[Sosfbay-discuss] Food not Lawns

[Wes Rolley]

The Santa Clara County Library has a single copy of /Food Not Lawns/ by 
H. C. Flores. I happen to have it checked out right now, and have not 
yet finished reading it. 

Actually, while it is an easy read, there is a lot of material that is 
better absorbed with some actual thought going on.. and so I would 
rather like to keep it around for longer than the short time I have it 
checked out.

For example:  Flores is a certified permaculture designer.  She would 
seem to have some things in common with poet Gary Snyder.  When Snyder 
was asked about what we could do concerning the latest environmental 
crisis, his Zen-link answer was "Stay put."  In reality he was saying to 
develop a sense of place, to listen to the land.  Flores offers the 
guidance to "look deeply."  Take the time to see what is really there.  
Both are going the same direction.

For example: we have thermometers in the shade at two locations outside 
our home.  One is on the south side of the house, with a stone wall 
terraced slope about 15 ft. away.  The other is on our deck on the N. 
side of the house.  On a sunny afternoon, they register as much as an 8 
deg. difference. Then, in the winter, there are areas of the property 
that get frost when most of the place does not.  Microclimates abound.  
We plant accordingly.

There is an additional interest for Greens, though, as Flores considers 
holding a seed swap to be a revolutionary action and a great chance to 
talk politics.  We don't do that, but we do, as she also suggests, share 
our excess with our neighbors and that again is an opportunity to build 
community... and talk politics.



-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente

Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
http://www.refpub.com/ -- Tel: 408.778.3024