Incremental change is hard to see. Almost 2 years in and we are just starting to see the vision take shape of what we want to accomplish. There is still a ways to go, but to see how far we’ve come gives us the motivation to keep going. What is nice about small scale farming is the equal part vision and equal part execution (since it is small scale there is some relaxation too).
Our Vision
In a basic sense we really want to actively participate in our own local food systems, growing what we can, saving what we can, and learn what we can source responsibly. Our vision is to transform our small suburban plot into a diverse and functional ecological system that provides for us, and our community.
Global Vision
Our vision is predicated on fulfilling a greater vision for the planet. I know I wouldn’t be nearly as dedicated and passionate if I did not see our direct and immediate impact on the greater whole.
We see small scale farming as a very important part of our future, and the planets future. Where some things benefit from industrial efficiency and globalization such as manufacturing and technology. Food systems do not work in this way. Natural systems work because they are diverse and complex, and the interactions are vitally important.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development summed it up best in their 2013 Trade and Environment Review titled “Wake up before it’s too late”
“The world needs a paradigm shift in agricultural development: from a “green revolution” to an “ecological intensification” approach. This implies a rapid and significant shift from conventional, monoculture-based and high-external-input-dependent industrial production towards mosaics of sustainable, regenerative production systems that also considerably improve the productivity of small-scale farmers. We need to see a move from a linear to a holistic approach in agricultural management, which recognizes that a farmer is not only a producer of agricultural goods, but also a manager of an agro-ecological system that provides quite a number of public goods and services (water, soil, landscape, energy, biodiversity, and recreation.)”
Execution
Vision is the drive to get up and keep going every morning, but the hard part is knowing what to do, and then getting the work done. To start we’ve really focused on small projects. As the projects start adding up and coming to completion, we can start to see the changes on a large scale.
This year alone we’ve gone through two major changes, the addition of the chicken coop/blueberry hill, and the continued growth of the veggie garden and perennials. Take a look at the pictures below to see how far we’ve come just since last year.
If you’re interested in the practicalities about starting your own suburban permaculture project click the link.
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