u/ostropolos

I used to think black locust was the ultimate cold climate support species.

Fast growing, nitrogen fixing, drought and cold tolerant, coppices and pollards readily, produces incredibly rot resistant wood that can compete with treated lumber, bees love the flowers, they smell amazing, it thrives in terrible soil, etc. From a biomass and utility perspective, it's basically the perfect tree.

However, the deeper I looked into the toxicity of black locust, the less I started valuing it in my systems. What really surprised me wasn't just the toxicity itself, but how little the dangers are discussed compared to the benefits. Like if you watch videos about it on YouTube you'll only hear things about growth rate, biomass, long lasting fence posts, nitrogen fixation, bee forage, biomass, and resilience. Read plant databases like pfaf and they barely mention the toxicity beyond a short warning line, saying cooking or heat eliminates the danger.

Here's the thing though, there are multiple historical accounts of people boiling young black locust shoots during famines that led to mass poisonings and deaths. Horses or chickens dying after chewing bark or fresh sprouts. Children becoming violently ill after eating seeds or pods. Woodworkers and farmers getting poisoned from exposure to sawdust. Why do you never hear about this and why is it understated, I have no idea. I only found out a few days ago that there are many documented cases of severe poisoning and deaths associated with ingestion of or contact with black locust, and I've been doing this for awhile!

I'm not saying black locust is entirely bad because from a purely functional perspective, it is an absolute monster of a species. But what is the real goal of permaculture?

For me, permaculture is really about permanence, where we create sustainable human settlements. We learn about different agricultural methods in order to create these settlements. With that in mind, our systems should probably be safe no? I don't just want productive systems. I want places where people can exist carelessly without fear. I want children to wander freely, I want guests who know nothing about plants to be safe, I want a place that doesn't depend on everyone remembering a list of dangerous species, and I don't want the stress of wondering whether some black locust got into my animal feed and whether they're going to die or not. More importantly, I want to be able to raise a family without worry.

To me, a truly mature permaculture system should feel almost impossible to misuse, and for the kind of "bulletproof" human habitats I want to design, where people live in permanence and move through the landscape freely and unconsciously, I no longer think black locust really has a place in my systems, except for extreme cases of land regeneration/restoration.

What I don't understand is we live in a world where we can get pistachios parachuted to our doorstep on drones, fast stable internet, as much water and electricity as we want, freedom of speech, freedom to travel and discover the world, be connected to the entire world logistically and order any ridiculous thing we want from a different country quick and cheap; yet some people literally CHOOSE to be left behind, living like it's the 1900s while the whole world moves around them.

Work online, spread your feet and order whatever you want to your door, return it no questions asked if it's defective, or even if you simply don't like it. You can do all this while still holding on to your morals and religious beliefs, couldn't you? Don't you want to have hobbies and a life? Raise a family with no worries? Aren't you tired?

You literally have to fight for everything. You want anything here, it takes you all day stuck in traffic and the heat, just to find exactly what you want. Sometimes you never find it. People get paid 20 dollars a day to work, do you know how ridiculous that is? Aren't you sick of the mazout smells and trucks breaking down while people are making and producing flying cars? Did you ever try to see what goes on in the world outside? Do you really have to fight for everything in your life?

I respect anyone with a samurai heart, but the samurai went extinct because they still held on to their swords and old fashioned principles while the "less honorable" kept up with the times. Hate whoever you want and stick to your beliefs, but please use your rational brain, have some compromise, you can make peace with the people you hate, and respect your own kind. In the end, it's better for you, your family, and the rest of your country, which is also your family.

What are your favorite spots or towns where a person can go reflect, walk a dog, have a few beers with friends or bring a SO to without being disturbed or encroaching on people's private property? A peaceful place out in nature with good energy, away from people. We all have those places. A rooftop, a hill, 7ersh, a section of a town in the mountains, whatever. I know 4 spots and I'm getting bored of them.