Self-sufficiency is a myth, because no one should try to do everything themselves and exist without the support of a community. Such people try to segregate themselves from the world. This defies the basic human need for relationship and community. The proverb “many hands make light work” applies. A robust, connected group is not only makes work faster and easier, it makes life so much more worth living. We were designed for relationship and we should not shun or ignore the communal aspect of life.
This applies to permaculture in a myriad of ways. We should seek to integrate with the community with our food, our methods, and our love of people. Building bridges takes a lot more time and effort than not building one at all, but once you have one it is much easier to cross a river. Bridges allow free exchange of knowledge and resources. The current monoculture represents a world without bridges. There are no helper plants to aid them. There are no repellant plants to keep destructive bugs away, or aromatic plants to encourage necessary pollinators. They are islands in an empty sea, completely segregated. Permaculture tries to create a flowing and integrated ecosystem where the whole is so much, much greater than the sum of its parts. The plants support each other and together, have a yield far surpassing anything they could have accomplished alone. In this way, permaculture wants to make bridges and communities, both with people and plants. Comments are closed.
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Rebecca Burrow
I am a Christian permie designer trying to spread the word about Christian land stewardship through permaculture. I like goats a lot. Maaaaaaaah. Archives
September 2016
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Burrow Permaculture Consulting | Permie Blog |