Permaculture

http://www.energybulletin.net/25315.html

by Sharon Astyk
"It is well that thou givest bread to the hungry, better were it that none hungered and that thou haddest none to give."

St. Augustine

There are many questions that have come up for me in writing a book about food, energy and climate, but the one that I find most engaging is the question of exactly what was gained and lost in the transition to industrial agriculture and the green revolution. While there have long been critiques of the Green Revolution, many, many people assume that without the work of Norman Borlaug and the other scientists who brought us new hybrids and who convinced much of the world to convert to nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides based on fossil fuels, we cannot feed the world. I am suspicious of this claim, and have been musing on it for some time. It is certainly true that grain yields rose dramatically during the Green Revolution, but how much does and did that actually matter?

 http://www.energybulletin.net/23428.html

We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.

- Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1500s

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

- Arthur C. Clarke

"Magic" is how humans have customarily described the soil's natural cycles of decay and growth. Without a scientific understanding, our ancestors relied on observation and traditional practices to grow crops.

Modern chemical agriculture has been only marginally better at understanding the soil. Unable to control the natural cycles, it bypasses them with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Despite the outward successes of modern agriculture, its heavy-handed approach brings with it pollution, soil degradation and other ills.

http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/attranews_1106.html 

In order for their farms and products to be certified organic, farmers must comply with the standards of the USDA's National Organic Program. What can producers expect during the process of moving toward and switching to organic production? This issue of ATTRAnews looks at some of the pitfalls and potholes of the transition period and offers advice for how to smooth the way.

In this issue:

• NCAT and Organics
• What is the Organic Transition Timeline?
• Myths and Realities about Going Organic
• ATTRA Publications on Organics
• Collaborating for Organic Transition in Montana
• Conservation Benefits of Organics: What's Not to Like?
• Resources for Organic Certification and Information
• Gallatin Valley Goat Dairy Goes Organic
• Tips from Organic Inspectors on Transitioning Your Farm
• Advice from Farmers about Organic Transition
• Organic Livestock Feed Supplier Database
• New and Updated Publications from ATTRA

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Homesteading_and_Self_Reliance/2006_April_and_May/Plan_the_Perfect_Homestead 
Issue #215, April/May 2006

Edited by John Stuart, Carol Mack and Megan Phelps

Turn your dreams of country living into reality.

Ever since 1970, when Mother Earth News was founded, readers have been writing in with questions about homesteading and stories about their own experiences with rural living. We get calls and e-mails every week confirming that thousands of Americans still dream of going “back to the land” to learn to grow their own food, build their own homes, generate electricity from renewable sources and live a self-reliant lifestyle.

http://www.motherearthliving.com/issues/motherearthliving/homesteading/Homestead-Now_218-1.html

Although many people dream of buying several acres in the country, sometimes it’s more practical to start homesteading where you are.

Heidi Hunt, an assistant editor at Mother Earth News who homesteaded on a farm in northeastern Washington, recommends learning as many homesteading skills as possible before moving to a place in the country. “Planting, harvesting and preserving food are skills that can be practiced almost anywhere,” Hunt says.

In fact, many aspects of homesteading work as well in the city as in the country. Installing solar panels, building with straw bales, heating with wood, collecting rainwater and even raising chickens are all possible in the city or suburbs. Just be careful to check all relevant zoning and local ordinances before you get started.