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Greg Judy was forced to liquidate his cow herd to pay debt in 1996. By the end of the following …
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is a 2013 nonfiction book by Potawatomi professor Robin …
I find the philosophy talked about interesting, giving an eye towards the eastern way of thinking. I however didn't find much actionable advice through the book.
Content warning My notes from the book
Pg 11 quote - Human beings may be the children of "Mother Nature" but they are no longer able to see the true form of their mother Thoughts - Science likes to break mother nature up into pieces and look at in isolation, in turn disregarding and being ignorant of the whole.
Pg 13-14 thoughts - He is saying it isn't easy to see the whole picture of mother nature. Only a few types of people do so easily.
Pg 24 thoughts - evolution is often summarised as survival of the fittest. Who is to say what is best or less, who is to say humans are the most fit, the best, the top. We don't get ultimate control of the world around us, this is how we act attempting to remove ourselves from nature.
Pg43 - there are no good or bad insects. In nature all are necessary to maintain a balance. - however it can take time to find this balance when you first start.
Pg49 - the questions of spirit. A lot of religions are of about what happens after death. It is impossible for us to know what happens, until it happens. Regardless of what we think at the end we all return back to Nature's Way.
Pg73 - premature germination. Letting annual weeds sprout then let them wither. This shades the vegetables as they sprout then as the weeds wither the act as mulch for the new vegetables. This also has the affect if reducing the weed pressure in the autumn rains, as most of the seeds have already germinated.
Pg81 - "... The soil of Africa is just sleeping. The red clay is taking a nap. If the people will work to awaken the sleeping soil, then you will be able to grow anything" - by planting many different types of plants this will encourage micro-organisms that can break down the nutrients locked in the clay.
Pg90 - traditional non mechanized farming produced 2 calories of energy for every calorie expended. With the introduction of mechanical farming 1 calorie is produced for 2 calories expended (including energy cost of machines, fertiliser, and fuel). So a net loss is created and we are simply wasting stored solar energy.