TCN Newsletter Issue 7: October 2014
Featured Emerging Leader:
Skipley Farm & Gil Schieber
Skipley Farm is a natural farm and food forest in the lush bio region of Snohomish, Washington. With multiple varieties of grapes, apples, and other utterly delicious fruit trees and bushes, this property is worth a visit to say the least. Founded in 2008 by Gil Schieber, Skipley is already flourishing with abundance and regeneration.
Photo Credit Taylor Proffitt
When I asked Gil about permaculture as a solution to the many ecological crises happening in our world, he referenced Wendell Berry’s take on the conversation: “If it happened fast, that’d be good.” I’d not heard that particular response to that question in my conversations with regenerative agriculture figures. The school of thought growing at Skipley Farm acknowledges that change is slow and it’s appropriate to do what you can within your means.
Photo Credit: Taylor Proffitt
Gil left the East Coast in 1980 on a bicycle and slowly traveled his way to the Pacific Northwest, learning the eco-pragmatic philosophy of farms and communities who practiced responsible techniques and principles inspired by the work of early permaculturists and biodynamic practitioners. He landed in Seattle and became an integral part of the Seattle Tilth Association, which began as a symposium for horticulture in 1974 in response to destructive agriculture and climate change, catalyzed by Masanobu Fukuoka and David Holmgren visiting Seattle. By studying under “agtivists” like Wendell Berry and Mark Musick, Gil learned about native plants, fruit forests, biodiversity and seed saving, among other developments in earth stewardship. Almost thirty years later, he founded Skipley Farm and began planting the seeds for a gorgeous property now bursting with life and abundance.
My tour around the property began with greenhouses brimming with vegetables and herbs, inoculated mushroom logs, and a small aquaponics system. We moved from greenhouses and gardens out to the young orchard in which thousands of fruit trees bore hoards of Apple, Nashi, Sweet Cherry, Quince, Shipova, and Hawthorne varieties. These trees were weighed down from clusters of pristine fruits I’d eaten all weekend at a nearby network gathering and wellness retreat.
The greatest part about visiting “conscious agriculture” properties is tapping into the depth of philosophy embedded in each microbe on the land. Speaking with Gil gave clarity around many earth stewards’ attitudes toward the “permaculture solution” conversation. Permaculture design as a pure solution carries some stigmas with many farmers in that it seems elitist and exclusive: if the design isn’t “perfect on paper”, then it’s not regenerative. It’s actually very refreshing to hear farmers talk openly about how they integrate permaculture principles in their own brands of sustainable agriculture. The biggest piece I learned form my talk with Gil was that you don’t have to have a perfectly designed permaculture property to grow amazing “better then organic” fruit and vegetables or be a responsible earth steward. I learned that farmers do what works for them, and if it provides their community with local clean produce while growing a biodiverse microsystem, the work is creating a positive impact at the end of the day, and that’s awesome.
Featured Emergent Leader
Gil Schieber
TCN Community Member
Founder, Skipley Farm
Photo Credit: Seattle Tilth (http://seattletilth.org/images/images380/gilprune380/view)
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Article Written by
Taylor Proffitt
TCN Community Member
Network Ambassador at Project Nuevo Mundo