A precious adventure

On the dune bookshop section, the book "Permaculture, heal the land, feeding people" published by Actes Sud minterpelle. Not without a priori circumspect, I louvre. A lheure where permaculture seems, in some of its practitioners, drift psychedelic reverie, I have feared to read REMACHES and subjective paragraphs. My mistake.
I quickly realized the real sincerity of the authors: they tell of experiences, advance the reports, and especially the recommendations of the warnings. Permaculture, they remind us, "is based on ethics, simple in its formulation, but demanding in its implementation:
- Take care of the earth;
- Take care of men;
- Share resources equitably. "(P.35)

They detail: permaculture is a rectifier progress, a leap forward in lopposé dune called regression.
Charles-Hervé and Perrine Gruyer politically sociocrates (p.92) unashamedly admit: "The main trap of Permaculture The approach is its emotional charge: one dreams so hard to the dune vision microferme that the risk is real embarking on the adventure of bucolic way, without any technical preparation and underestimating the workload and constraints The return to earth may turn into a nightmare. "Given this philosophical concession, they declare themselves" Dreamers, yes, but pragmatic! "

The two authors provide, in this work, their vision of permaculture, through the prism of their personal adventure that began in 2004 on the farm of Bec Hellouin, Haute-Normandie. They are aware, throughout the book, that vision: they are humble, they are sincere, they show.

Faced with the fundamental question: permaculture, based on human labor, opposite the oil into food, can it be economically viable in this age of grace that we still live and where oil remains cheap? They say, the farms have permaculturelles datouts; the change of scale, the least initial investment, almost independence vis-à-vis inputs, recycling, frugal management lemploi of billions of undeclared and unpaid workers that are the flora and fauna and micro- that lincommensurable microflora (fungi, bacteria, etc.).
Quen about the constraints? Demanding knowledge, "intelligence" (p.232) and quen faculties and dobservation dadaptation, permaculture feeding well, provided that the pipe is careful and regular. So it comes not to throw ground potato seeds, cover the cardboard and not return until several months later! Human labor here is totally privileged at the expense of mechanization. It comes not, for neo-rural evil of authenticity, of sembarquer overnight in a permaculturel project pitfalls are many. Charles and Perrine and do not clash with that of lésotérisme and lomnipotente cosmic benevolence.

Lorsquils say, not without contention: "This book is the first useful support dealing with natural lagriculture concepts. "This is to bounce back immediately by unveiling their next project: a manual vegetable gardener in preparation to bring us more concrete. The concrete: a concept that has been told by his time in Pierre Rabhi "Whatever you tell me, whatever opinion you mopposez opponents, that japplique is functional: it works! "

This book, through his adventure-story, brings figures, accurate, valuable testimonies. It is in my view essential for anyone wishing to embark on permaculture. Formulated with intelligible words for all, it will provide you with new information on the technical, economic, social, philosophical.
It has however defects: a "mess" that lacks structure dorganisation; some redundancy weigh down reading; dimprimerie the characters are too small for my taste.

Their conclusion of Chapter XXI said all in a few words: "Perrine and I have the feeling to have wiped the plaster, leaving the beaten track. May the experience gained so laboriously used to facilitate installation of a large number of microfermes. "

In the "neo-peasants", citizens of the world, the challenge is launched: "Such is the essence of transition: rather than undergo the mutation to come, then consider a fantastic opportunity to be able to take care of the Earth and Men. "(P.260)

It only remains for me to thank these Quà plaster wipers authors who transmit their knowledge with generosity and realism in this book. We all need dhommes and women like them.