Note from the Founder: February

“Apply self-regulation and accept feedback.”

This is another one of the 12 permaculture principles that showcase how we humans can mimic natural systems for best results and highest functionality. We at EarthDance are committed to demonstrating permaculture in action at our Organic Farm School, so I’ll be sharing my own learning and reflection about this in these monthly Notes.

When it comes to the farm and our crops, one way we see self-regulation play out is that, when it comes to spacing, plants each have their own preferences and needs. We can try to squeeze more into each bed, and while we often can fit more into a bed than is normally practiced (using the French biointensive method of growing), at a certain point, planting crops too closely together stunts their growth. Walking the fields on a regular basis, carefully observing what the the flora and fauna are doing is a kind of note-taking; we draw feedback from the land, which we take into account as we plan the subsequent season’s production. That’s what our Farm Managers Monica and Matt have been doing a lot of this winter—assessing what we did well, where we fell short, and determining what we want to grow more or less of and how to improve yields and practices for the season ahead.

Often in the winter months we humans find ourselves feeling “under the weather.” (I write this as I’m fighting a cold!) I suspect that this has to do with our/my disregard for following natural patterns of the winter and slowing down, getting more rest than usual, and generally allowing ourselves to hibernate a bit.

I invite you to consider the feedback your own body is giving you, and apply ‘self-regulation’ to your own schedule or routine. Does your body yearn for more rest? More fresh greens? More solo time?

Take care of that body; it’s the only one you’ve got!

Nature is my favorite teacher.

From a farm in Ferguson,