Land Use Lessons From The 17th Century

A BBC documentary offers lessons to be learned from 17th Century farming practices.

1 minute read

August 21, 2005, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The BBC series Tales from the Green Valley follows historians and archaeologists as they recreate farm life from the age of the Stuarts. They wear the clothes, eat the food and use the tools, skills and technology of the 1620s.

...It was a time when daily life was a hard grind, intimately connected with the physical environment where routines were dictated by the weather and the seasons. A far cry from today's experience of the countryside, which for many involves a bracing walk ahead of a pub lunch."

Among the lessons learned:

  • Biodiversity protects against unforeseen calamity.
  • Reuse and recycle.
  • No pesticides.

    Thanks to Ashwani Vasishth

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