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About this quote

What does it mean?
Serious agriculture requires recognizing the unique character of each element within a farm system.
In plain terms
Every part of a farm is different and needs to be treated as such.
What can you take from it?
Respect individuality in farming to succeed.

Where it applies

  • farming
  • land management
  • ecology

Putting it to work

  • tailoring care to specific plots
  • observing local conditions

Questions to consider

  • How do you account for uniqueness in your work?
  • Is efficiency worth losing individuality?

Another view

Standardization might be more efficient for large-scale production.

More from Wendell Berry

  1. In the effort to tell a whole story, to see it whole and clear, I have had to imagine more than I have known.

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  2. To farm is to be placed absolutely.

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  3. We need to confront honestly the issue of scale. Bigness has a charm and a drama that are seductive, especially to politicians and financiers; but bigness prom…

    Permalink to quote #49

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