Provision
Chapter
2 of "The Art of Loading Brush" is a letter to scientists that includes economic
as well as technological sciences. In the letter, Mr. Berry points out the
failure of economists and scientists to create a better tomorrow because of two
major fallacies:
- · Exploiting the producers (farmers) by destroying the local farmers who have a relationship with the land and creating agribusinesses that use machines to overproduce in order to sell as cheaply to the consumer as possible with little return to the farmer or the land.
- · Growing one crop exclusively so that when overproduction occurs resulting in surpluses the farmer is left without income. Mr. Berry calls this lack of diversity.
In addition to this, Mr. Berry points out the fallacy in
believing that any entity or group can ignore the past as an indicator of the
present (the future of past events and behavior) to focus on well-controlled
studies that predict a better tomorrow. In terms of the basis of any economic
system (the production of food, clothing and shelter) the focus needs to be on
the present and what local resources are available at this time for this production.
This includes not only the water, soil, weather, air, and sunlight but also the
living creatures including those we call our neighbors who rely on the same “raw
materials.”
As rural communities decline and become no more than bedroom
communities for farmers who have left farming to become blue collar workers,
children have lost sight of this dependence on nature and how it functions in
their very survival. Mr. Berry says, “I wish its children (rural America) might
be taught thoroughly and honestly, its (local natural history), and its history
is part of American history.” According to Mr. Berry, this is where change in
education should begin. The new system would be based on the idea of “provision”
which is at the heart of what Mr. Berry believes is agrarianism. Provision, as
defined by Mr. Berry is, “caring properly for the good you have (now),
including your own life.” Provision is “now oriented” and diverse. Mr. Berry
cites the old adage, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and says that
answers don’t come from the future. We
need to study the past and present as the future of the past.
Therefore, Mr. Berry suggests that these are the solutions
to the challenges that face the myriad of domestic problems facing the country
today.
- · Realize our dependence upon nature and the natural world instead of science and technology. This realization would bring about voluntary stewardship of the land and the environment around us.
- · Realizing that the success of the American economy is dependent upon the local economies of farming, ranching, forestry, and fishing and mining.
- · Realizing that the national economy is made up of local economies that are complete and self-sustaining – not dependent upon what happens globally.
·
In terms of production and waste, we must
realize that production itself must not reduce productivity – no overproduction
and no waste.
My own contribution to this would be that this is the kind
of “nationalism” needed in the United States, not the jingoist, competitive,
military dependent nationalism in operation under the current Administration.
In regard to making statements about the current Administration, we all need to
realize that what has happened recently is not the result of the actions of a
particular political party that is “wrong;” according to provision this is what
has happened as a result of past mistakes and that’s where we need to focus to
make the changes that will benefit us today and lead to a sustainable way of
life for all.
How does agrarianism fit into this? Mr. Berry states that
agrarianism is the practice that has resulted from a “primal wish for a home”
that results in putting the highest value on the care of the land. In terms of
provision, we must ask ourselves how much can we ask of this land, this farm
without a diminishing response?
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