I just finished reading Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening, and have found it to be the most informative, enlightening book on gardening/farming I have ever seen. The book is more broad than deep because he discusses a lot of topics: design, terraces, green manure, polycultures, growing fruit trees, cultivating mushrooms, building waterscapes, shelters, small gardens, composting, and managing creatures big and small – including earthworms, cattle, pigs, fish, poultry and “pests.”

He packs a lot of information into 216 pages, but of course he could probably write another 200 page (at least) book on each one of those topics. I appreciated the overview presentation though because it’s easier to see how everything fits together within his vision. Holzer has been farming for over 40 years on approximately 110 sloping acres of the Austrian Alps. During that time he observed nature’s systems and experimented with his own systems to come up with the most stable, sustainable methods he could find. His efforts were independent of the permaculture movement that began later with Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Australia.

His greatest unifying principle seems to be diversity or polyculture. He found that the more diversity he built into his system, of plants, animals, insects and microclimates, the better everything worked. He also pays close attention to the needs of the soil, noting that different plants are appropriate for different stages of soil regeneration. This, of course, is nothing new for permaculture enthusiasts, so what makes Holzer’s book special?

One of my favorite features is his photographs and illustrations. He gives us aerial views of his farm, photos of terraces being built, his rare breed livestock and the roundwood shelters he built for them. He gives us illustrations of how steep raised beds can be layed out for a pick-your-own market farm; side cutaway views of terraces, raised beds, and storage ditches; how to build a stone cellar and roundwood shelter; the symbiosis between mushrooms and trees and other diagrams on mushroom growth; and design ideas for small urban gardens.

Another feature that I have not seen in other books (although I am certainly no expert here) is Holzer’s philosophy and methods for fruit tree propagation. Although he was formally trained to become an arborist at agricultural school, he ultimately decided that most of the conventional wisdom about caring for fruit trees is wrong. He does not prune, water, fertilize or spray any of his trees. Instead he pays careful attention to microclimates and planting soil-improving plants around the tree, along with selecting proper varieties, grafting and his own technique for transplanting. He includes all the details in the book.

I also like Holzer’s writing style (his coauthors are his son and daughter) because his feisty personality comes through. He readily admits the mistakes he’s made, and hints at the struggles he’s had with government authorities over the years, without falling into a complaining tone. I can see why his first book, an autobiography, was called The Rebel Farmer, because his ideas are so unconventional, even for dedicated organic farmers. Yet his success is apparent. Who else can grow lemon trees in the Alps? His farm is fairly bursting at the seams with abundance. People come from all over the world to see his farm and ask for his advice. He has consulted for people in various other climates such as Scotland, Thailand, Brazil, Columbia, and the United States.

This book is fascinating, and I hope that Holzer keeps writing, because there is still so much he could teach us.

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I just got back from a wonderful trip to Yosemite this weekend. Fall is my new favorite time to visit because the crowds are low and the trees are so beautiful. It was chilly, but not too cold. We slept in the heated tent cabins at Curry Village. They had linens and wool blankets but we were glad we brought sleeping bags and extra pillows. It was really comfortable! The only downside was figuring out how and where to eat because cooking was strictly forbidden anywhere in Curry Village, and so many of the usual eating places were closed for the season. We had to stand in a lot of lines waiting for pizza, coffee, etc. Next time we’ll be more strategic about it.

Here’s some of the pictures:

Fall in Yosemite National Park

Upper Yosemite Falls with Autumn colors

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Woodsmoke from the Camp Curry lounge

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I’m so excited I got to go see Chris Martenson give a presentation last night in Sebastopol. I’ve been following his web site for years, and appreciate the nice calm rational research he has presented all this time. He’s not reactionary or emotional when he discusses such things as exponential  growth of debt and the collapse of fiat money and worldwide resources. He just tells it like he sees it, and reminds us all to enjoy the simple things in life.

The main emphasis of his presentation was the difference between a problem and a predicament. A problem is something that can be solved, and the world’s media and governments are behaving as if what we have going on is a problem. Chris’s point is that what we have is a predicament, meaning that changes are inevitable. There is no solution, only mitigation. His mission is to try to convince people to plan ahead and prepare for the changes ahead, because there is no way to avoid resource depletion and energy scarcity. We have been living in a bubble of energy surplus for the past century, but it cannot last. And under the best of circumstances, we can only realistically achieve less than 20% of our current energy needs with renewables.

He threw up a slide with Colin Campbell‘s quote, “Tomorrow’s growth is the collateral for today’s debt.” Not only have we spent all of our children’s and grandchildren’s money, we are using up all the carbon fuels, minerals, timber, fresh water, and ocean resources as well. Depressing, I know, and I’m not even going to talk about the possible reactions to this scenario when enough people figure it out. What Chris is really hoping for is a gradual shift in living standards – not necessarily bad, but different. Our ancestors lived without many of the things we take for granted now. We just need to relearn how to do what they did, and perhaps do it better with the benefit of technology. What Chris is afraid of is an abrupt shift in living standards, because people won’t be able to adapt quickly. They will be afraid, unhappy, desperate, and unprepared.

Our biggest asset is time.

Just like our other resources, we can’t afford to waste any more time. I’m making my plans – and since I dragged my husband along with me last night – he’s onboard with whatever I want to do. Yay! If you want to learn more about peak oil and how to prepare, I highly recommend Chris Martenson‘s web site, but there is a LOT of great information out there on the web. In fact, I’ll probably do a roundup of good sites in a future blog post here.

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