Sustainability is an important issue facing our country today. Being able to efficient with our resources and working towards a sustainable future are important concepts present in Wendell Berry's, "The Making of a Marginal Farm." Through his writing, Berry illustrates sustainability and his ability to live off what he calls a marginal farm or land. This type of marginal land frequently goes unused by society because it is seen as poor-quality or has little to no potential. Through Berry's farming practices, society can begin to see how one can live off such lands and build a more sustainable future within agriculture. Writing through first hand experiences and reflections he has, it is easy to follow Berry's discovers on the subject. Berry explains that, "From where I live and work, I never have to look far to see that the earth does indeed pass away. But however that is taught, and however bitterly learned, it is something that should be known, and there is a certain good strength in knowing it" (516). This marginal farmland Berry is living off of is often passed and left to pass away or die, but it requires strength and love of the farming to create such a life from this land. Through his writing, he explains the consequences of the modern and new developmental methods and that to create such a place from marginal farmland needs hard work, love and dedication towards the land. It is interesting to see Berry bring about opportunities for change within agriculture that human's can work towards and also bring out sustainability towards the future. Through first hand experience, Berry shows that you must be able to live with what you have and develop new ideas and ways to efficiently use and work with what you have in order to work towards sustainability.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
"The Making of a Marginal Farm" by Wendell Berry
Sustainability is an important issue facing our country today. Being able to efficient with our resources and working towards a sustainable future are important concepts present in Wendell Berry's, "The Making of a Marginal Farm." Through his writing, Berry illustrates sustainability and his ability to live off what he calls a marginal farm or land. This type of marginal land frequently goes unused by society because it is seen as poor-quality or has little to no potential. Through Berry's farming practices, society can begin to see how one can live off such lands and build a more sustainable future within agriculture. Writing through first hand experiences and reflections he has, it is easy to follow Berry's discovers on the subject. Berry explains that, "From where I live and work, I never have to look far to see that the earth does indeed pass away. But however that is taught, and however bitterly learned, it is something that should be known, and there is a certain good strength in knowing it" (516). This marginal farmland Berry is living off of is often passed and left to pass away or die, but it requires strength and love of the farming to create such a life from this land. Through his writing, he explains the consequences of the modern and new developmental methods and that to create such a place from marginal farmland needs hard work, love and dedication towards the land. It is interesting to see Berry bring about opportunities for change within agriculture that human's can work towards and also bring out sustainability towards the future. Through first hand experience, Berry shows that you must be able to live with what you have and develop new ideas and ways to efficiently use and work with what you have in order to work towards sustainability.
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Excellent commentary! I came across your blog while doing research for a paper in Environmental Biology. It was so nice to enjoy your well-written insights into one of my favorite authors.
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