Who are the most valuable people in our community?

[Pete Russell]

Can anyone guess?

I'm no expert on the ways of the big wide world out there. Like most of us, I only have my own personal reality and the stories from others I trust from which to surmise what is actually happening on a global scale.

From what I can gather though, we are living in very uncertain times. It appears that the systems that we are currently operating within as a society may soon fall short of fulfilling the needs for which they were supposedly built. i.e. To sustain a reasonable quality of life for the vast majority of the people within our society.

The number of people who are talking about some sort of 'shift' occurring in our near future is increasing by the day. There is a lot of talk about continued disintegration of our global financial systems. There is also a great deal of concern about our global ecological stability. I know the clincher for me in this regard is the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Then there is all this talk about Peak Oil which is now being verified by governments and industry leaders. So what to make of it all? One thing for sure is that regardless of what will actually happen, our collective psyche is being deeply affected which in itself is causing an undercurrent of global unrest.

I have deliberately kept the drama of all this kind of stuff off the Ooooby site because I largely believe that the smart thing to do is focus on activities that make sense regardless of who's right and wrong. i.e. to grow our own food and to support local food systems with an attitude of fun and enthusiasm.

Having said that, I think it would be wise for us to be aware of the people who would matter most if we could not depend so much on the continued existence of the systems we take for granted in our modern lives.

In my opinion, the most valuable people are the food gardeners. Because without these wonderful human beings, none of us will have the means to come up with solutions to other challenges that may present themselves.

It is the humble gardener that we will be turning to if the *@#% really hits the fan. It is the humble gardener that will put food in the mouths of those who can solve the 'other' challenges towards a quality of life for future generations.

So here's to the humble gardener. May you be blessed with health, happiness and the desire to share your know how with as many people as you can. Our future may just depend on it.

[Rana]

The most valuable people? I think its a tie between those that look after our water, & those that remove our rubbish.
rana

[Vincent Dickie]

Nice words Pete and I agree with James: When are you starting a blog?!

On the topic of community durability, I highly recommend Bill Mc Kibben's book: Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. A thouroughly good read on the value of people like you guys reading and writing this thread.

The Dirt Doctor seminars were great. I am amazed at the parellels between human health and soil health. Our human digestive micro-organisms are out of balance and so are those of our soils - heal one, heal the other!

[Pete Russell]

Great. We have missed you. ;-)

[Stillcookin]

Hey Pete, how ya doin?
I aquired a litte extra land to garden on this year plus I now have bee hives so I'm out the door at sun up and home after dark. I always peak in at ooooby though. Just usually to tired to think much. I'll bug you to death this winter though! :)

[Pete Russell]

Ahhh, good to hear from you again Stillcookin. I agree. Seed savers stand behind the gardeners and typically are gardeners themselves. And I also tend to agree with seeds being better than gold as a medium of exchange.

[Stillcookin]

If you don't have seed, you have no garden. The seed savers will be the most important. If you can save any seed, in any climate, from any biannual seeding plant, you can grow a garden forever. When paper money is finally realized for the stiff, rough, non absorbent toilet paper it is, and gold is confiscated by the criminal "government" cartels again, seed will be the medium of trade. Whats in your wallet?
I just ran out of room again. I need to grow out my garbonzo beans. When the world economy crashes, I'm still having my Hummus.

[WBN]

Yes, indeed we are living in interesting times...a recent survey in Sydney showed that 51 % of the population believes that food comes from Woolies & Coles Supermarkets...Well, personally I think that is a fairly estranged perspective that may show how far we have moved away from the basic realities of life. Love your article Pete. Please do feel free to upload it on the WBN HM site as it really hits a point. You want want to check out the latest blogs by Bruce Lipton at the same time....Keep it growing !!

[Ruth OSullivan]

Yes, we humble gardeners think about this stuff, thanks Pete for sharing your thoughts with us.
Also, the simple joy of sitting down to a meal that has been completely homegrown is very very satisfying!! Not to mention the therapeutic time spent in the garden producing said meal!

[Glen Kirkby]

Hmm.. I think that the people who care are.
IMO even food is useless in a society that is at war. People are generally very versatile and could addapt very quickly I think.

The key for me is, will they continue in their amoral demeanor which created the food and ecological problems to begin with, with every individual trying for their own little slice of food security etc, or will they look to the greater good of the community to realise their own personal stability ?

This is not to say that I don't value food growers.. I reckon they are awesome :)

[James Samuel]

Time perhaps, to start a blog Pete : -) Thank you for this thoughtful piece.