By following the link that Rhonda provided on Down to Earth's Weekend Reading, I found the following documentary - Farm For The Future.
Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family’s farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.
With her father close to retirement, Rebecca returns to her family’s wildlife-friendly farm in Devon, to become the next generation to farm the land. But last year’s high fuel prices were a wake-up call for Rebecca. Realising that all food production in the UK is completely dependent on abundant cheap fossil fuel, particularly oil, she sets out to discover just how secure this oil supply is.
Alarmed by the answers, she explores ways of farming without using fossil fuel. With the help of pioneering farmers and growers, Rebecca learns that it is actually nature that holds the key to farming in a low-energy future.
Though the predictions about peak oil and the possible future with this declining resource upon which we rely heavily are grim, I also found it encouraging that if we start now to think of ways to deal with this situation in our own lives we have a chance to create a means of not only feeding our family but also to teach the next generation valuable skills that without action by ourselves they might not learn. If we think its going to be tough for us in the next few years, then how hard is it going to be for them 10, 20, 30 years from now.
I can now see that our newly created veggie patch is just the beginning of our journey. I could wish and wish and wish for more land but its not going to materialise so i need to consider my garden in a three dimensional aspect rather than just two. Can i incorporate the principles of a forest garden and work vertically as well? Hmmmmm food for thought. I'm starting to plan again..! LOL
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You are once again absolutely spot on the money. If we don't actively learn now we won't have the chance to learn from the last few remaining living memories and our children and grandchildren will have to learn the hard way. My mum spent the first 6 years of her life on a farm, with horse and cart, her mother ironed by heating an iron in the fire, basically, the old fashioned way of living. I'm sure they had some tractors but given that the family farm had been in the family for some years they would have had Edwardian and probably Victorian era machinery. My grandfather for example, lost the end of his finger in a wrangle. Most people nowadays wouldn't even know what a wrangle was or just how important it was to the women of the house. My grandfather passed away some years ago but I do remember some of the stories. My grandmother was an avid bottler with Fowlers Vacola unit. Sadly it was sold or given away before I was interested in any of "this stuff" but had she still her mind I would pick her brains for advice on that and many other aspects of life in "the olden days". There are few remaining now who would remember Edwardian times well enough to share the how to's of the era. There's precious few who can share their memories of before World War II and it was only then that mechanisation hit the big time. Acting now is the only answer and our only chance.
ReplyDeleteYour idea for a forest garden is also a wonderful way to make the very most out of what space you have. I think we are going to see things start to change in the next few years for the worse as the crisis begins to bite. It won't happen overnight like in Cuba but in a slow and steady decline in affordability (hmmm sounds familiar already doesn't it) and if you don't think you can move to bigger property rather soon I would definitely suggest investing heavily in building your self sufficiency levels as high as you can where you are. :) It comes across so alarmist to say all this stuff I know and I am more than happy to be laughed out of town if it never happens but being boy scouts are the only way to go I reckon - be prepared! :)
Oh, and came across these two sites today via Milkwood.net blog (you'll love them if you don't already follow them) http://holmgren.com.au/ and http://permacultureprinciples.com/ both of which I intend to study comprehensively. BTW, David Holmgren lives about 30 mins from here. He's kind of the father of Permaculture and lives in Hepburn Springs. Fancy a green girls day out? ;)
Oh I saw that show - it was awesome! Made you want to go right out and buy a farm!
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