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Title: Coming Back to Earth Author: Maureen Boustred Date: February 1992 Language: en Topics: back to the land, land, The Raven Source: Retrieved on 03 April 2022 from https://libcom.org/article/raven-17-use-land Notes: This article was originally written for The Raven Anarchist Quarterly #17: Use of Land, pp. 30–33.
At a Smallholder and Self-Sufficiency Show two years ago I helped man
the stand of our local Agricultural and Horticultural College. Most
enquiries for part-time courses were made by people with young families.
In addition to allotting the time required to sustain their full-time
work, the menfolk, in particular, were eager to put in time to learn
extra land-based skills via the College. Few families had their own land
— many had none. Couples said... some day... well... perhaps when we’ve
saved up enough... we’d like a place of our own, a few animals, grow a
few things... it’s just a dream... Then they would gather up the
children and go off to lean over a pen to watch goats or sheep, discuss
the merits of differing designs of chicken housing, muse over leaflets
offered by the Centre of Alternative Technology, and generally absorb
sights, sounds and atmosphere of a way of living to which they aspired
but felt they would never achieve. Suggestions that to make the dream
come true they could do something other than wait to save up, or for a
pools win, or an auntie to bequeath, were met with comments of
disbelief.
Some people do manage to buy a small property in the country but ‘living
harmoniously with the earth’ is a concept of which many involved in the
present outflow from the towns and cities are unfortunately unaware.
From my position 23 miles from London, I have observed the difficulties
experienced and caused by urban dwellers embarking on a change of
life-style.
Trees are usually the first casualties to fall to chain-saw-happy rural
newcomers, who, having seen the bulldozing practices all too commonly
employed by certain farmers and landowners, blindly follow suit.
In many ways ‘coming back to earth’ can be a very traumatic experience,
yet there is no doubt that there is a deep seated need for human beings
to be in close contact with the land and they will continue to respond
to the geophysical ‘pull’ as best they can. During the last few years
there has been a proliferation of Golf Courses in our area which is in a
Green Belt. Recently 478 acres were acquired for a golf course and yet
there are people living in the vicinity who are in desperate need of a
secure environment and housing. Having taken the independent step to
live in a rural area and not wishing to be manoeuvred back into the
twilit land of Sheltered or Council bedsits or flats the following ideas
and proposals regarding redistribution and subsequent usage of land,
were originally conceived to provide an answer to specific housing
problems besetting some of my neighbours and myself. Our group could not
seek to develop derelict industrial land — as did the Lightmoor Project
— as none exists in our area, so our initial proposals were:
and method of construction.The type of Self-build housing we had in mind
requires group participation, but overly large groups, we know, do not
assimilate well into established rural communities, so the suggestion
here is for groups of four or five households to work and build their
houses together. This would also lessen area impact on land and
services.
holdings with regard to the grade of land and nature of soil. These two
latter criteria would have a bearing on the decision relating to the
size of holding.
Experience in my own locality has been that splintering land,
particularly the poorer grades, into too small parcels, just does not
work. After the First World War property in this area was divided into
three, four or five acre plots — the Plotlands. Second and third
generation owners have turned commuter and what were tiny shacks on the
plots are now mini-mansions.
groups e.g. Forestry Commission.
In a communication regarding these proposals the local Agricultural
College said, “... we would be more than happy to give technical advice
within our terms of reference and such... advice would also embrace
training and the acquisition of skills for people managing the land and
the best use there of.” Anyone newly taking responsibility for land and
lacking confidence would receive aid given in the friendliest of
atmospheres.
the holding, as in Denmark. This method recognised by the Ecology
Building Society.
To have a craft or specialised skills either supporting, or being
supported by, land enterprises is akin to having two or more strings to
one’s bow insurance. It would assist artistic development in the one and
reduction of menial drudgery in the other.
the outset with the help of the Self-Build architect.Permaculture
depends largely on the inter-relationships of air and water flows, kinds
of plants and land contours, so outbuildings could be raised when time
and funds permit, or experience dictates.
The preceding five proposals were later extended by adding the
following:
acres taken up with buildings, stores, barns, workshops, grazing, fruit,
meadow, and cultivations. 10 acres of timber for fuel at half an acre
coppiced each year over a 20 year period as recommended by the Forestry
Commission.We feel that the acreages suggested offer the best
sustainable area of Third Grade land for a family of four. Holdings on
better grade land would therefore be smaller, whilst holdings on poorer
land would be larger. 40% of a holding should supply fuel timbers.
long term projects to mature, e.g. timber, fish ponds (as in France),
and, of course, building.
At present anyone moving into temporary housing on agricultural land
must prove, over a period of three to five years, depending on the
length of time the local authority requires, 100% viability of the
enterprises entered into on that land, before permission to erect a
permanent dwelling may be sought. Rather a case of putting the cart
before the horse. Based as this rule is on financial return, to insist
on 100% viability when farming is in such a state in this country, is
asking for the impossible.
100 acres, we suggest would be more acceptable than mobile homes or golf
courses in Green Belt.
Add to this Set Aside Land.
resources.We had in mind Walter Segal Type housing. For domestic sewage
we suggested a Clivus. However, reed-beds and other alternatives would
all be considered.
To obviate the development of the human double-edged ‘Cuckoo in the Nest
Syndrome’ it is suggested that a National Pool of Smallholdings be set
up. Young people could move onto a holding of their own as soon as they
could manage one. Older people could continue as long as they were able,
or swap for a smaller place if they wished. Existing smallholders could
bequeath their holdings to the Pool. No money need be involved. The only
condition would be that the land be worked as ecologically as possible.
The proposals have been discussed with the powers that be and the
general fear is that everyone would want a holding. Of course they
would.
A few pilot projects could pave the way to a steady return back to the
land.