'ART ----'
'Art -- or science ---- ?'
The organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) life here in the Uk midlands probably combines a bit of both art and science, although with the 'muck and mystery' tag organics can have, some might question the science side - ? The organic bit comes maybe from the 'art' side - the feeling that it's better to be part of nature, to be working with nature rather than against - and having to plan and think a bit more longer-term than maybe would be the case if it's a simple matter of 'chucking chemicals' at it - ? Sometimes, though, it could seem that western man 'en masse', having shrugged off fetters such as religious influence, seems bent on becoming 'rulers of the universe', but maybe 'natural forces' will 'win' in the end (examples: climate warming, extreme weather patterns, energy conundrums and so forth?), hence run with them, rather than against - ? Isn't man an inherent part of nature - and her/his efforts a 'work in progress/unprogress', and without 'guaranteed' success - ? Tim Rice, the well-known lyricyst was questioning in the papers the other day as to whether the 'failure' experience was now 'infra dig' in a culture which seemed to 'OK' everything, and that if that was so, would then an important part of the learning process be at risk-?
'Low art, in practice --- '
Now early March, the 'tools of the micro-holding trade' , await action, ready to play the 'intermediate technology' role.
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The half of the veg growing area that's been due to get 'nourishment' has received its layer of woodash, two layers of compost, and this year, some horse dung, available free locally, and from a chemical-free source. Whether this latter element contravenes strict organic rules is not clear - the main point, though, being that it's a 'biological' rather than 'chemical' growing process that's being used. A bed of early potatoes is in, planted under plastic, and broad been seed (home grown) and early pea seed are hopefully about to appear as plants under their glass protection. Tomato, onion, lettuce and celery plantlings are hopefully thriving under a plastic tent within one of the glasshouses, with the help for a short time of a bit of heat, and the growing ground has now been cleared of weeds - shaved off with a heavy spade and added to the burgeoning compost heap - so 'all systems go'. One current bonus is that the purple sprouting crop has come on stream - a favourite taste-ful 'green', especially if used fresh picked.
The mild winter has brought on things earlier, as evidenced by the field of 'new seeds' (recently sown grass) opposite - evacuated by sheep six weeks or so ago, and now (mid March) with a good stand of freshly grown grass - as strong grass growth in winter time as can be remembered hereabouts. Daffodils have been out since early March, and theres even an Azalia flower out amongst a Rhododendrum/Azalia platantion locally. The latter is part of an extended garden on a hill, complete with ex-windmill, now a dwelling, surrounded by a Birch-tree wood, in itself then surrounded by a common land area. Good place to walk with Hipster Pipster (Scots Border Collie), to collect burning wood, and to just be there - has an aura of calm and serenity, with seemingly hardly a soul ever there - good space to have access to.
The next key micro-holding growing job is to put in the onion sets - most years the onion bed supplies a year's worth of onions, although this last year the new pest that is the leek moth reeked a bit of havoc amongst them. Autumn planted onion sets will hopefully stem the tide, becoming available early as onions, May/June time ( maybe autumn planted sets will prove to be the answer to the leek moth pest - ?) This new pest, recently arrived from Southern parts, will have to be countered by covering onion and leeks with fleece or plastic at egg laying times, which here appear to be April/ May and July/August. More to think about, but then again, onions and leeks are key crops here.
'Art --- and science ----'
The woodpile dwindles, should be just enough to last the winter. Electric halogen heaters partly and sometimes wholly powered by the solar installation heat the two living rooms in the morning and then the woodstove's lit about 2.30 in the afternoon, to last till around 10.30 at night, and volume-wise, it's surprising how much wood is gone through. Quite a bit of wood is bought - it arrives on the drive April/May time, to be then stored in the logs-istics centre to dry well through summertime, and this is added to with a couple of good own-accumulated wood sawing sessions through the winter, helped by a 'man who can' with his powerful chainsaw. Wood collection whilst walking with Pip this winter at various spots has produced quite a pile of free fuel, which added to some left from last year's collection has formed a decent woodpile, to then be sawn up this backend for use next winter.
This, along with two or three other accumulated-over-time piles, gives a decent feeling of 'fuel security', and helps, along with the older age fuel allowance, to keep main fuel on-costs down to virtually zero. Helps having a relatively small cottage ('last of the rural hovellers'). Was it Lao-Tsu who stated 'lead a simple life and keep a small house' when addressing the issue of human contentment - ? Wouldn't no doubt necessarily suit everyone, yet could there be something to it - ? Here the fact that it's a dwelling plus a 'life support' unit does give a good 'X -tra' feeling of well-being.
'Artful dodgy ---- ?'
Surviving what's been called the 'con culture', seemingly bent on relieving individuals of as much of their money as possible, could need 'counter strategies', a 'freerange' approach, even. One local here felt he was recently 'done' by 'sharp' practice. He'd booked airflight tickets through an agency but noticed they'd got his partners surname wrong, alerting them some weeks before the flight date. They didn't respond for quite awhile, the eventual upshot being that the 'system' then couldn't do the required correction in time, and he had to pay an extra fare. Not being ecstatic over this outcome he took this firm to a small claims court, but although the Judge expressed some sympathy, he and the claimant were of course outwitted by the 'small print'.
No-one will ever know precisely whether this firm's procedures were geared to 'ripping off' people, (in effect, a form of 'robbing' - ?) but what he did know was that their service levels certainly could point to that, and he'd not be using them again. The inherent problem with any 'get rich quick' by 'sharp' practice schemes is surely that they contain the seeds of their longer-term undoing, as witness all the mis-selling compensation payments now having to be made in the UK. Might it be better (and modernly inversly 'innovative'?) to actually turn the clock back and focus on 'giving good value for money' and good service, to then gain repeat 'solid' business in the longer-term, and to have satisfied, un-'ripped-off' customers busily spreading the good word - ?? One well-known smaller firm in this neck of the woods is ever busy , without any advertising costs, following such a policy.
'Artful ---- ?'
Whilst other modern commercial practices may not be within the 'sharp practice' category, they can certainly not be over helpful for would-be users. Running older cars, as is the case here, may often not necessarily warrant, for instance, fully comprehensive motor insurance, in which the value of the car is protected in the event of accident. Third party only protects against someonelse's losses if found liable (a legal requirement) but means standing the losses against own vehicle, which if not worth much, could well be a viable option. In recent years, though, insurance companies haven't been too keen on offering (theoretically cheaper) Third party only - presumably keen to make more money by offering comprehensive cover, or, maybe worse, offering third party but at virtually at the same cost as comprehensive cover ( does this qualify under the 'rip-off' tag - ?). By chance - maybe there is a God in Heaven in spite of any 'spiritual denials' - ? - a source of third party insurance which looks kosher has come to light, so later this month, with two cars to insure (no public transport hereabouts), there may be the chance of lowering car insurance costs, cost lowering being one of the 'counter strategies' employed here, and with already some success in terms of considerably lowering house insurance cost this year - a 'freerange'-type psychological boost.
'Art paying ---- ?'
'Paying for one's art ---' - could be akin to the Buddhist notion of 'life is suffering', and longer-term learning from it - ? Top golfers, for instance, often say that the 'failures' - and presumably sufferings which ensue from them - that they experience 'along the way', are necessary experiences if they are then to scale the peaks of their sport. In the North of the UK, where conditions, such as winter weather, for instance, are generally harder than elsewhere in the UK, there is a rural tradition of 'enduring' - taking hardships and reverses 'on the chin', as it were. UK farmers have such 'endurance' sayings to help them cope : 'where there's livestock, there's deadstock', for instance, to help cope with livestock losses which inevitably occur in livestock farming. Maybe 'dues have to be paid', no matter how individuals might want to see it?
'Zen and the Art of ----- ?'
The 'Zen' approach fits with the above, basically saying that it's better to be in reality than denial, even if that reality is tough - a sort of 'acceptance' situation, although of course that still may not necessarily imply that all realities can be 'instantly faced'. 'Zen' appears to have no rules, no tautology - it exists to support the notion of 'natural life' itself, in the face of man-made life constructs. For example, Zen holds that spirituality, (or 'God', interestingly not a word Zen particularly uses) is not 'extrinsic' i.e. not a 'father figure sitting on high', but rather is 'intrinsic', a potentiality amongst man, and hence needs to be sought 'internally', along with the notion that all that is 'natural' is 'holy', special; 'holiness' doesn't exist as some separate entity somewhere 'above', for instance.
Hey, ho, - interesting - now back to 'here and now' reality - it's 'Zen and the Art of Micro-holding' time. Not a particularly good fit with any 'wealth and fame' culture, maybe, 'extraordinarily' ordinary, in fact, with 'feet on the ground' - literally 'down to earth'. But, without 'earth' ----- ??
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