Agraria Journal Winter 2021

On a cross-country trip this summer, I spent three days driving west over depleted rivers and lakes, with wildfire smoke darkening the skies to the north. Coming back to Ohio after being in the parched northwest felt like returning to a rainforest. Yet Ohio has its own challenges. Being water- rich, it has become a mecca for climate refugees from the coasts and the southwest, with resultant pressure on farmland prices and availability. And farmers have other issues too— with cycles of too much water and not enough water, making planning difficult. Now water pressures are multiplying across the globe. From hurricanes to droughts to hydroelectric dams lacking the flow they need to produce energy, water often seems not to be where and when we hope it will be. In the case of the dams, the lack of flow is a problem for countries struggling with shortages of gas and coal, compounding supply chain issues for a raft of commodities that impact all of our lives. The interconnectedness of water to the health and survival of humans and other species was on our mind when we planned this issue of Agraria Journal, as well as our fall conference, Pathways to Regeneration: Honoring Water. One of the challenges of dealing with planetary crises when they hit mass consciousness is that we feel overwhelmed and make the mistake that Einstein warned us about—trying to solve issues with the same consciousness that created them. In the case of water, this means a consciousness that is both detached from our planetary cycles and committed to mechanistic technological solutions. Operating from this consciousness, we reach for the high-tech tools that seem capable of responding to the scale and scope of the crises of climate and disrupted cycles of water, weather, and carbon. Take, for example, stratospheric geoengineering to block out the sun’s rays, industry-based carbon capture and storage, engineered meat to replace beef from CAFOS, drones to seed clouds so that they release rain and snow. In this issue of the Journal, we focus instead on approaches to our watery planet and selves that invite a new consciousness and way of mapping the landscape and our relationship to it. Bioregional philosopher Stephanie Mills invites us to explore a watershed approach to appreciation and protection. Glen Helen’s Nick Boutis reminds us that water systems flow to our retreats through neighboring farms and villages, and Sheryl Cunningham cautions us that boundaries that ignore larger ecosystems limit our imagination and capacity to respond to challenges. All these writers remind us that community solutions— like the rights of nature—are promising tools that engage us at multiple levels of reflection and action. Megan Bachman’s pieces honor two men who were founders of our organization’s focus on solutions: Arthur Morgan is celebrated for his holistic approach to flood control, and Pat Murphy is lauded for his careful metrics and methodical research. Other community solutions are explored by current and former board members. Sarah Hippensteel Hall of Miami Conservancy district reminds us that regenerative soil practices result in cleaner water. And Permaculture US Director Peter Bane looks at both landscape and practice to suggest solutions accessible to homesteaders and farmers. Bane also reminds us of the importance of our philosophical frameworks, something that is taken up in my article on the connection of quantum geometry to the repair of Jacoby Creek and the rest of the planet. Emily Foubert and Audrey Hackett celebrate the spiritual and physical partnership we can embrace with our local waters. We round out the Journal with other community solutions, including our work that flows in and out of Agraria and through our partners within and without our watershed. We hope that these offerings collectively awaken in our readers a curiosity for examining the perceptual and physical waters in which they swim. Susan Jennings is executive director of Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice and co-editor of Agraria Journal. 4 AGRARIA JOURNAL 2021 INTRODUCTION BY SUSAN JENNINGS A Community Solutions Approach to Our Watery World