This is what I have been reading and what I have been thinking a lot about lately, so I thought I would share it with you.
This is from the book
The New Agrarianism, Land, Culture, and the Community of Life; a collection of essays from various modern agrarians, including Wendell Berry and Gene Lodgson, with an intro be Eric T. Freyfogle.
Introduction:" With no fanfare, and indeed with hardly much public notice, agrarianism is again on the rise. In small corners and pockets, in ways for the most part unobtrusive, people are reinvigorating their ties to the land, both in their practical modes of living and in the way they think about themselves, their communities, and the good life. Agrarianism, broadly conceived,reaches beyond food production and rural living to include a wide constellation of ideas, loyalties, sentiments and hopes. It is a temperament and a moral orientation as well as a suite of economic practices, all arising out of the insistent truth that people everywhere are part of a land community, just as dependent as other life on the land's fertility and just as shaped by it's mysteries and possibilities. Agrarian comes from the Latin word agrarius, "pertaining to the land," and it is the land--as place, home, and living community-- that anchors the agrarian scale of values.
For contemporary adherents, in cities as well as rural areas, agrarian traditions have provided a diverse set of tools for fashioning more satisfying modes of life. And as the writings here reveal, they are making extensive use of those tools, to strengthen families and local communities, to shape critiques of modern culture, and in various ways and settings to mold their lives to their chosen natural homes.
As a collection of practices, agrarianism has enjoyed a long and curious history in recorded western life, from Ancient Greece to the present. Prominent in that, of course, have been the methods of gaining food from the fields,forests, and waters. Just as important though have been the ways that farm life has figured in a people's social and moral imagination. Agrarianism's central image has long been (to use Southern writer Andrew Lytle's term) the livelihood farm-- the well-run farmstead provides the locus and cultural center of a family's life, the place where young are socialized and taught, where stories arise and are passed down, where leisure is enjoyed, where the tasks of daily living are performed, and where various economic enterprises take place, in garden, orchard, kitchen, woodlot, toolshed, and yard.
Such farmstead, diverse in crops and livestock, has stood in the the agrarian mind as the incubator of virtue and healthy families. It has exemplified the traditions and possibilities of essential work, well done, in familiar settings. It as linked humankind to other forms of life, to soil to rains, and to cycles of birth, death, decay, and rebirth.
In it's independence, it has provided both a haven from corrosive cultural values and much needed ballast to stabilize civil states. Generation upon generation, people have retreated to such farms in times of strife, figuratively if not figuratively, in order to heal, regroup and set out anew.
Given the history, it is unsurprising as it is heartening that agrarian ways and virtues are re-surging in American culture, prompted by a wide range of public and private ills. To the degradation of the modern age, a New Agrarian is quietly rising to offer remedies and defenses, not just to the noise, vulgarity, and congestion that have long affronted urban dwellers but to the various assaults on land, family, relious sensibilities, and communal life that have tended everywhere to breed alienation and despair.
Evidence of the New Agrarianism appears today all across the country, in the lives and work of individuals, families, and community groups:
~In the community-supported agriculture group that links loal food buyers and food growers into a partnership, one that sustains farmers, economically, promotes ecologically sound farming practices, and gives city dwellers a known source of wholesome food.
~In the individual family, rural or suburban, that mets its food needs largely through gardens and orchards, on its own land or on shared neighbor plots.
~In the family--urban, suburban, or rural--that embraces new modes of living to reduce its overall consumption, to integrate its work its work and leisure in harmonious ways, and to add substance to its ties with neighbors.
~ In the faith-driven religious group that takes seriously, in practical ways, its duty to nourish and care for its natural inheritance.
~In the motivated citizens everywhere who, alone and in concert, work to build stable, sustainable urban neighborhoods, to repair blighted ditches, and to stimulate government practices hat conserve land and enhance lives; and in dozens of other ways to translate agrarian values into daily life.
Many worries and hopes lie behind this welling up of interest in land-centered practices and virtues. The degradation of nature--problems such as water pollution, soil loss, resource consumption, and the radical disruption of plant and other wildlife populations--is everywhere a core concern. Other concerns center on food--its nutritional value, safety freshness, and taste, and on the radical disconnection today, in miles and knowledge, between typical citezens and their sources of sustenance. Then there are the broader anxieties, vaguely understood yet powerfully felt by many, about the declining sense of community; blighted landscapes; the separation of work and leisure; the shoddiness of mass-produced goods; the heightened sense of rootlessness and anxiety; the decline of the household economy; the fragmentation of families, neighborhoods, and communities; and the simple lack of fresh air, physical exercise, and the satisfaction of honest, useful, work. Permeating these overlapping concerns is a gnawing dissatisfaction with the core aspects of modern culture, the hedonistic, self-centered values and perspectives that now wield such power.
The New Agrarianism of the past has pruned key elements from older agrarian ways while nourishing other shoots and stimulating new ones. Gone entirely is the old slave-based, plantation strand of agrarians; a regional variant to begin with, it deviated markedly from family-based homestead ideal. Much strengthened, too, has been the New Agrarian challenge to materialism and the dominance of the market in so many aspects of life. And yet, even with its new shapes and manifestations, agrarianism today remains as centeredas ever on its core concerns, the land, natural fertility, healthy families and the maitenence of durable links between people and place.
Agrarianism is very much alive and flourishing in America today, in ways both new and old and in diverse vocations and avocations. One could not call it a major element of contemporary culture, yet once aware of agrarianism, one stumbles on its outcroppings at many a turn. Within the conservation movement, the New Agrarianism offers useful guiding images of humans living and working on the land in ways that can last. In related reform movements, it can supply ideas to help rebuild communities and foster greater virtue. In all settings, agrarian practices can stimulate hope for more joyful living, healthier families, and more contented, centered lives."
This is a very interesting topic, it is far from being finished here, I plan on posting more of the book and more of my own thoughts, but for now this is enough to get your brain ruminating. :-)
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, a discussion would be great, I want to know where your opinions lie on this. If you want to read the whole book, it is on Amazon, or I found mine at the library, it is well worth the time and/or money. This is a very important thing both for me and for every other individual and family. I hope that this will just be the beginning of a great search for us all. So like I said before, what are your thoughts?
"Well, Julia, I'm sure you already know that I am so utterly far removed from anyone's most remote definition or idea or thought of agrarianism that my commenting on this particular post seems laughable! Not to mention the fact that I haven't read the book (but I've heard of it, does that count?)
I'm unlikely to ever be involved in this myself, though of course I can see its value. What can I say? I was raised in a certain culture, and have no desire or inclination to leave it. While I enjoy to a certain extent and at certain times the great outdoors, I guess in my "real life" I honestly prefer to mostly keep it at bay. Please don't hate me!! Just kidding, I know you'd never. :)
I mean, for example, we have a travel trailer, but we don't actually go camping in the purest sense of the word. No, we go RVing! Different concept altogether. And we often stay in concrete campgrounds and bring our laptop along, and have a perfectly smashing time doing it! (Of course, to be fair and not make us sound more urban than we are, other times we stay in more rustic campgrounds.)
I hope you or any one else will feel free to refute anything I've said! Of course, everything is just my personal opinion, I'm not against the ideals of agrarianism, I just wouldn't enjoy the lifestyle myself. And I am perfectly willing to admit that I probably don't even have an accurate picture of what it actually is that I've rejected. So feel free to educate me! (Actually, "rejected" is too strong a word. "Neglected" or "ignored" is probably closer to the mark.)"
March 11, 2008 6:47 PM
"Well that is a very interesting thing you have said there. Of course I would never even close to...(as you said) "hate" you in the slightest...:) I actually don't believe that everyone is called to this lifestyle, in the literal sense of the word, at all. This is why it is all so fascinating to me, there is such a wide range and variety of peoples lifestyle choices. And my goal is to understand that.
You said before: "I'm not against the ideals of agrarianism, I just wouldn't enjoy the lifestyle myself."
Well that is the beauty of Agrarianism, you don't have to actually LIVE the farming way, or anything like that. The real core of an Agrarian mindset is its values. No, you don't have to have a farm or even a garden to believe in agrarianism, in fact I believe many of the essays written in that book are written by urban-dwellers, but merely believe in the restoration of families and communities, that have become very separated in this modern day and age. That is really the real reason for any of this. People see Agrarianism (in its complete picture with values as its core) as the way to pull their families back together and the perfect opportunity for restoring community.
Another main idea of Agrarianism is that of restoration. Anyone can go and see all the economical and natural problems in the mainstream right now. I mean look at the disappearing bees, or at the horrible effects of the big companies getting a hold of our food and sustainability: genetic modification, hormones and antibiotics pumped into the meat, and many other problems with the big industrialization, and of mass-production our food sources.
Compare a modern meat plant, run by some rich businessmen, who only cares about the big bucks, in contrast to a family farm that gives nutritional, safety-assured, natural meat. The family is trying to support itself by working at home together. If any person could choose which one to get their meat from, what would it be? See, that is another huge aspect of Agrarianism,
"~In the community-supported agriculture group that links local food buyers and food growers into a partnership, one that sustains farmers, economically, promotes ecologically sound farming practices, and gives city dwellers a known source of wholesome food.
For those agrarians who are called to a city or more suburban lifestyle, finding and supporting that kind of local community is essential to their beliefs and practices, and the welfare of humanity. Here is a very interesting thing I found, it is like "Store Wars" except with the Matrix. (Mark would really enjoy it I think :)- www.themeatrix.com
That supporting of local and family farms and food sources and the values behind Agrarianism is really what I am getting at here. Like I said before, I am not asking everyone to drop it all and move to farms and raise food, but rather hoping to open up and restore a different lifestyle, a set of beliefs and values, all rooted in the sacred traditions of family and community. In their words,
"In all settings, agrarian practices can stimulate hope for more joyful living, healthier families, and more contented, centered lives."
That is my goal and my dream that we can all have that, no matter where we live or who we are. I am trying to understand it all, it is a deep hole that will take a long time to come to the bottom of, but once you start, you just want to keep pursuing it. But it sure is a glorious pursuit, well worth it all, and that is why I posted that, that is really my goal for this blog in general, to pursue what I believe and to call others to do the same.
This really great! I love talking about stuff like this, oh the joys of thinking!
Your post size is perfect, I want a a lot of discussion on this. So keep on posting! Bring it on!"
March 11, 2008 10:14 PM
"Hey Julia,
Again I couldn't click on the comments link, so I finally asked Brett about it, and he showed me a way to get around it. So now I'm good.
Thanks for your answer, I learned some things I hadn't considered before. For example, you said:
"That supporting of local and family farms and food sources and the values behind Agrarianism is really what I am getting at here. Like I said before, I am not asking everyone to drop it all and move to farms and raise food, but rather hoping to open up and restore a different lifestyle, a set of beliefs and values, all rooted in the sacred traditions of family and community."
Using this definition, I, even I, could call myself an agrarian! And yet I don't think anyone would consider me as such. I might support the idea, but my life is just so far removed from making it happen! I love the IDEA of supporting family farms, but my actions speak louder than words. I'm not willing to sacrifice in some other area in order to be able to afford that kind of food. If money was not an issue, I'd be far more inclined to do all my shopping at Whole Foods! Occasionally I do shop there, but it's the idea of sustained, consistent natural food choices that I quite literally can't buy into. It's sad that it really comes down to money. I mean, who wouldn't want to eat (and feed their children) the healthiest, most nutritious food available?
So much of what's been done to us in the last 70 years or so is a great big experiment. Everybody on the planet ate organic before then! There was no such thing as genetically modified food, grain-fed beef, milk from hormone- and antibiotic-injected cows. I certainly wouldn't have been eating delicious blueberries from Chile in January (which I did, by the way).
So I do love and am attached to my unnatural way of life, but am fully aware of the unnaturalness of it!
I also realize I'm totally in over my head trying to discuss a topic about which I know so little! You should invite all your family and friends to post comments, we could get a real round-table discussion going!"
March 13, 2008 6:02 PM
"Well! This is all very fascinating. Frankly I don't know what to say now.
I mean as far as I can tell, you understand it all perfectly well. So that is not even an issue. :)
You said "So much of what's been done to us in the last 70 years or so is a great big experiment."
I TOTALLY agree with you. That is a perfect way of saying it. But just as in any other experiment there are going to be the people who buy in to it, and the people who don't. I am not going to be a person who buys into, and that is why i believe in Agrarianism because it is for all those who won't. I guess once you know about it, it is just a matter of deciding what part you are going to play in it.
In terms of money, that is probably the number one thing that keeps people from buying locally and naturally. But the way I look at it, is that you are going to spend your money on something, so you might as well spend it on important things, such as your sustenance and nourishment. Not only is it bettering your body, but it is putting your money in the hands of families and local farmers who are trying to support their families and the local economy. Instead of putting it in the pockets of the big corporations, who are only out for money and not the betterment of the people, hence: GMO, antibiotics and hormones, and all that other nasty stuff they do for mass production.
See I think it is sooooo much bigger than we think. These corps. are tinkering with nature as if they were God, taking the natural structure of creation and turning it into a big experiment, or investment, it is so wrong what they are doing. So that is why something like Agrarianism, (or Crunchy Conservatism, they are all the same idea) is so important right now, we must tun things around, (there are already problems with bees disappearing and many other problems.) I am not trying to be a doomsday enviromentalist, but I do recognize a lot of problems as a cause of the horrible state of our food production and consumption, and I think that now we may need to compromise a little comfort here and there, for the betterment of the future.
We can't go on living the consumeristic way that we do, it won't last forever, it will end, and when it does those who put their life in it's hands and bought into it all, will really suffer. Agrarianism (with it's values of tradition and community) recognizes that and is trying to call people to be different, so that we will be able to last and not fall when consumerism and materialism falls. I really think that it goes beyond just our tables and homes, I think it is a choice that would effect everyone, so that is why I feel so passionately about this, that it is so important. We need to turn the culture around and it has got to start with every individual. As Gahndi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." That is really what it all comes down to I think.
Well I am sorry that the link is not working, is it the one at the bottom of the post that says "such-and-such comments." That has been working fine for me, but maybe I'll go look to the settings and try and fix it.
Yes I will ask the rest of the family to join in, (most of them don't even read my blog :) but I will ask them. I agree we can have a pretty good discussion going here.:)
Well thanks for all your input and hopefully I am not coming across too harsh, it's just that this is important to me... so that is why I'm here. "
~Jules