The Leveler
Heavy machinery can make work so simple. But should it be?
The owner of the land where we are doing our Domesteading experiments allowed us to let the field around the RV run wild for a season. We knew there was wild passionfruit and several other forage-able native plants, and we wanted to see what they’d do on their own.
I wanted to listen and learn from nature before razing everything. My wife helped me identify many of the species growing out in that field.
We knew we wanted to see what we could do with the passionfruit, and also want to try harvesting the mullein, thistle, and wild carrot.
We also identified large sections of invasive species, like Chinese bush-clover (Sericea lespedeza).
I am trying to find my balance with appropriate technology, and had been avoiding using gas-powered heavy machinery back there. But I went ahead and hopped on the tractor with the brush hog.
I can now see why many people enjoy using heavy machinery. It felt powerful! And I, as a single person, was able to make quick work of those invasive species. (Of course, that doesn’t take into account all of the people and energy it took to make the tractor and brush hog in the first place)
There were several spots where the invasive species bordered and mixed with thistles and passionfruit. The passionfruit there weren’t thriving, and I was able to leave plenty of healthy passionfruit elsewhere, so that wasn’t hard to justify mowing over.
But the thistles were happy and teeming with gorgeous butterflies! And while the butterflies all flew away as I approached, it felt so wrong to disrupt them. So after the first thistle, I started going around them.
Besides disrupting the butterflies, I saw field mice darting out from the field, loads of grasshoppers and other bugs fleeing as their habitat was mowed down… and I didn’t like it. If you’ve ever seen Fern Gully, it felt like I was driving The Leveler.
So, what to do? Do I, as a child of The Creator, given a responsibility to care for Creation, have the “right” to destroy this part of Creation to make ourselves more “comfortable” or to make way for something of my own design?
I’m honestly not sure yet. I know others seem to have no problems tearing down forests, mowing lawns, brush hogging meadows… but it just doesn’t feel right to me.
What I’d really like to try next is bringing in the animals.
I bought three goats last year to try and see what that felt like. I have learned that I’m not a “farmer” and don’t like a lot of the conventional advice (“neuter all but one!”, “keep them fenced in!”). I think I’m more of a shepherd. But until I can join them, they’re fenced in near the barn.
Those 3 goats would be no match for how much land we have out there anyways. And while I hear they aren’t too picky, I think having other species with them would help keep it all under control. More animals means I need to build them more shelter, and be able to stay close to them. Once I get enough money for some solar panels on the RV, I’ll be able to move the goats and myself out there and see what they do. Then hopefully, I’ll be able to add in some sheep or other plant-eaters.
It will be slower. It will be quieter. It will be gentler. And I think it will be worth it.
Ya a good thinker. I resonate. But then I keep thinking is that a romantic vision that will get mowed over by the world's largest tree crusher! Driven by empire in how many years?!
I think my solution points to paralysis analysis. What is the effect of what we do - to paralyse until we can get a decent understanding. I don't mean that in all of life, but to definitely think about the macro scale and perhaps trigger a transformative transformer - a social hyper object some ancients use to just call Gods, Gods of bio-regions. A symbol that is useless from a social perspective and therefore properly called Art. Yet a beholder can ground the symbol and make a singular meaning if it means something to them. So then perhaps an answer to the question is that if you have a plan and see it through.... Is it beautiful? Will you be sheparding something that is enjoyed? Like an Other eating a delicious meal you've made. If what you make becomes Art and remains ambiguous enough then great. But then there is the aspects of capitalism that aren't so bad either - efficiency and productivity - there is beauty in that too to be fair.
Would it be shared libraries; addressable and version able blocks that make sheparding something that could be creative and still have a standard to follow - so not to have to develop from scratch.
Interesting I met a shepherd last week at a festival. A lady so I suppose a shepherdess! She is Dutch but in England. Met her at a Buddist festival. First Shephard (ess) I ever met!
This is a juicy topic, i struggle with. Perhaps we need both places. Conservatism for the modern romantic and productive lots to keep empire down.