Just when you think you have it all figured out something new comes along and totally blows your mind. This is a good thing. I believe that we should keep an open mind and always be willing to learn. Sometimes a humbling experience hurts, but it is the only way that we can improve what we are doing. I mention this because sometimes in my quest for knowledge about sustainable agriculture I tend to get a little self-destructive. It’s easy to feel like you are creating too much of an impact or that what you are doing is not TRULY sustainable. I feel like the most important thing is to recognize the steps that we have taken while not ignoring the things that we know we could improve.
I learned about permaculture from someone recently. The idea behind it is to create an environment that is as close to nature’s cycles as possible while being loosely contained in order to harvest it. That is the basic idea that I took from it at least. No one is suggesting that we go back to being hunter gatherers, just that we observe what nature really wants to be and that’s perennial and poly-cultural. These very thought out designs recreate the guilds that are found in nature. Guilds are groups of plants, animals, insects, and fungi that form a symbiotic relationship. I guess the hope is that we can somehow regain our lost place in one of these guilds.
As modern humans I think that it is sometimes very difficult for us to think off ourselves as part of the fiber of nature. So much of what we do seems only to solidify our position as observers and manipulators. So where do we go from here? If we choose to keep our total dominion over nature there is a good chance that it will eventually lead to our downfall. Permaculture clearly seeks to rectify this, but there are many out there that wonder if such a thing is feasible on even a small-scale without significant lifestyle changes. It’s easy the feel defeated by with this mindset, so try looking at it another way. Those of us who consider that we live a “green” lifestyle should look with excitement, not cynicism, to these sustainable pioneers. Even if we can’t achieve all that they have we can at least glean a little knowledge and make ourselves a little MORE green. They can help us see things that we never did before. Even if it’s just recognizing that putting food in a garbage disposal instead of composting it is a waste of valuable nutrients. And if these things start to seem overwhelming sit back and take stock of your knowledge. Make a list and decide what you can comfortably change about your lifestyle. Then implement it. One thing will lead to another and another. You don’t always have to act immediately on something that you know is wasteful or unsustainable, but you don’t have ignore it. Be mindful. Always be aware of the impact that you are creating, and eventually the pieces will start to fall into place.
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