“Economic Swales” by Frank Callo

Check out this article written by a former farm team member, Frank Callo.

Reprinted by permission from The Agrarian Urbanite (October 2009)

The Argarian Urbanite- October Issue

“Economic Swales”  by Frank Callo

When thinking about the interconnectedness of the world and comparing seemingly unrelated systems, deep patterns come into view. Such a pattern emerges if we evaluate the way currency moves through the economy and compare it to the movement of water through a watershed. By establishing the notion of an economic shed” we begin to see, that what is true of water —its conservation and the potential damage it could cause— is also true of wealth.

Imagine a watershed with little vegetation and much paving and other disturbances to the natural topography. Over time, erosion channels form. These carry the topsoil away. This process progresses exponentially—less topsoil, faster water movement, faster water movement, deeper erosion channels. Eventually the landscape is denuded
of plant life and the soil that supports it. Such conditions occur everywhere from poorly managed agricultural land to small streams overburdened with urban storm runoff. An similar effect can be seen in the economy.

Global distribution of goods and services and the dominance of “big box retailers are the erosion channels of the economy. As retailers centralize and consolidate, a two-fold economic erosion ensues. First, local business deteriorates due to uneven competition. Second, the demand for ever-cheaper labor and materials draws the natural and human resources away from areas. In both cases, economic resources are drained away from the communities where they originate. The effect on these communities is like that of places higher in the watershed described above— a progressive degeneration in the conditions that support life.

In a watershed, such problems can be mitigated with swales, retention ponds, and cisterns. Swales direct water into the subsoil. This slows the water as it makes its way down the shed and makes it available to plants through their roots. Retention ponds also slow the movement of water and making water freely available in dryer weather. Cisterns collect water from buildings and other hardscapes, slowing the overall movement of water and making it even more readily available on sight.

Small business, local banks and coops, and personal savings, are the swales, ponds and cisterns of the economy. Small business allows the wealth of a community to be absorbed locally,making it available to the citizens. As plants use subsurface water to thrive and grow, so the citizen thrives and grows through enterprise. Small banks
and other cooperative ventures collect the equity of the community as a whole as retention ponds collect water from the landscape. Finally, personal savings, in whatever form functions as a cistern for the economic resources generated at the household level.

We are slowly beginning to understand the value of good water management to the bioregion. By viewing economic activity as an organic process, constrained by the same principles as other organic processes, we may develop a proper understanding of it. Like in other areas of ecology, we may find that understanding and being in harmony with the flow of resources makes us not only richer, but better stewards.

2 Comments

1. i am an americorps member and i loved the vist that we hade and i hope to coum again u all have fun and tell rachel my tree was naed billy jo jim bob but u all be carfule and have fun

   fred bowman » October 24, 2009 at 2:00 pm
2. Swales are a great idea. Next to terracing – Practiced for 2000 years , I am glad someone is doing it. Works well with tanks , living waters, etc etc. Keep up the good work- Richard

   Richard » January 29, 2010 at 1:29 pm

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