FW: [Diggers350] SHIFT PERMACULTURE

[Lilia Patterson]

Re Permaculture and digging and different climatic conditions found in different parts of the world








James - 
ploughing is relevant to deep rich soil systems in temperate Northern Hemispheres. 

Ploughing instead used by mass intensive agriculture in arid non-Northern Hemispheres instead is highly damaging and has led to desertification in a wide range of areas globally such as in the dustbowl years in America in the 30s and also in Ethiopia. 

Ploughing in sensitive arid areas causes thin soil structures to be more easily eroded and therefore lost in the wind and destroys the top soil easily - which is why it causes desertification so readliy. 

In rain and water rich areas, with dense fertile top soils such as in the Northern temperate climate zones you don't have to worry so much. 

permaculture recognises the difference between arid climates and temperate climates. 

Therefore it's more a case of different types of agriculture relevant to different climates - and intensive agricultural procedures that are applied by industrial farming techniques causing deserts when they are applied in places where these systems do not work. 

Look at the mass starvation in Ethiopia in the 80s as a result of the wrong farming methods being used for your answer. 
I hope that answers your question. 

Lilia 

To: diggers350 at yahoogroups.com
From: james36armstrong at hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:28:07 +0000
Subject: [Diggers350] SHIFT PERMACULTURE


















 



  


    
      
      
      


I understand that  permaculture advocates a non digging method of agriculture.
For the last 5,000 years farmers have been ploughing the land, sowing seed , so successfully, that 
the human population has  multiplied  to dominate the planet and successfully compete with all other living organisms.
Is there any evidence that permaculture is more than a middle class cult for amateur  gardeners?
Maybe I'm wrong.
James  

 		 	   		  



    
     

    
    






   		 	   		  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/private/diggers350/attachments/20101117/a8ebb6ae/attachment.html>