Ethics and Permaculture

"Ethics, also called moral philosophy, the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong. The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles." This definition comes from the Encyclopedia Brittanica 

I have stated in an earlier post,  climate change is human-caused. As the problem is the solution and human behaviour is the problem, then, human behaviour must change if we are to slow down, reverse and repair the damage climate change has wrought.

How do we achieve this goal? Well, for me, I started with changing myself. One of the most important steps I took back in 1999 was to take an Introduction to permaculture course and the full Permaculture Design Certificate Course. I will explore how permaculture came into being in a future post. Today I will begin a discussion of the three permaculture ethics.

A code of ethics is essential to developing a right livelihood. 

Something to ponder, do no harm, a good place to begin. Is it possible to do no harm? What do you think?

Ethics is concerned with what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong.

The three ethics of permaculture are:

1-Care for People
2- Care for the Earth
3- Fair Shares.

I will on Thursday go into greater detail of the three, starting with Fair Shares.

Gardening in the Face of the Climate Catastrophe: Part 1

The Climat Catastrophe is real. There has been considerable discussion about this. The deniers are dangerous but I cannot waste any time arguing with them. They are wrong. My focus is on what I can do and what others who garden can do.

Today is September 26, Fall has begun. My cosmos just began to bloom a week ago and are thriving. The tomato plants are healthy and while all the flowers are gone, the tomatoes are slowly turning red. On Monday the temperature was 26 celsius.  The normal temperature for this time of the year is 18.

The glass gem corn and the sunflowers are healthy and I will be harvesting the corn soon. The grex beans have been harvested.

This summer was wetter and cooler in June than last year. We had a long hot dry spell that ran from July into August, more intense than the year before. Many farmers will not have a crop to take to market or if they do, the yields are significantly smaller. this does not bode well for our future food supply.

I have been talking with long-term residents here and especially with those who garden. There is an increasing concern that the unpredictable weather makes it difficult to plan and plant. A few days back I produced a blog on seed germination and climate change,  Soil temperature is critical to plant development. You can read this post, here

So what can we, growers, do?  Stay connected to find out. Also, I'd love your suggestions on how gardeners can carry on gardening in the face of the Climate Catastrophe. Please use the comment sections to share your thoughts.

W

My Small Garden

When it comes to gardening size does not matter. It is possible to create a wildlife, pollinator-friendly garden in a small space. I have. My small garden began this year. In it I grew grex beans, glass gem corn, black-eyed Susans, stevia, sunflowers and have just planted columbine,  This space is an oval and while I plan on a slight increase in size next year, my interest is in exploring what can be done within a small space. 

We Are Nature Working

The Climate Catastrophe is upon us.  Can we halt its assault?  If yes, how do we do this? My next few posts will explore the steps humans have to take to stop and reverse the damage the Climate Catastrophe has, is and will cause.

I believe that within the problem, the solution can be found.  The Climate Catastrophe is human-caused, therefore, humans ought to be able to solve the problem. Before continuing with this thread, I want to mention the other problems that humanity is facing and must take responsibility for creating or at least, exacerbating.

The situations/problems confronting us, in no particular order, are, racism, poverty, hunger, homelessness, violence, discrimination in all its forms, soil degradation, pollution, loss of biodiversity, please feel free to add anything I have missed in the comments section

We cannot adequately address the climate catastrophe unless we have a course of actions that also resolves these realities.

We need to reassess our relationship to nature and all the beings that make life possible.  I hear people say we need to get back to nature. I say we cannot get back to that which we never left.  What has happened is humans have lost touch with their true nature.

The title of this post, We Are Nature Working was chosen to clarify the human role, not as Masters, or Owners but as team members with specific functions that when undertaken have a positive impact on ecosystems. What is that function?

How do you relate to the natural world? Read this, please.

Canada' Endangered Species: Flora

The loss of biodiversity is a significant threat. This list details five species are at risk and offers suggestions on how you can help. List

"Today, Canada’s wild plants and animals face new threats, notably the destruction of their habitat and contamination of their environment. More insidious than hunting and trapping, these threats are also much more difficult to counter. Certain types of habitat are disappearing at a tremendous rate in almost all parts of Canada. Wetlands are being filled in, forests fragmented, and grasslands ploughed and fenced."  source

Since 1970 3 billion Birds gone

Rachel Carson warned us, but we choose to ignore the warning.

Source

What can we do? Stay connected.

Late Blooming Sunflowers

I took this on Sept 19.

Climate Change Threatens Food Security

Food security is defined as the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. Stages of food insecurity range from food secure situations to full-scale famine. The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life".

The human-caused climate crisis is having a direct impact on global foodsecurity. The unpredictable weather affects crops and livelihoods.

In the United States, this past season: PERCIVAL, Iowa – The Midwest is still struggling to recover from two devastating floods which brought historic destruction to the region.

Just a few months after the epic floods flowed through parts of Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri, you can still smell the rotting corn and see the costly effects of historically high-water levels at David Lueth's family farm in Percival, Iowa.

Lueth grows corn and soybeans, and the flooding wiped out any chance of planting crops in the 2019 growing season. Source

The concern about the weather's unpredictability is reflected here: 

Canadian weather has become a bit of a guessing game. Does this winter have another polar vortex in store for us, or are we out of the woods? Should we expect floods in the weeks ahead? Will the upcoming summer be the hottest on record? Weather models don’t always get it right, but they do reveal some trends when it comes to temperature and extreme weather in Canada. One key takeaway is that the seasonal cycle may not be as reliable as it once was, which begs the question: how does climate change affect agriculture in Canada?  Source

How do we deal with this? Well, if the problem is the solution and in the case of climate change humans are the cause of the problem, then humans are the solution. Our behaviour as both individuals and society must change. People must recognize they are nature not a being that lives apart from nature.

From: The Inquisitive Gardener

Seed Germination and Climate Change

Seeds require a specific temperature range in order to germinate and reach their maximum potential. For example, beans will only germinate if the soil temperature is above 60 degrees F and no warmer than 95 degrees F. Celsius  16 to 35 degrees.

If the temperature reaches above 35 degrees C, which has happened here, and in many other areas, this past summer, the bean crop could be in jeopardy. Beans are a great staple, simple enough to grow, to save,  to share and to cook.

The Global Climate Catastrophe will likely increase the number of days that the temperature surpasses 35 C, what then happens to the beans many count on to feed their families. Will food security be at risk. 

The Climate Catastrophe is already posing a risk to food security, floods are another major threat to farmers. Witness this past summer in the United States, where floods devastated a large agricultural area.

Here in Renfrew County a cool wet spring following by a hot, dry summer had a negative impact on crops such as corn and soybeans.

for more info: https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/when-is-it-warm-enough-to-plant/9029.html

Next post, what can a grower do in face of this threat?

Workshop Photo: Hugelkultur

This photo was taken a few years back. I lead a weekend intro to permaculture course.

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/many-benefits-hugelkultur

Microplastics Stunts Earthworm Growth

"The ocean isn't the only ecosystem threatened by microplastics.

A first-of-its-kind study published Wednesday in Environmental Science and Technology found that particles from the kind of plastic commonly used in bags and bottles stunt the growth of earthworms, a finding with major implications for soil health, The Independent reported."

source

The Climate Catastrophe, that is upon us, is not our only concern. Earthworms provide a number of services that help plants grow. Their tunnels allow air and water to reach plant roots. Their casings feed the plants. If worms are shrinking in size this may have serious consequences for plant growth. These consequences could include stunted or smaller plants and less developed roots for example.

If we are to build a resilient community that can help to mitigate the impact that the Climate Catastrophe is, and will increasingly continue, to have upon the plant we also must drastically reduce the use of plastics globally.

The Small Garden: Early Days- Photo

Global Decline in Plant Growth

This is a must read.

"A lack of water vapour in the atmosphere has caused a global decline in plant growth over the past two decades, resulting in a decline in growth rates in 59 per cent of vegetated areas worldwide."

source

Corn Up Close: Photo

Grex Beans

The loose beans were saved from this year's crop. I will replant some of these and donate the rest to the Renfrew Public Library's seed library.

A grex is “a variable interbreeding population of plants derived from a cross,” and has more diversity than a regular variety.

My Plant Breeding Plan

What do you love to grow?

I enjoy the growing process from saving seeds to harvesting the fruit. I do not have a favourite plant but am focusing on beans for breeding.

What are the interesting characteristics for which you would breed or select?

Projections about the future indicate many parts of the world will see greater heat stress — higher temperatures that can result in more frequent, longer periods of excessive heat for crops.

This is bad news for growers of certain crops. That would include beans. I am interested in heat resistance. Beans do not like a nighttime temperature over 23. In my area, Central Ontario, Canada, currently few nights exceed the 20C nighttime heat limit but that may be changing.

Last summer, my first in the area, was hot and humid and more than a few nights exceeded the maximum temperature.

Talking with people who have gardened here for years, that summer was unusual. The previous year was cooler and wetter. The forecast for this year rests somewhere between the two. What the future holds, who knows.

In addition, to selecting for heat extremes, I am also interested in hardiness. I want to develop beans that will thrive in the soil where I live and will be resilient enough to tackle future challenges.

How would you go about facilitating this project? What about climatic conditions, geographic location within your garden or farm? Soil issues, disease?

The soil here is clay. I have worked in clay before and am comfortable I can use its advantages to the garden’s best effect. I am a renter with a large yard, permission to use it, as I will for growing, and a good lease. I have obtained several heritage beans, as well as, tepary beans suitable for much warmer climates.

Climate change is a major concern when it comes to future food security and may other issues. Beans are an ideal crop for storing over long periods of time and have multiple uses.

I will plant four varieties of beans, including tepary, and select and pollinate the plants that demonstrate the characteristics I am looking for. I will also be saving and sharing seeds with the local seed library.

Photos: Small Garden

Next post in 3 days, climate change and soil

Gardening and Climate Change !

The glass gem corn I grew, there are six plants in the small garden, along with white pumpkins and sunflowers, grex beans and black-eyed Susans, is part of a project to create plants that have the resilience to withstand a changing weather system.

I have never grown corn before and when I read about the glass gem corn and how it came into being, I was encouraged to learn more about plant breeding and seed saving. 

The course I took, more about this in a future post, introduced me to glass gem corn and some great seed people and the books they produced based upon their experiences.

This blog was created to share the knowledge and its sources that I have uncovered over the years since I took my Permaculture Design Certificate in 1999.

I will also be sharing my own gardening experiences with photos as often as possible.

In my next post, I will discuss my plant breeding strategy,

Glass Gem Corn

This is the first cob from my planting of Glass Gem corn. I will post more information about this and my garden later today.

While not perfect, this is the first corn I have grown.