Also, this affection for a land one cultivates and sustains seems to ring resonance with David Kline, Amish farmer who wrote the lovely book Great Possessions.
Thank you for this book suggestion! It seems to be an embodiment of a healthy approach that walks a balanced line between excessive conservationism and attention to the human. Per “affection”- I was at that Berry Jeff lecture and think of the truth of that phrase so often!
I like that "walks a balanced line between excessive conservationism and attention to the human.", Carla, and it sums up Carwyn's approach well. It is a very balanced book.
Why does ideological rewilding, despite its ecological ambition, so often settle into a new kind of monoculture? Is it because it lacks what one might call "cultured affection", the kind of knowing that comes from working with the land, not on it?
It’s this affection that lets a farmer cut hay at the precise overlap of bloom and bee, or prune upon sap flow rather than calendar date. A technical, situated love. Inherited through repetition, refined in relation.
Oh, I love that phrase cultured affection Anna, and I think you are spot on. Sometimes (often even) those rewilding the land have no connection to it other than ownership. They don't live upon it or in the community and don't have to bear the outcomes of their decisions. They lack affection for the land apart from their preconceived vision for it.
What an absolute treat. I've just finished the One Straw Revolution which, despite its limitations of application, was very inspiring. We can conserve the environment very well by being lovingly involved in it. I feel one step closer to something very sweet indeed. Thanks for the read.
My pleasure, Will, and thank you for your kind words. And you are spot on with this: "We can conserve the environment very well by being lovingly involved in it."
Thank you Hadden, that makes sense to me. I think I saw Tim Lang on a panel with John Humphries (launch of his The Great Food Gamble) some years ago, so that’s a great reminder. I will add that one to my pile and look out for your future posts.
This is a really interesting review, thank you Hadden. It’s a powerful and optimistic argument that the answers are already embedded in the culture and evident in some practice. The question then is how to cut across (or change) current incentive structures to enable that to come to the fore. I also worry about how self reliant we want or need to be for food as a nation and whether those methods will provide enough?
These are good (and necessary) questions, Rachel. Thanks for asking them.
As to how to change the incentive structures, I would argue we need to start small and focus on our local areas, supporting local farmers and small food businesses in a way that costs us (causes some pain to our bank balance - provided we have the financial security to do so). But it is long and hard work to change deeply embedded norms and structures - and I don't expect to see much change at a national level any time soon.
Then on the question how food reliant we want to be, Tim Lang at City of London University has written a good book on this Feeding Britain. If I remember correctly, he argued we should be a whole lot more food self-sufficient than we are. There is also the risk in a "peak oil" scenario that being reliant on global markets and imports is a very risky strategy.
Finally, on how much self-sufficiency is possible, Chris Smaje is the expert on this (though his proposals are fairly radical). How book A Small Farm Future is worth a read and a ponder.
These are topics I hope to write about in the future.
Thank you for this, Hadden. I'll add this book to my list.
Also, this affection for a land one cultivates and sustains seems to ring resonance with David Kline, Amish farmer who wrote the lovely book Great Possessions.
Indeed, I must read David Kline at some point!
Thank you for this book suggestion! It seems to be an embodiment of a healthy approach that walks a balanced line between excessive conservationism and attention to the human. Per “affection”- I was at that Berry Jeff lecture and think of the truth of that phrase so often!
I like that "walks a balanced line between excessive conservationism and attention to the human.", Carla, and it sums up Carwyn's approach well. It is a very balanced book.
Fabulous review, thank you, am adding to my stack of must reads!
Why does ideological rewilding, despite its ecological ambition, so often settle into a new kind of monoculture? Is it because it lacks what one might call "cultured affection", the kind of knowing that comes from working with the land, not on it?
It’s this affection that lets a farmer cut hay at the precise overlap of bloom and bee, or prune upon sap flow rather than calendar date. A technical, situated love. Inherited through repetition, refined in relation.
Oh, I love that phrase cultured affection Anna, and I think you are spot on. Sometimes (often even) those rewilding the land have no connection to it other than ownership. They don't live upon it or in the community and don't have to bear the outcomes of their decisions. They lack affection for the land apart from their preconceived vision for it.
What an absolute treat. I've just finished the One Straw Revolution which, despite its limitations of application, was very inspiring. We can conserve the environment very well by being lovingly involved in it. I feel one step closer to something very sweet indeed. Thanks for the read.
My pleasure, Will, and thank you for your kind words. And you are spot on with this: "We can conserve the environment very well by being lovingly involved in it."
Thank you Hadden, that makes sense to me. I think I saw Tim Lang on a panel with John Humphries (launch of his The Great Food Gamble) some years ago, so that’s a great reminder. I will add that one to my pile and look out for your future posts.
This is a really interesting review, thank you Hadden. It’s a powerful and optimistic argument that the answers are already embedded in the culture and evident in some practice. The question then is how to cut across (or change) current incentive structures to enable that to come to the fore. I also worry about how self reliant we want or need to be for food as a nation and whether those methods will provide enough?
These are good (and necessary) questions, Rachel. Thanks for asking them.
As to how to change the incentive structures, I would argue we need to start small and focus on our local areas, supporting local farmers and small food businesses in a way that costs us (causes some pain to our bank balance - provided we have the financial security to do so). But it is long and hard work to change deeply embedded norms and structures - and I don't expect to see much change at a national level any time soon.
Then on the question how food reliant we want to be, Tim Lang at City of London University has written a good book on this Feeding Britain. If I remember correctly, he argued we should be a whole lot more food self-sufficient than we are. There is also the risk in a "peak oil" scenario that being reliant on global markets and imports is a very risky strategy.
Finally, on how much self-sufficiency is possible, Chris Smaje is the expert on this (though his proposals are fairly radical). How book A Small Farm Future is worth a read and a ponder.
These are topics I hope to write about in the future.