Macrobiotic Life

Few interesting informations around the agricultural topic.

But before them, let me show you one eye-opening fact:
In the place of 1 combain-harvester, you would need 120-300 people (using no oil powered machinery), fully engaged from the beginning of harvest season till Christmas.
The combain is probably the number one invention that caused a rapid human multiplication and massive shift from agricultural occupations.

John Michael Greer posted at his blog:

The productive potential of intensive gardening, especially under emergency conditions, should not be underestimated. A team of researchers at pioneering organic-gardening group Ecology Action found, on the basis of extensive tests, that it’s possible to feed one person year round on a spare but adequate vegetarian diet off less than 1000 square feet of intensively gardened soil. (The details are in David Duhon’s book, listed in the resource section.) In the more troubled parts of the future ahead of us, some of us may have to do just that; a great many more of us will need to be able to garden in order to pad out potential irregularities in a food supply that’s desperately vulnerable, over the short term, to fluctuations in the price and availability of fertilizer feedstocks and fossil fuels. The victory gardens of past wars are likely to be a useful template for the survival gardens of the deindustrial future.

I have read reaction to this theory from one very experienced farmer and he thinks, that the statement is right, but only if you are talking about the supplemental food production (vegetables, herbs). For the full scale food sustainability, read this:

Oldfarmecmac wrote:

… If it should become necessary,any reasonably accomplished gardener living in the more temperate parts of the US where the soil is decent and rainfall is adequate can produce most or all of the food necessary for herself and her immediate family,given enough land and sufficient time.The amount of land needed might be as little as one quarter to one half acre per person in the deep south where double cropping and even triple cropping may be practical,but such high yields are very much the exception rather than the rule,and can only be accomplished by very proficient farmers devoting very long hours to very small acreages.Chinese and Korean subsistence farmers in thier best farming areas are known to obtain even higher yields on a regular basis,but they are the 6 under par pros and work more or less continually at feeding themselves.You will need several times as much land in less favored areas.Our personal rough last ditch plan on our place here in the Blue Ridge mountians is two acres or so per person in field crops and fruit trees,which will provide us a little excess production for use as chicken feed and for sale,as well as a stored carry over safety cushion.
The more land you have, the more options you have in terms of varieties,crop rotations, fallow periods,cover crops, field manures,etc.More land also means that you can use less labor intensive techniques and get the same yields with fewer hours of labor.This will probably be a critical consideration for most people.In our case we will need to spend considerable amounts of time gathering firewood and other chores not directly related to food production. …

Oldfarmecmac:

…It is extremely unlikely that you can support yourself in Maine on a half acre.your twenty acres would probably be enough for a family of four or five if at least ten acres are reasonably level,cleared land with good soil.
You simply cannot believe how many things will go wrong until you are on the land and you need huge safety margins to protect yourself.

This discussion was started by Phiya’s Facebook message. I would like to reprint it here, for other people to benefit.

Phiya >> Macrobiotics must necessarily address addictions, be they from more serious substances such as drugs and alcohol, or from foods such as sugar, ice cream, chocolate, fried foods, junk foods, baked foods and processed foods. It isn’t enough to stop the addiction itself but to also address the addictive patterns of thinking and behaving as well…

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Me >> Macrobiotic should provide more theories about all energies beside the food. Macrobiotic is very good in setting the exact food pattern, standard plate – people like precise rules. I think, there should be similar precise pattern for the rest of the life energies/activities. People are not aware of this.. that they should balance all their …

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John >> Interesting point, Frantisek, although wouldn’t there be a danger that so much precision and control over everything would kind of squash out all the freedom and joy of living? Just a thought…

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Me >> John: I think there are two sides as usually. Some people would become too rigid (yang) because of this, some people would be helped to become less unresponsible (yin). For me, I try to look at mental body the same as physical. I think the exactly same question can be put over the food plate. Doesn’t it cause too much control? From what I see and people I know, there are many rational/logical thinkers in the macrobiotic movement. I think, one of the reasons for this is – the precision with which the macrobiotic sets all the food rules (the whole logical taoism yin/yang logic). I can imagine the same style of rules for the spiritual/mental/emotional life. They don’t need to be perfectly precise.. the importance would be put on the overall harmony/balance logic. There would be suggested ‘plate’ models with the basic theory around – that everyone is different, unique and has to find his way. I am just suggesting more discussion about the spiritual/mental part in the macrobiotic. I know top M leaders are aware of this very well and they try to address this issue. For example in the latest edition of Cancer Prevention Diet – there’s whole new part about Emotions related to Cancer development.

I am getting inspired by Integral Life Practices last days – I like how they try to make balance from different world practices – http://www.kenwilber.com/personal/ILP/MyILP.html

I am just speaking from my daily macrobiotic practice, from my life experiences with M and from many M people I know around. I see where they make mistakes, where I have made mistakes.. and this issue is one of them – on of the biggest mistakes I made – I just simply didn’t balance all my parts of life, I have concentrated too much on food

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John >> Excellent insights, Frantisek…I am often in conversation with students and friends here in Scandinavia who repeatedly bring up the issue: “if MB food is meant to be local, how come it all comes from Japan?”

I have very well thought-out and articulated answers to such questions, of course, but what if one applied the same criteria to “spiritual food?”

Many of the arguments that one can make about solid food do not make sense when applied to spiritual food.

I have personally derived ENORMOUS benefit from Far Eastern spiritual practices, but I find it much easier to explain to a Finn why he should eat miso soup every day than why he should chant the Diamond Sutra every day…

Perhaps we should continue this very interesting conversation somewhere other than Phiya’s FB wall: he probably wants to put the cat out and get some sleep : )

BTW, how can you possibly have such excellent English?

best wishes,

John.

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Me >> I think we can continue chatting here, Phiya can just ignore and others can see it and join, if they want.

Excellent English? Thank you, but I don’t think so. The same question could be send to you also, right? Or at Finn, it’s usual to talk English there? For me, I am self-employed from 99, I make money from net, I get info from english websites, so I consider myself as very poor learner.. for so many years of reading in English, I am not good at all But writing, talking and reading is very different, you know. For writing, the best practice become from my blog writing http://www.macrobiotic.name

About the local macrobiotic issue. I was dealing with the same question myself and from people around, asking me why so many Asia groceries. I have found general macrobiotic answers for this – the logic of the same climatic zone and also the logic of “the more water food has, the closer to you it has to be”. It served me well. But finally, I am questioning the same thing again. Looking from different perspective and now the perspective could be described as “simplicity” and “self-sustainability”. From this point of view, I am for localizing macrobiotic to each country/environment. I am asking myself, what if there will be world crisis, what if I want to live deep in the nature. I am sure, I can live from the local production, without miso, kuzu, umeboshi, seaweeds. I think they can be exchanged with other fermented foods or that I can learn how to prepare them similarly. In the end, the fermented foods were in each country’s history, we just have to rediscover and also learn about wild plants/weeds. They are my seaweed replacement
Maybe the little problem is with rice. I like rice very much. But I am going to learn about no-water rice cultivations (if I say it right, they just don’t need so much water and warm/wet weather).

For the spiritual practices. I think we are in the quest of rediscovering our old roots too. At least I am. Pagan, druid religions were the basis of nearly all religions (if you look closely and open your mind). Sacral geometry is hidden everywhere. It’s all about energies, the spiritual practices differ just like the different exercises for the body. But I have no problem with doing aikido in the Czech, or meditating vipassana style, because I see it all as having exact energy on me (more yin, more yang). Meditations and exercise are in christianity, just under different names

John, so you are Finn macrobiotic lecturer?

Thanks for the conversation, awesome topic

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Patrick >> i enjoyed this exchange, it is clever;just suggesting that everyone that is interested in this kind of mind excercise could go and simply rediscover the diet of their peaceful ancestors, some times very difficult to do find (peaceful)
michio’s work is tremendous!!
we all could turn into what i call lattitude”izing” MB,and trust me there is lots of work to be done in it’s longitude”izing” as well; to be continued if you so desire??? love peace, namaste

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Me >> Patrick: I am not sure what you are talking about. I surely desire for continuation
And I agree, Michio’s work is colossal!!

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Patrick >> frantisek, in simple terms i’m talking about about the true regionalisation of MB latitude and longitude wise, michio only touched base with that! and also i have to remember that this way of life is base on the motto of ” one peaceful world”
therefore my question about following the diet of peaceful ancestors ( pre traveling foods) is i think a crucial one

i have in storage in mass a tremendous book of about 500 pages written by a polish man ( don’t remember his name now) about fermented food complete history and geography

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Me >> Patrick: thanks for the explanation, somehow your English is a little hard for me (I don’t consider it as your problem).
You remembered me about the “Ferment & Human Nutrition” excelent book from the Bill Mollison (father of Permaculture movement), maybe this is the one you mean, but he is not polish I think

Check the reviews.. really great book!