Permaculture Design as a service ... expected value

There is a revolution going on right now in decentralization - perhaps the growth of income inequality and the revelations of abuses of power (wikileaks etc) are driving us to distrust authority. This is a good thing and it will lead to resilience in the marketplace. Cryptocurrency, decentralized markets, blockchain, and social networks are all on the rise in many ways. But what about food? As a Permaculture Designer and health nut, the growth of centralization in farming, seed stock, and distribution is especially concerning. In the name of efficiency we have "fragilized" our food chain.

Some of us may have had our "ahah!" moment in pursuing decentralization when we were censored, or when we saw the abuses of power in government or the economy ("too big to fail", the housing crisis, federal monetary policy, etc). But how long will it take us to see the same crisis in our food system? Will there have to be a headlining health crisis from GMOs? Will we have to have a supply chain disruption that leaves people in cities starving in the streets? Why have the masses not already taken back control of their food after the startling rise of obesity, food allergies, environmental degradation, and other externalities stemming from the current agricultural model? Growing food is not hard with the right tools. I feel like sometimes we forget that humans have thrived in nearly every climate and zone imaginable before their was international shipping and refrigeration- Before GMOs and monoculture.

Farming done the intensive way with annual crops is hard work. I get it - most of us have lives of relative comfort working all day at a desk with a steady paycheck. To think about transitioning to farming as we traditionally think of it is crazy. But growing food does not have to be labor intensive. Tree crops and perenials can produce incredible amounts of food - if they are started soon. Maybe you live somewhere that is hard to grow tomatoes or eggplant. You look at your rocky soil, drought, and short growing season and say that it cannot be done. But not all food is annuals grown in warm, wet, sunny climates. To ancient man, there was no climate that was unlivable on the earth. I promise you can grow food where you live - and you can be more environmentally responsible than wherever you get your food from now.

Proverbs verse 20 says "Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest." It is a common saying that the best time to patch a roof is when the sun is shining. So how do we convince people to take responsibility for their food security now? What more can be done to show that each of us is empowered to grow something to eat that is healthy? We can start a decentralized, local food movement that vastly increases our health and resilience to systemic shocks. But how do you sell the idea to people? I struggle with convincing people to get rid of a lawn and plant a garden with an orchard.

There is immense potential to create vibrant local economies of food production that increase social cohesion and health. Blockchains can be used to reward small hobby gardeners. Micropayments and big data allow us to track every input from origin to consumer while maintaining a record for safety and to make sure that every link in the chain is paid for their work. We need a blockchain that is a foodchain.

-Stay resilient!