Foreword by Sepp Holzer

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Foreword by Sepp Holzer

Since my youth I have applied myself
to permaculture, a way of working
in accord with nature. I have written
or co-authored several books and
received a lot of mail from readers
all over the world. I would never have
dreamt that my instinctive ways of
thinking and acting would have such
a resonance with so many people.
My own interest in growing started
in early childhood, when I experienced
joy, success and satisfaction inter
acting with my own animals, plants
and the surrounding landscape. This
was not a rosy childhood however, as I grew up in difficult times. As children
we had to help out a lot on the farm, and at school we were punished severely
when we missed a day. But growing up in harmony with nature allowed me
to share my thoughts and feelings with my fellow creatures and that gave me
the strength necessary to carry on. I learned to look after and safeguard my
animals and plants, my gardens and ponds.
When I took over my parents farm, the Krameterhof, in 1962 I was convinced
that I would have no problem repeating these childhood successes on a larger
scale. My neighbours could not understand what I was doing however, and
the authorities even less so. Every innovation I tried to implement required
permission, expensive assessments and documentation. I had to pay dearly for
protecting my land, through compliance with endless bureaucratic obstacles
and conditions, and sometimes even penalties. Despite all this, I never strayed
from my plans and always carried out what I felt was the right thing to do.
Legal persecution went beyond the limits of what is bearable and reasonable.
When I complained to the highest authorities about the behaviour of officials,
Iwas told You should complain to the politicians who make the laws. It is not our
job to check whether the laws are right or wrong, we only ensure that citizens
abide by them. This made me think: What sort of person must a civil servant
be, to enforce something they dont believe in, and to feel no responsibility for
the world around us? Over time, my rage against the authorities has changed

viii Edible Cities

into gratitude. What I do is rational,

because it follows natural laws. Iwas
able to justify my actions without
expert advice.
These days, I offer permaculture
training courses together with my
family on the Krameterhof in Austria
as well as in the USA, Russia, Ukraine
and Portugal. The enthusiasm and
gratitude of the participants has
encouraged us to become ever more
active. I am particularly pleased that
many participants are already hooked
on Holzer-style permaculture and
practise it on their own farms.
This book brings together urban examples of Holzer-style permaculture for
the first time. The three authors are graduates of my courses, but also bring
other skills: Judith Anger is an events manager and caterer, Dr Immo Fiebrig
is a pharmacist and Martin Schnyder is a landscape gardener. I admire their
efforts and feel validated in my endeavours through them.
Urban permaculture is particularly important in my eyes, as it can make
cities more abundant spaces for their inhabitants. It gives them opportunities
to provide their own food. This way, they can be sure that fruit, vegetables and
herbs are fresh, have been produced without exploiting resources and are free
from agrochemicals and GM technologies.
At the same time I hope that the next generation of politicians and civil
servants will make positive changes. Emerging permaculturists will defend
their environment, in the same way I have been doing for decades. I hope that
all readers of this book come to experience the joy of experimenting with urban
permaculture. Finally, in the appendix you will find a summary of my letter to
politicians, economists and scientists that details how disasters in agriculture,
forestry and medicine have been increasing dramatically. You can find the full
version online under www.krameterhof.at
May we all work together to heal the Earth!
Sepp Holzer
Spring 2012