Planet-Work
Maybe it’s not my better-known half, but it’s definitely my favourite half.
The question.
How can one human make a difference on a planet of seven billion humans?
Step 1: Grow your own food
The first time I tried to grow vegetables at home, I was elated with joy as the first seedlings sprouted from a small pot on my patio. But it wasn’t long before I was greeted with plant-eating pests and yellowing leaves. So, I did what any millennial would do and I turned to the internet. The easiest solution was to spray my baby plants with pesticides and dose the soil with synthetic fertiliser, but that seemed odd considering I was planning to eat these plants someday. Instead, I decided to study up on compost, healthy soil, and how to allow nature to build its own defences.
But why hadn’t I thought about how gross pesticides and fertilisers were before? I’d never sought out “organic” food or clothing, or given a second thought to my purchases… So, naturally, I watched a documentary about the failures of modern day agriculture. Then I bought a book about soil health. And I just couldn’t stop digging deeper. I learned that greenhouse gas emissions are highest during the time of year when conventional farming tills the earth. I learned that we’ve lost over a third of the earths viable soil to erosion from bare land. And I learned that through regenerative agriculture practices, we can reduce our carbon emissions by 14-22 gigatons by 2050.
Step 2: Learn something new
After I got the hang of gardening, I decided it was time to learn a thing or two about the Permaculture movement for myself. I packed a tent and headed down to Portugal where, it turns out, Permaculture was not some hippy movement about going back to the basics - it is actually a design principle focused on maximising efficiency and using the least amount of energy possible. It is a method of designing an agricultural system where every single piece works together to build something whole.
I now spend half of my time throughout the year consulting and designing edible permaculture gardens for clients throughout Amsterdam.
Step 3: Inspire someone else
After nerding out for a few years, I decided it was time to share my knowledge and skills with humans outside of my social circles. And as it turns out, it’s a lot easier to make an impact as a group of humans, rather than just one.
So I found myself at Stadsboerderij Osdorp, where every week I spend the day volunteering my time in the community vegetable garden. The garden is built with permaculture principles at its heart, is organic and self sufficient (i.e., we make all of the compost we use within the garden). We offer education to anyone looking to start gardening or discover permaculture, and we educate the community on how food is grown through weekly community dinners in the garden.
