In previous posts, I have written about the vital importance of the backyard veggie garden. Now I’d like to quote from Peter Bane’s The Permaculture Handbook, who calls the efforts of people to provide their own food from their land ” garden farming”.
“… you need to do it ( garden farming) to save your life and health… Never mind having food to eat: you won’t be getting food worth eating if you don’t start growing it yourself and doing what it takes to grow healthy soils and ecosystems to support it.”
Well, that speaks to the state of industrial agriculture, which is polluting our environment and depleting our soil. He goes on to say about our gardening neighbors…
“Every new garden farm is part of the solution to climate change, energy and resource depletion and economic contraction. Each new farmer is floating a life raft for his or her neighbors, friends, family and community.”
Coming from that perspective, farmers–or anyone with a backyard garden–are our heroes. Are there some potential new heroes out there thinking about planting a seed? Are you one of them? I hope so.
Peter Bane is a permaculture teacher, writer and consultant. He was the publisher and editor of Permaculture Activist magazine for over 20 years.
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