Daniel Evanoff is the host and coordinator of

The Organic Logic Project.

Set, Setting, Structure and Function

 The principle site of the project is on a remote island, called Isla Polmallelhue, which is a small narrow island, stretching from east to west, in the pacific arpeggio of Calbuco, Chile. The current project farms, called the north farm and the south farm, both have houses, apple orchards, fields, crops, and a few animals; chickens, ducks and cattle principally. The north farm is on the north coast of the Pacific Gulf of Ancud. And is adjacent to the south farm, which extends to the southern coast. The total size of both farms is about 10 hectares. Summer here in the southern hemisphere is December through March, and is the peak season for volunteering. It’s beautiful here in the summer with long days and sunshine, and usually not too hot. We are just now entering the spring of 2022, and welcome volunteers, and are hopeful now that travel will be easier and the pandemic is not so much a concern.

The kind of volunteer work, information about work exchange details and accommodations can be found at the volunteer page. Volunteers generally work a few hours a day and we talk over a home grown lunch about general topics of cultural significance. It seems that the upcoming generations are facing challenges that have not been encountered previously. I spend a lot of time researching evolutionary and cultural theory. I am influenced by people such as David Sloan Wilson, Dr. Steven C Hayes, Denis Noble, and many others, who are making important contributions to the contemporary cultural and scientific landscapes. But, these days I spend the majority of my time keeping up with the farm work, and will have to leave only this brief disclaimer, that more information about the theory and practice of the project is forthcoming.

But what volunteers can expect when they come here is a practical endeavor... the project is my vision of how to but theory into practice. Conditions here are basic and grassroots, but the vision is encompassing and transformative.  Help is needed for the basic farm work, but also with web development, fund raising campaigns, sponsorship and research. Please feel free to contact Daniel for more information. More details are coming soon, so please check the website for progress...

 

 

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

 

..

“What’s your idea of civilization?”

“It’s a good idea. Somebody ought to start it.”

 

Although it's difficult to say who exactly contributed this answer to the above question, I think it's a good reason to give us pause for reflection. Just what exactly is civilization? Although opinions may vary on the state of civilization, one point is worth making; agriculture makes our civilized way of life possible. The entirety of our modern cultural activities are based on the foundation of agriculture. Agriculture developed and aligned with a cultural system and world view distinct from the previous millennia and ages of our “prehistoric” ancestors. Agriculture forms the basis of almost everything that is possible in our lives. Culture informs the basis of our decisions. We often do not think of the background forces involved in our life, and eating is the essential activity that makes life possible. Perhaps spending more time on the simple pleasures of life, such as eating and growing food, would give us a greater overall level of satisfaction and quality in our lives, which sometimes seem to have lost meaning. Agriculture has made all the choices in life possible. It has opened the door of possibilities. The project aspires to explore the mirrors of possibilities hitherto unknown.

Agriculture is the foundation of civilization. You're probably at least somewhat familiar with the story of agriculture. Agriculture started modestly and slowly about ten thousand years ago, at least in the western civilizations, of which we carry on the traditions. The beginnings of agriculture coincide with the beginning of the Holocene. the Holocene meaning recent epoch or age, started about 11,000 years ago, corresponding to the end of the ice age and shrinking of the polar ice caps. The Holocene marked the beginning of a period of relative climate stabilization, that made agriculture possible. Agriculture lead to expanding population, the formation of settled towns and eventually cities, the division of labor, specialization of the workforce, and eventually to cultural activities like writing, literature and the Fine Arts.

 

The Anthropocene or age of man, is a new geological era proposed by geologists and its formal acceptance as an official era is pending. Weather or not the geological designation of the term Anthropocene is formally accepted, the word had already entered the modern lexicon and provides a useful backdrop to frame the ongoing discussion of the modern age and rapidly increasing ecological and cultural climate instability. The beginnings of the Anthropocene coincide with the beginnings of the industrial revolution, around the 18th century. This period is marked by the beginnings of modern industry and the widespread use and combustion of fossil fuels. Although it didn’t take long for some observers to predict a potential “global warming” due to the increased emissions of burning fossils fuels, such observations were not taken seriously until the modern age. In the modern age we have parted radically from the humble beginnings of both agriculture and industry, and now live in a world of industrialized agriculture, factory farming, and biotechnology.

The technologies introduced around the 1950’s gave rise to what geologists call, the great acceleration. This great acceleration coincides with the exponential global increase in industrial and manufacturing technology, as well as the geometrically increasing world population. This period also coincides with the so called “green revolution” (perhaps an ironic oxymoron) and the development of the molecular technology that enabled the development and synthetic herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and a host of other environmental pathogens, applied to industrial agricultural production. A new variation on the mode of agricultural production began, what is now called, “conventional” agriculture. Before this time the wording “organic agriculture” would have been an oxymoron, because agricultural products can be largely defined as “organic” productions./ definition of food./ In many Latin American and European countries, the word, “biological” is used in relation to what in the United States is called, “organic”. Although the dangers of these new applications may not have been understood or recognized at the time ....

 

page under construction

 

please tune in shortly for updates and more of the story...

 

THE PROJECT;  section under construction

 

The project is a cultural experiment in organic methodology to help bridge the gap between the producer and the consumer in agricultural production. The objective is to give the end-user a more integrated perspective on the pivotal role and essential nature of agricultural production.

The volunteer experience on the island is a practical endeavor, providing hands on experience in applied organic agricultural practices.

 

The long-term projection is a cultural experiment using agriculture as a pivot to influence culture. The progressive direction of cultural development postulates that generation advance will require novel and innovative methodologies and technologies that rise to meet the challenges of the changing cultural and environmental landscapes. The development of an innovative farm infrastructure that applies organic principles to the entire mode of agricultural production and can produce its own energy and in a self generating system is the guiding focus and direction of the project. The project is a cultural experiment that explores emerging ideologies, using evolutionary theory and organic logic as a leverage towards stability in the quest for conjunctive cultural identity.

 

ORGANIC LOGIC  section under construction

The meaning of organic corresponds to the organizational capacity to grow, learn and adapt to what works in the present situation. Organic logic is used in the sense of adaptive logic. Organic logic is the functional developmental organization that grows out of the actual context to enable the successful adaptation to the changing environment. Organic principles are considered integrated principles and are not limited to agricultural application but also include various aspects of culture and cognition.

Organic logic represents the psychological component,..