Probably, the majority of readers of this newsletter are people who would be described here in France as néo-ruraux (or aspiring néo-ruraux), i.e. people who are essentially urban in their upbringing, but who aspire to a more rural way of life, with a closer connection to nature. The label can be slightly off-putting, because it… Continue reading Neo-Rurals & Country Dwellers -Who Knows Best ?
Author: Gareth Lewis
The Billhook
Alongside the hoe and the sickle, the billhook is one of the basic tools that made it possible for people to live in Europe prior to the Industrial Revolution. Whereas a sickle is used to cut grass, rough vegetation, and the cereal harvest, the billhook is used to cut wood, usually green wood, up to… Continue reading The Billhook
Harvesting Cereals
Growing Cereals by Hand When people think about cereal production, the image that tends to come to mind is of a team of combine harvesters making their way through a field of corn that stretches to the horizon. It is an image that probably comes from the American mid-west, or Canada, but there are now… Continue reading Harvesting Cereals
An Antidote to Globalisation
Does Globalisation need an antidote? For many people it clearly does not – globalisation is promoted by business and by most governments as the process by which everyone can get what they want at a price they can afford. As far as one can judge, the majority of the world accepts this claim at face… Continue reading An Antidote to Globalisation