It means a lot to me that somebody is writing such lines. Somebody alive, somebody with whom I am together alive in this world and time. I dont know if it is hope, but for sure it is a tremendous blessing, and a defence of being human ... when that seems to have become a very difficult thing.
We have pushed humanness out of reach by distancing ourselves from the consequence of our living. I'm glad such unwelcome consideration finds resonance there, Marko.
I encountered 12 step programs on my path of ancestral calling to heal, the teachers and students both were big fans. Then I found it showing up a bit in eco collapse spaces. I like to say to myself now that I am in recovery from Americanism, recovery being lifelong.
One herbalism teacher was talking about the effectiveness of 12 step programs, and what seemed to help bolster the recovery rate was involving medicinal plant ritual and having a direct experience of and relationship with spirit/nature. For me that speaks of passion, devotion, and soul-deep satiety. As long as recovery is another goal on the to-do list, there is no real awakening to reality/g🌎d. Thank you for sharing your beautiful relationships and inner world through your own recovery, and the gutting realizations that come with it.
Sending a prayer for rain your way! Is my jam 🌧️🌧️🎶
Thank you, Corrie. What comes to mind is that our healing isn't for us. If so, the effort flatlines. The benefit of our health must be allowed to flow back toward the source, the land.
I hear your Crise de la foi and share it sometimes. I do not think it is possible to turn back the clock entirely, nor wise (vaccinations, for one.) But being mindful and trying to reduce our extractive footprint (as in your scything experiment) is important both for our spiritual growth (gratitude, Tonglen) and for holding space for a less extractive future. You do more than that, you honestly share your efforts, thoughts, learnings, successes and failures, joys and sorrows. I receive that gift gratefully. Thank you.
I’ve read of how water returns to arid environments when trees are planted. Not sure if that has been studied in mesic environments like ours undergoing climate change.
A very poignant and challenging read Adam. Vanessa Andreotti's definition is one I am going to write down - that concept deserves some serious pondering.
I found your reflections on gratitude and its difficulties a helpful reminder. It is so easy to complain about the weather, even over relatively trivial matters in comparison to the drought you (and many here in the UK too) are experiencing. But knowing that others are being blessed by what is harming or challenging oneself is one way to lessen the blow of the weather - that is if we let other-centred gratitude work on us, rather than succumbing to the frictionless of complaining and bitterness.
I think there is a particular comfort about a white man writing this - I mean I feel a particular comfort by the fact that somebody looking like me and us is writing as you do. Which is also why we might get an extra portion of hatred when we step out ... and I am not sure, but maybe this can only be handled in small portions. Dont know.
An almost unbearably dense text, Adam, thank you again from the archipelago of Stockholm, usually a dry place this time of the year... I will now probably not be able to harvest the rest of the hay, as I don´t use plastic and thus depend on it being dry and it is raining on and off for weeks now...
"The risk is immense, the personal rewards minimal. I think of such sensitive beings as canaries in the coal mine of modernity."
There's some brutal accounting in here, Adam. I remember when I most felt the weight of all things on my shoulders. (It comes and goes, but to a lesser extent.) That's when I probably had the most awareness of the lopsided equation, but it left me without the ability to do much of anything. It did lead eventually to a posture of rest and trust, but getting there wasn't my own doing.
In prayer for rain, friend. Thankful as always for your example and care.
If solutionism is our only matrix for emotional wellbeing, these considerations are absolutely out of bounds. If grief and humility are allowed a seat at the table, honesty can begin creeping back into the house. Blessings, Taylor.
Adam, your grieving and decidedly unhopeful post landed here. In my heart. I’m grateful for your truing. Love and rain dances in your direction, you good man.
Adam, your interwoven stories of grief and effort are hard to take but I have a feeling will stick like a burr in my memory for some time.
I will pray for good rain.
The heartbreak makes me think of Willa Cather’s My Antonia. Her body is the land in that story. I have an image of her as a sun-furnished, scarred mother and grandmother by the end of the story.
Also, I was just learning about the renaissance of scythes in Alex Langland’s Cræft- a really enjoyable book. He also talks about the wooden pitchforks still made in the Cevennes of France not far from where I cut my teeth in French studies decades ago… each fork (fourche) takes 10 years to make because they are individually grown and pruned from nettle trees grown from seed. They are the superior tool, though— light and tough and worlds nicer than our heavy American ones.
It sounds to me like part of your meditation is on tools and —well, I know I don’t have to point YOU to Illich’s thoughts on convivial tools, but that’s what came to mind!
Sorry to hear about the drought conditions there. We've had a funny rainy season here, a month late to start and then 18" of rain in June but mostly in two biblical downpours! And then dry, dry, dry...
I know we're completely different context farm-wise but have you looked into tree fodder crops to get your animals through these rough weather times? It saved us during the 2024 El Nino; that, and wild fruit and nut bearing trees that the cow and sheep would beeline for every morning for food. Monica is reading Isabella Tree's Wilding (about Knepp estate in the UK) and they talk about how essential browsing on trees is for the health of the animals, grass alone is not great! Hope those clouds bring you some relief soon
Cheers
Leon
Edit: forgot to say, Andy at Poor Proles Almanac (here on Substack and as podcasts) has lots of great resources and interviews with people doing mixed tree/grass grazing and Andy himself is invested in it, he’s a sheep farmer but I’m not sure where in the USA he is)
Check out the work of Chris Searles of Biointegrity - he has developed a technique for attracting rain to an area by hand watering small groves of large trees over several days.
I am fascinated by his work and am doing my best to let other folks know about it in order that we can try it out and see if it works in our areas …
It is, imho, a potential game changer as it begins the restoration of the small water cycle for home areas
Hopefully you’re also familiar with the growing water community here on Substack, see Rob Lewis (climate according to life) and Anastasia at Biotic Regulation.
I was influenced in the eary days by something Steven Bosiwell was working on in Australia, hydrating a sloping landscaping using bunyip pumps (think it’s called a ram pump elsewhere). This stuff all makes sense to me and I’ve seen how my little patch of land has gone from a dry hot grassland to a mixed young forest with much more resilience to these extreme weather patterns
It means a lot to me that somebody is writing such lines. Somebody alive, somebody with whom I am together alive in this world and time. I dont know if it is hope, but for sure it is a tremendous blessing, and a defence of being human ... when that seems to have become a very difficult thing.
We have pushed humanness out of reach by distancing ourselves from the consequence of our living. I'm glad such unwelcome consideration finds resonance there, Marko.
I encountered 12 step programs on my path of ancestral calling to heal, the teachers and students both were big fans. Then I found it showing up a bit in eco collapse spaces. I like to say to myself now that I am in recovery from Americanism, recovery being lifelong.
One herbalism teacher was talking about the effectiveness of 12 step programs, and what seemed to help bolster the recovery rate was involving medicinal plant ritual and having a direct experience of and relationship with spirit/nature. For me that speaks of passion, devotion, and soul-deep satiety. As long as recovery is another goal on the to-do list, there is no real awakening to reality/g🌎d. Thank you for sharing your beautiful relationships and inner world through your own recovery, and the gutting realizations that come with it.
Sending a prayer for rain your way! Is my jam 🌧️🌧️🎶
Thank you, Corrie. What comes to mind is that our healing isn't for us. If so, the effort flatlines. The benefit of our health must be allowed to flow back toward the source, the land.
Exactly this! Have been contemplating this a lot lately. ❤️
I hear your Crise de la foi and share it sometimes. I do not think it is possible to turn back the clock entirely, nor wise (vaccinations, for one.) But being mindful and trying to reduce our extractive footprint (as in your scything experiment) is important both for our spiritual growth (gratitude, Tonglen) and for holding space for a less extractive future. You do more than that, you honestly share your efforts, thoughts, learnings, successes and failures, joys and sorrows. I receive that gift gratefully. Thank you.
I’ve read of how water returns to arid environments when trees are planted. Not sure if that has been studied in mesic environments like ours undergoing climate change.
It’s not going to solve your water problem tomorrow, but for what it’s worth, here: https://plantwithpurpose.org/stories/combating-desertification-through-strategic-tree-planting/
Thank you, Sally.
Trees are magic like that. 💚
oh yeah!
A very poignant and challenging read Adam. Vanessa Andreotti's definition is one I am going to write down - that concept deserves some serious pondering.
I found your reflections on gratitude and its difficulties a helpful reminder. It is so easy to complain about the weather, even over relatively trivial matters in comparison to the drought you (and many here in the UK too) are experiencing. But knowing that others are being blessed by what is harming or challenging oneself is one way to lessen the blow of the weather - that is if we let other-centred gratitude work on us, rather than succumbing to the frictionless of complaining and bitterness.
It's good to hear your words, Hadden. Your work is never far from my thoughts here. Thank you for pleading as you do.
I think there is a particular comfort about a white man writing this - I mean I feel a particular comfort by the fact that somebody looking like me and us is writing as you do. Which is also why we might get an extra portion of hatred when we step out ... and I am not sure, but maybe this can only be handled in small portions. Dont know.
This is a vast topic, Marko. I'm glad to hear that you've seen it through the cracks.
Yes. Through the cracks.
An almost unbearably dense text, Adam, thank you again from the archipelago of Stockholm, usually a dry place this time of the year... I will now probably not be able to harvest the rest of the hay, as I don´t use plastic and thus depend on it being dry and it is raining on and off for weeks now...
"The risk is immense, the personal rewards minimal. I think of such sensitive beings as canaries in the coal mine of modernity."
Rain off and on for weeks sounds like a dream here, but I'll send a prayer for your haymaking. Thank you for writing, Pella.
There's some brutal accounting in here, Adam. I remember when I most felt the weight of all things on my shoulders. (It comes and goes, but to a lesser extent.) That's when I probably had the most awareness of the lopsided equation, but it left me without the ability to do much of anything. It did lead eventually to a posture of rest and trust, but getting there wasn't my own doing.
In prayer for rain, friend. Thankful as always for your example and care.
If solutionism is our only matrix for emotional wellbeing, these considerations are absolutely out of bounds. If grief and humility are allowed a seat at the table, honesty can begin creeping back into the house. Blessings, Taylor.
Adam, your grieving and decidedly unhopeful post landed here. In my heart. I’m grateful for your truing. Love and rain dances in your direction, you good man.
"Decidedly un-hopeful" is high praise around here. I miss you, Helen.
Adam, your interwoven stories of grief and effort are hard to take but I have a feeling will stick like a burr in my memory for some time.
I will pray for good rain.
The heartbreak makes me think of Willa Cather’s My Antonia. Her body is the land in that story. I have an image of her as a sun-furnished, scarred mother and grandmother by the end of the story.
Also, I was just learning about the renaissance of scythes in Alex Langland’s Cræft- a really enjoyable book. He also talks about the wooden pitchforks still made in the Cevennes of France not far from where I cut my teeth in French studies decades ago… each fork (fourche) takes 10 years to make because they are individually grown and pruned from nettle trees grown from seed. They are the superior tool, though— light and tough and worlds nicer than our heavy American ones.
It sounds to me like part of your meditation is on tools and —well, I know I don’t have to point YOU to Illich’s thoughts on convivial tools, but that’s what came to mind!
All the same, thanks for sharing your heart.
Beautiful reflections, Abbey. Thank you.
Hi Adam
Sorry to hear about the drought conditions there. We've had a funny rainy season here, a month late to start and then 18" of rain in June but mostly in two biblical downpours! And then dry, dry, dry...
I know we're completely different context farm-wise but have you looked into tree fodder crops to get your animals through these rough weather times? It saved us during the 2024 El Nino; that, and wild fruit and nut bearing trees that the cow and sheep would beeline for every morning for food. Monica is reading Isabella Tree's Wilding (about Knepp estate in the UK) and they talk about how essential browsing on trees is for the health of the animals, grass alone is not great! Hope those clouds bring you some relief soon
Cheers
Leon
Edit: forgot to say, Andy at Poor Proles Almanac (here on Substack and as podcasts) has lots of great resources and interviews with people doing mixed tree/grass grazing and Andy himself is invested in it, he’s a sheep farmer but I’m not sure where in the USA he is)
Check out the work of Chris Searles of Biointegrity - he has developed a technique for attracting rain to an area by hand watering small groves of large trees over several days.
I am fascinated by his work and am doing my best to let other folks know about it in order that we can try it out and see if it works in our areas …
It is, imho, a potential game changer as it begins the restoration of the small water cycle for home areas
Hopefully you’re also familiar with the growing water community here on Substack, see Rob Lewis (climate according to life) and Anastasia at Biotic Regulation.
I was influenced in the eary days by something Steven Bosiwell was working on in Australia, hydrating a sloping landscaping using bunyip pumps (think it’s called a ram pump elsewhere). This stuff all makes sense to me and I’ve seen how my little patch of land has gone from a dry hot grassland to a mixed young forest with much more resilience to these extreme weather patterns