vue - Q&A with Mark Shepard: What's the difference between restoration agriculture and permaculture?
Have an agroforestry or permaculture question for Mark? Use the contact form here: http://www.forestag.com/contact.html Mark Shepard is the CEO of Forest Agriculture Enterprises and runs New Forest Farm, the 106-acre perennial agricultural forest considered by many to be one of the most ambitious sustainable agriculture projects in the United States. New Forest Farm is a planned conversion of a typical row-crops grain farm into a commercial-scale, perennial agricultural ecosystem using oak savanna, successional brushland and eastern woodlands as the ecological models. Trees, shrubs, vines, canes, perennial plants and fungi are planted in association with one another to produce food (for humans and animals), fuel, medicines, and beauty. Hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts and various fruits are the primary woody crops. The farm is entirely solar and wind powered and farm equipment is powered with locally produced biofuels that are not taken from the human food chain. Trained in both mechanical engineering and ecology, Mark has developed and patented equipment and processes for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of forest derived agricultural products for human foods and bio fuels production. Mark was certified as a Permaculture designer in 1993 and received his Diploma of Permaculture design from Bill Mollison, the founder of the international Permaculture movement. Mark is founder and board President for Restoration Agriculture Institute and serves on the board of the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council. He teaches agroforestry and Permaculture worldwide. Mark is a farmer member of the Organic Valley cooperative, the worlds largest Organic Farmer's marketing co-op, and is the founder and chief Cydermaker for the Shepard's Hard Cyder winery in Viola, Wisconsin.
Commentaires
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This idiot is trying to carve out his own niche and twisting what permaculture stands for. Nobody ever said it would completely feed an urban family the way things are set up now, but look at other areas even in the states where whole urban estates are going very close like in Davis, California. Permaculture is about building soils everywhere, and returning ground water levels to what they were in the past. What this guy talks about is farms only, which are designed to feed masses. We dont need masses!
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I was with him until he started talking about Obamacare. The sustainable agriculture movement is far too important to bring ideology/partisanship into the discussion. If we stick to what we know (in this case, sustainable/regenerative agriculture), the movement will have much broader appeal.
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Dried fruits is high in protein +eggs +potatoes +some rabbit meat this form a complete diet with other vegetables that eliminates the need for staples I think.
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Mark just rolled out an education in about 4 mins and 42 seconds! Right to the point, easy to understand and absorb. Well done.
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Are you classifying small homesteads as farms as well Mark?
In my Maritime Temperate climate I've found it fairly reasonable (including a decent surplus on average years to put away as storage for bad years) to feed 1 person per acre of land when managed well. -
Talking down to city dwellers (or anyone) who is trying to practice permaculture is counterproductive. A "YES! ... and..." attitude will be more productive in the long run. As in: Yes! grow what you can in your yard... and How can we provide staple crops in an environmentally beneficial way for everyone?. On 1/2 acre it is entirely possible to produce 80-99% of your own food including staple crops, have enough to sell some produce and extra to give away.
I get what Mark is saying about 'real' design vs 'out of context' design. However, even something out of scale, like a rain barrel, will further anyone's understanding of how much water actually falls on a roof and what to with it. Rather than calling those who utilize rain barrels 'disassociated' from reality, I would say they are practicing a 'symbolic' gesture at gathering and utilizing an available resource. -
Very interesting to hear about the disassociation within Permaculture. I have noticed this too.
I also love the idea of transforming farms, where we get our staples, with Permaculture like you mention Mark. I have always thought this way ever since I found Permaculture for myself. I always knew that my yard was not big enough to feed me, just big enough to provide those small fruits, some staples like apples, potatoes, chestnuts (not enough to survive all year though), and the flavourful herbs and annual crops, garlic, beans, cukes, squash, zucchini, onions, etc, that I enjoy more from home than from a store. I can grow my leafy greens, small fruits, small portions of staple crops and what not all on my property easily. I would have to take over a quarter or more of my entire town and plant it in chestnuts, hazels, apples, peaches, walnut, etc just to feed myself enough food for a year (I live in a town of about 800 acres in size or so). -
I personally just got 4 rain barrels to water potted plants. My garden is set up to collect the rain, and does not need watering unless I am establishing a plant (it's only 1/5th of an acre). If I had more room for a massive tank to store the water, I would do the calculations for the appropriate sized rain barrel/tank. Also, the main reason I store rain is because the city water facilities put fluorine and chlorine compounds into the water where I live, which makes the soil turn gray if you water with it (this is next to lake Ontario too).
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