>Hi Dan -
>
>I'm not sure that I'm understanding you correctly. Are you really saying
>that it is unrealistic to think one can develop sustainable ag and then
>work toward it? I thought that was the vision of this list...? If not
>that, then what? Or is it all just hopeless clinging on with our
>fingernails til the end comes? Also, it seems that you brush off
>small-scale farming rather brusquely, when it might indeed be the solution
>that meets your conditions.... How can you be so sure there is no path that
>will work, no path other than total collapse? So sure as to put down
>anyone who works on any other possible path, including those practical,
>psychological, political, or spiritual? This seems like quite a dark view
>to be so adamant about... and different from other views I thought I
>remember you espousing. Perhaps it was just a dark and stormy day the day
>you wrote that email....
>
>Best regards -
>
>P. Dines
Hi PD
I think farming is inherently unsustainable. I think it is reasonable to
work toward the impossible vision of sustainable farming because there is
very little option at the moment to do otherwise. Either the end will come
while we do that struggle and we will have saved a bit of the natural world
or we will have replaced agriculture altogether with sustainable food
systems. This seems unlikely until the population drops by a few orders of
magnitude. Surprisingly, however, I am not in charge. I believe in doing my
best and not taking responsibility for more than that. My best, since I know
in my heart that farming is unsustainable, is to work in the alternatives.
Most people subscribing to this list will think thatlt as something
desirable, even if the ultimately desired result is impossible.
In any case, I have found this list to take up too much of my time in
astonishment at the primitive level of discussion (matters that were well
discussed 30 years ago and hardly need rehashing), sophmoric games of
academic mind wresteling, and issues irrelevant to sustainable agriculture,
even if you believe that it is possible. Particularly if you believe that.
Therefore, I'm moving on in a few days, when I get around to it, and I'll
use the time to prepare our orchard site and string more fence for our
animals and accrue more materials for our chinampas. When the shit hits the
fan, our place will be ready to receive its share of cosmic fertilizer.
See ya!
For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and now correspondence
permaculture training by email. Copyright, 1996, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O.
Box 2052, Ocala FL 34478 USA YankeePerm@aol.com
We don't have time to rush.