Wendell Berry and others

[flylo]

I went to the Orion Society link and read Berry's essay. I think 
what I have a hard time with this is that yes, he's been writing 
'agrarian' for over 25 years. Now his writings have been more (it 
seems to me) : 'I told you this was going to happen. You didn't 
listen now I'm tired and we're worse off than before.'

I actually enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver's article a bit more. (The she-
bear who stole a baby and allowed him to nurse.) It seems to have 
the bitter mixed with hope. 

Re: Wendell Berry and others

[Allan Balliett]

Thanks for your input, Martha.

It's a profound question: Why would anyone listen to Wendell Berry? 
What does it matter what he says? Who does he think he is, an so on.

I think these thoughts every time I pick something up he has written. 
Ineveitably, however, he resonates with what I know to be true, with 
those basic values or truths that I feel come before enculturation. 
If nothing else, he reminds me of what will happen to all and 
everything if I give up my grassroots organic movement sensibilities 
and allow my self to go with the flow.

What I find in this particular piece is as strong a delineation of 
the values of the industrial agriculturist and those of the true 
agrarian, one who senses that there is more responsibility owed to 
life than acquiring money and what it can buy.

This paragraph

Everything that happens on an agrarian farm is
determined or conditioned by the understanding that there is only so
much land, so much water in the cistern, so much hay in the barn, so
much corn in the crib, so much firewood in the shed, so much food in
the cellar or freezer, so much strength in the back and arms -- and
no more. This is the understanding that induces thrift, family
coherence, neighborliness, local economies. Within accepted limits,
these become necessities. The agrarian sense of abundance comes from
the experienced possibility of frugality and renewal within limits.


for me is the most elegant expression of why agrarians cannot farm in 
tandem with industrialists and why industrialists become so disgusted 
by agrarians. The difference between working with Nature and taking 
from Nature.

I'd like to hear more thoughts on this.

-Allan



I went to the Orion Society link and read Berry's essay. I think
what I have a hard time with this is that yes, he's been writing
'agrarian' for over 25 years. Now his writings have been more (it
seems to me) : 'I told you this was going to happen. You didn't
listen now I'm tired and we're worse off than before.'

Re: Wendell Berry and others

[The Korrows]

Martha, Allan and all,
I was lucky enough to get to see Wendell Berry give the talk that you have
quoted from. An audience of about 400 was captivated.
I see Wendell Berry occasionaly, he is not a personel friend, but since we
live in Kentucky, and are active in agricultural and environmental events,
we do see him, and are certainly aquainted with him.

I have found him to be a beautiful combination of a true country person,
mixed with a wise philosopher. His daughter and her family have become one
of the leading role models for local, orgainc agriculture in KY, and the
county where Wendell is from is also the leading county in our state in
regards to developing a local food economy. This tells me that all of his
philosophies are much more than just words on paper, he is part of
initiatives to develop local meat markets, he is very invloved with the  the
Sierra Club and is helping them to understand that protecting wild places
does not just include natural spaces where people only go to visit, but must
also include the space where people are every day; farms, urban natural
spaces, etc...His tireless efforts to promote local, and develop this sense
of place beyond the written word are extremely visible in KY. He does much
more than just write about it. I am sure he is tired, he has seen this
coming for so long, and people are so slow to wake up to it!

I have found his latest lectures to be very new and contemporary. I just saw
him on a panel debating GMO's. The last time I saw him I had the chance to
talk to him some about my concerns relating to our KY Organic Certification
program and the NOS. In so may words, he said it didn't matter, because it
all has to be based on trust. In his talk that afternoon, he went on to
speak about the USDA takeover of the word orgainc. Some of the point he
shared: (In my own words!!)

*Organic as a word is no longer useable- it has now been co-opted by the
government. Once a word becomes legally defined, we know longer have to
think about what it means, it ceases to be alive.
*There is still hope for the word 'sustainable'-but 'through careful
conversation', we have to 'continually re-define' what these words mean.
Because the meanings change, farms are living things.
*He then went on to present a definition of sustainability (he did not call
it as such)

Nothing is Wasted
Diversity
Perenniality- (People making long term commitments to the land, and also
agriclutural perenniality, such as grassed based management that physically
preserves land.)

Lastly, another profoundly simple point he has made on more than one
occasion, as a short but concise argument against the industrialization of
agriculture- 'You have to farm to the farm'.This means that each farm is
unique, and that we can't apply a cookie cutter ago-corporate-paradigm
across the board.

Allan, the quote you gave below is the economy that dictates most of what we
do on the farm here.
Christy