Subject: Introduction

From: [email-masked] (Clint Kraft)
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:10:46 -0800

By nature, I'm a very shy person, so I find writing about myself difficult.
But, gulp, here goes. I'm unusal in this day and age because I was
literally born on a farm. However, my parents moved to Los Angeles
county(of all places) when I was six years old. I still have relatives that
farm in South Dakota. However, I'm unquestionably a "city slicker" that's
still a country boy at heart. Throughout childhood, my brothers and I
always said we were "going back to the farm" when we got older. Needless to
say, getting into farming has been increasingly difficult for decades and I
found myself living a somewhat hedonistic city life instead.

In 1983, my first child was born. Suddenly, my attitude changed
significantly. I began to be concerned about the kind of future my daughter
might face. Unfortunately, the trends didn't seem very positive: increasing
human population, decreasing arable land, and 40 years remaining of
petroleum reserves. We were living on a 1/3 acre lot and so gardening and
raising a few chickens was a natural choice. I felt it was important that
my children know how to garden and to know where their food came from. I'm
proud of the fact that my two children can recognize more vegetable plants
by name and how to grow them than most adults! I also began pumping my
father and farming relatives for information about farming practices
especially in the pre-chemical days. I'm an avid reader and I began to read
everything I could get my hands on related to organic gardening,
sustainable farming and nutrition. At one point I was subscribing to 30
magazines and journals on these subjects!(OK I'm a little obsessive
compulsive:>)

I also have been lucky to be living near John Jeavon's Ecology Action and
his storefront, Commonground. I've been influenced by many people in my
ways; however, I'd be hard pressed to name an individual that has
influenced me more than John. John Jeavons is perhaps the world's leading
proponent of small-scale agriculture. About this time I realized I was
awash in a sea of information. I decided to try to distill all this info
and write down the most pertinent ideas for the benefit of my children. Its
been a long journey but I finally finished this project, a 60 page booklet
I call "The Holistic Garden." I'm rather unabashedly advertising "The
Holistic Garden" to this group because I feel many on this list would enjoy
it and the fact that it is definately not a profit making endeavor on my
part. They cost me $3 to produce and mail. At $5 ppd per copy, I need to
sell 12,742 copies just to break even!

I just returned from a three day seminar on Biointensive Mini-Farming given
by John Jeavons and the staff at Ecology Action. Much of the material was a
review for me but I felt I needed a "refresher course" not to mention a
break in my present routine. There was two bits of information that I feel
was especially pertinent(here I go again) that I want to share with this
group. I have been aware for some time of the ramifications of increasing
population and decreasing arable land; however, I had little idea of just
when these trends would actually intersect. The latest estimates by experts
much more intelligent and knowledgeable than myself, predict that our food
supply, as we know it, will cease to exist in 10-12 years. Rather than
being depressed by this, I see this as a tremendous opportunity for those
of us that know how to grow food efficiently especially in small areas.
Needless to say, the time frame to prepare is critically close at hand.
Chemical farmers realize, I'm sure, that it takes 5 years to switch from
chemical to "organic" farming.

The other bit of information I want to share from this seminar pertains to
sustainability. For many years, John Jeavons has been studying what it will
take to sustainably grow food in a small area *WITHOUT* importing raw
materials. The latest conclusion is that we simply cannot grow food
sustainably, given the amount of land per person that will be available to
feed the world, unless we learn how to safely recycle human wastes. I
purchased an excellent book from Ecology Action on the subject called "The
Tao of Poo" for $19.84.

I will be the first to admit that I've lived a rather comfy life in the
city for a number of years. However, I'm now convinced that its time to
purchase land acceptable for growing food. I'm looking for property close
enough to allow me to "commute" back and forth while I'm building up the
soil and tying up loose ends here in the city. A major change in lifestyle
at my age is scary for me, but I think it will be even scarier if I don't
do it!!!

Finally, I'd like to thank Don Bowen for getting this list started. Don
seems like one of those rare individuals that gives more than they receive.
Thanks.

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Clinton R. Kraft
Aristera Publications
P.O. Box 3764
Redwood City, CA 94064-3764
415-364-2075fax, when I'm not on the 'net:>)

"The Holistic Garden" $5 ppd (USA and Canada)
 Payment can be cash, or check (USA)

"We want the facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don't, it is easier
to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions." Jessamyn West

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