Then, "retrofit" would be
something like cover cropping and tilling it in. (We'll be doing a lot of "retrofit," in this society, given the
existing infrastructure that is so badly planned or damaged. We can't tear it all down at once, so we must retrofit what we
have.) But ultimate permaculture, like Steve says, would be a rotational grazing program, tree crops, and perennial fertility
builders. That will take a few years to get going, hen
ce the hierarchy of approaches. It also works at various scales: quick fix
on a small area to get a yield going, retrofit for medium size, and ultimate
permaculture to transform the whole system.
This 3-tier system has broad application to a lot of design problems; I
appreciate that Tom has given it some nomenclature.
Toby
http://patternliteracy.com
On Dec 27, 2011, at 8:44 PM, Steve Bonney wrote:
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Steve Bonney
Sustainable Earth
a 501(c)3 not-for-profit membership organization
to promote sustainable farming and food systems
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