Sorry for the long gap between posts. Sometimes life gets a bit too busy, and sometimes I’d just rather do physical things that make a difference to our level of sustainability than sit down and write a blog post.
This will be a short one, just to point you to an article that I find inspiring. It’s by someone with the unlikely name of Shepherd Bliss and for some reason reading it really lifted my spirits. It’s about learning from the community of the land
Here’s an example of what he says:
I farm with nature in mind, rather than against it. Permaculture is a helpful design system for this kind of agriculture. It teaches placing cardboard, burlap bags and newspapers around the berries, on top of which I put composted manure. This fertilizes, reduces weeds, and keeps moisture in the ground, as well as builds soil. The Earth does not want to be bare, so when factory farms strip it with chemical herbicides, it throws up a new covering, called “weeds.”
The boysenberries with which I share this land are the under-story within a forest. That diversity provides beauty and protects my main crop from pests, as well as providing fallen leaves for mulch. The redwoods, oaks and other tall trees draw moisture from the atmosphere onto the farm. I put large, flexible used flour bags as bedding for chickens, which catch their manure. I then put those manure-enriched bags around the berries and add other compost.
You can see more at: http://transitionvoice.com/2011/06/learning-from-the-community-of-the-land
Sustainable @ Lockyer Valley 