Gereon Janzing, geobotánico y etnobotánico
Gereon Janzing, geobotánico y etnobotánico


More and more people remember the value of making something oneself. That way we see and enjoy the fruits of our work. And we know what it is that we use. There are not many people who want to live in complete self-sufficiency. That would be a hell lot of work and would deny the social worth of economy. Still, we can enrichen our lives with some aspects of self-sufficiency.

Part of the harvest

Self-sufficiency means:

- to appreciate what nature offers us in our surroundings without over-exploring it;

- to enjoy the annual rhythm of products; if we eat strawberries only during their season, we'll know to enjoy them more, in other seasons there azre other fruits;

- to work, not just in order to work but to obtain results and to feel the satisfaction of having done something ourselves;

- to learn from local craftspeople and peasants;

- to let local ecology and wisdom guide us; we will not substitute dairy products by soya products due to some nutrition doctrin if we are in an area more appropriate for milk livestock keeping than for soya growing; self-sufficiency considers not only consumption but also ecology and above all production;

- to see challenges instead of problems; if something goes wrong, we do not look for culprits outside of ourselves - that is a behavior of losers, not of responsible people -, but we see it as an apprenticeship and try and do it better;

- to contribute to a more cheerful and juster world, not with philosophies and void words but with actions.