Last week a farming friend put to me, that I had an awful lot of knowledge, relating to permaculture and how it could influence Hill Farming, but I was wasn't doing enough on a local and national level to make changes with that knowledge. He suggested (after a couple of glasses of wine!) that it could be argued that this made me pretty selfish. C, (the friend), is passionate about conservation farming and sharing his vision with as many people as possible. He does this through sharing many aspects of his farming work with the public (a thriving B&B and self catering business, farm tours and access to the wildlife hide on the farm, courses run at the farm field studies centre etc) and spends a lot of energy and time attending meetings to influence related farming policy at local and national levels.
I could have been a bit upset about this I guess.....
I could have been a bit upset about this I guess.....
I wasn't though, ( C and myself have a good few controversial natters...), Instead its made me reflect on how I DO use my knowledge and experience for the greater good.
The permaculture ethics seemed a good way to make some sense of this
Earth Care and Fairshares
Using Permaculture Design to influence the way I farm the land has many positive ways of promoting care of the Earth. Lots of these are discussed and documented elsewhere within my blog posts and Diploma work on this website. People visiting the farm, in whatever capacity often ask me questions or make observations about the work I am doing. I write a fairly regular blog, and articles/reviews in both permaculture and non- permaculture related publications, and am active on Facebook and Twitter in sharing related information. I know, from responses sent to me, that people on a global level, have found the experiences and knowledge I have shared useful to their own thinking and work.
People Care
Alongside my farming work, I am the main carer for the Elders who also live on the farm. My role as carer means I have to be flexible and available to enable and help them for most time of most days. Making this care appropriate and timely for the Elders, also benefits the wellbeing of my partner and myself too. This is of course while caring for the land and all who live on it too.
My own self care (Zone 0 or 00), is also greatly shaped and guided by Permaculture Design too. As someone who has been hugely aware and passionate about our need to heal the Earth since a very early age, I have also being exposed to, and experienced, burnout, relating to this too. And at times this has been all consuming and has meant that for weeks, months years at one time, I have been unable to do any Earth healing work. Since consciously using Permaculture to design all aspects of my life in the last few years, I have really worked hard on preventing these kinds of meltdowns.
The time I spend on creating a balance, where I can be an activist who influences change through small, slow, steady actions, and disseminating this through writing and photos, but stay healthy and grounded, is essential to me.
Recent conversations with my friend Alan Charlton from Community Led Solutions about the book 'Active Hope' by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone and then listening to a fantastic radio interview with Maddy Harland (Editor of Permaculture Magazine), have given me more reassurance about how vital this balance is.
I constantly see the huge need for more urgent action though too, as the harm to our planet and those who live on her spirals out of control. But I also recognise that in my life at the present and the near future, I am doing all that I can.
However, as in most permaculture work, there are tweaks, I can make, and as I work on my 'plan' for 2014, I have made a commitment to both further some of the designs I have in place for my farming work, and other areas of my life. This is in addition to writing blogs and articles more frequently, and work on disseminating these to a wider audience....and re-reading 'Active Hope' is up there at the top of my January reading list.
The permaculture ethics seemed a good way to make some sense of this
Earth Care and Fairshares
Using Permaculture Design to influence the way I farm the land has many positive ways of promoting care of the Earth. Lots of these are discussed and documented elsewhere within my blog posts and Diploma work on this website. People visiting the farm, in whatever capacity often ask me questions or make observations about the work I am doing. I write a fairly regular blog, and articles/reviews in both permaculture and non- permaculture related publications, and am active on Facebook and Twitter in sharing related information. I know, from responses sent to me, that people on a global level, have found the experiences and knowledge I have shared useful to their own thinking and work.
People Care
Alongside my farming work, I am the main carer for the Elders who also live on the farm. My role as carer means I have to be flexible and available to enable and help them for most time of most days. Making this care appropriate and timely for the Elders, also benefits the wellbeing of my partner and myself too. This is of course while caring for the land and all who live on it too.
My own self care (Zone 0 or 00), is also greatly shaped and guided by Permaculture Design too. As someone who has been hugely aware and passionate about our need to heal the Earth since a very early age, I have also being exposed to, and experienced, burnout, relating to this too. And at times this has been all consuming and has meant that for weeks, months years at one time, I have been unable to do any Earth healing work. Since consciously using Permaculture to design all aspects of my life in the last few years, I have really worked hard on preventing these kinds of meltdowns.
The time I spend on creating a balance, where I can be an activist who influences change through small, slow, steady actions, and disseminating this through writing and photos, but stay healthy and grounded, is essential to me.
Recent conversations with my friend Alan Charlton from Community Led Solutions about the book 'Active Hope' by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone and then listening to a fantastic radio interview with Maddy Harland (Editor of Permaculture Magazine), have given me more reassurance about how vital this balance is.
I constantly see the huge need for more urgent action though too, as the harm to our planet and those who live on her spirals out of control. But I also recognise that in my life at the present and the near future, I am doing all that I can.
However, as in most permaculture work, there are tweaks, I can make, and as I work on my 'plan' for 2014, I have made a commitment to both further some of the designs I have in place for my farming work, and other areas of my life. This is in addition to writing blogs and articles more frequently, and work on disseminating these to a wider audience....and re-reading 'Active Hope' is up there at the top of my January reading list.