P.P.O.Y.T. (Playfully pouncing on your toes.)
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you." ~Maori Proverb
www.permi-eden.com
Dave Jacke wrote:Katrina, I hear you too. This is a tough issue.
As for what you can do about it--besides what's already suggested--get your library to buy the books you want. Get your friends and neighbors to agitate for the same. Cooperate with friends and neighbors to buy books together. Support one person from your locale to go take a course, and have them come back and teach you all. Get creative. Stay determined and don't get discouraged. Together we are stronger.
I do my best to help people out in such situations. Your post will get me thinking about other ways, too.
Peace,
d
P.P.O.Y.T. (Playfully pouncing on your toes.)
P.P.O.Y.T. (Playfully pouncing on your toes.)
Andi Houston
Check out my progress! www.greenbasket.me
Brenda
Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/
Julie Alberlan wrote:
First, books. I love books and will go to great lengths to get my hands on them, but I could never afford all the books I want to read. I agree with all that's been said about public libraries. I use my inter-library loans all the time for books and movies. I also make lists of book requests and give them to the librarians. They have been very obliging, but strangely, they only want to buy relatively new books. I don't mind that, as the new ones tend to be more expensive anyway. Also, see if/when the libraries near you have book SALES. I've picked up some great gardening (and other) books, not necessarily permaculture, but I wouldn't be too fixated on that, because there are so many related topics. I've found several Ruth Stout books (the mulch gardening lady), and Mel Bartholemew's Square Foot Gardening, among others. Some days of the library sale have $1 a bag pricing. I've also found great deals at Goodwill and used book stores. There's another online library called soilandhealth.org that's very good. Yard sales and craigslist (especially the free section) are worth checking out as well. In addition to books, you might want to see if your library would subscribe to a permaculture magazine, and also see what they do with old magazines. And I always keep an amazon wish list of books, and tell people to look at it if they need gift ideas for b-days or Christmas.
Now, some general thoughts about poverty. My husband and I used to be very poor, now we're just kind of poor. It can be depressing, sure. But you have to realize that you being depressed doesn't do anything to help. Only by raising your energy and devoting yourself to positive things can you help yourself and others. I used to be very prone to depression, but somewhere along the line I decided not to expose myself to low energies. No violent movies, no T.V. news (actually no T.V. at all on a regular basis), no dark music. It helped me a lot. And I also incorporated positive things that I like to do and spending time with people who make me happy. It helped a lot! Also, watch your thoughts. Rather than say "We're too poor to afford land, and forest gardens are only for the rich", say "Permaculture is something I am passionate about, and I'm going to take every opportunity to learn about it and practice it until I can afford land". Or here's another comparison: rather than "We're too poor to afford to do the things I want to be doing", try "Our current state of poverty is giving me the opportunity to use extreme creativity and learn the skills I'll need when I get the land I want for a permaculture paradise".
P.P.O.Y.T. (Playfully pouncing on your toes.)
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka
Carol Tinker wrote:Hi Kat!
Sounds like we have much in common. My best beloved and I live on a second floor apartment , and manage the building, so I can understand the yearning for space to grow something. Finally after 11 years here, a friend offered me garden space in exchange for helping with the yardwork. Wonderful to get tour hands in the dirt, and imo, a sure antidote for depression. Is there a school, church, friend relative, or
elderly neighbor wih a bit of backyard space you coyld plant some roots in?
Kudos on the walking! No better way to slow down and enjoy the sky, the plants and birds along your way..
I dont drive either, and am continually amazed what a lovely world is revealed tothose who choose the slower path.
Please feel free to pm me. Some books and possibly seeds await if you would like them
clear skies and apple pies
Carol T.
~Carrie
Dave Jacke wrote:Katrina, I hear you too. This is a tough issue.
For my part, I was pretty upset at my publisher for pricing my books so high. FYI, authors usually have zero control over title, cover, or price. This is why I have always sold my books at a 27% discount--$20 each off the cover price--at my website. But at that price I have to charge for shipping because my margin is so low. And at that price I am still higher than Amazon. Even I, the author, with an author's discount, cannot compete with Amazon on price.
FYI, when someone buys a copy of one of my books on Amazon, the royalties that Eric T. and I get--that we split-- are only a few $ per book. We spent 8 years writing the books, I destroyed all my savings in the process and got myself deep into credit card debt to write these things, and I am finally in the black on the project this year, 7+ years after publication. I am pretty sure I am the last one to get in the black on the project in financial terms. Believe me, I am not making a killing on this myself. I do better selling direct to people, but it costs you more to buy from me than from the behemoths of the world.
Why are book prices so high?
Amazon has so much market power that they sway the whole book industry. Every book has to be on Amazon: if you aren't on Amazon, your book may as well not exist. Amazon forces publishers to give very steep discounts. So publishers, in order to stay alive and make a profit while selling to Amazon, raised prices. This made prices at independent bookstores go up, and made Amazon's prices actually reasonable, which pushed consumers to Amazon even more. Did you notice that book prices went up when Amazon came on the market? I did. And independent bookstores went out of business very fast after that, giving Amazon even more market share. And the deals Amazon makes with publishers for kindle books are even worse for authors, from what I understand from the Author's Guild, of which I am a member. Its a pretty cutthroat industry, IMHO. And yet, very few of my books would sell without Amazon. Go figure.
So that may explain some of why things are what they are.
As for what you can do about it--besides what's already suggested--get your library to buy the books you want. Get your friends and neighbors to agitate for the same. Cooperate with friends and neighbors to buy books together. Support one person from your locale to go take a course, and have them come back and teach you all. Get creative. Stay determined and don't get discouraged. Together we are stronger.
I do my best to help people out in such situations. Your post will get me thinking about other ways, too.
Peace,
d
Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...
And yet, very few of my books would sell without Amazon. Go figure.
Xisca - pics! Dry subtropical Mediterranean - My project
However loud I tell it, this is never a truth, only my experience...
Brenda
Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/
Iterations are fine, we don't have to be perfect
My 2nd Location:Florida HardinessZone:10 AHS:10 GDD:8500 Rainfall:2in/mth winter, 8in/mth summer, Soil:Sand pH8 Flat
Jordan Lowery wrote:Don't forget the BEST book out there is FREE, as sepp holzer calks it " the book of nature" and as he also says " it's always open".
What I mean is don't forget to learn from your natural environment. Your best clues on what to do are happening around you at all times.
Check out Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
Dave's SKIP BB's / Welcome to Permies! / Permaculture Resources / Dave's Boot Adventures & Longview Projects
Check out Redhawk's soil series: https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil
Seed the Mind, Harvest Ideas.
http://farmwhisperer.com
Moderator, Treatment Free Beekeepers group on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/treatmentfreebeekeepers/
Dave's SKIP BB's / Welcome to Permies! / Permaculture Resources / Dave's Boot Adventures & Longview Projects
Chris has 3 apples and Monika has 4 apples. With this tiny ad they can finally make a pie!
Heat your home with the twigs that naturally fall of the trees in your yard
http://woodheat.net
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