On making things big, only to make them little again

First of all, thanks to you all for reading and your constructive feedback! My apologies for not posting for a while, as I've been consumed with life - first finishing exams and reports then moving to Nelson and starting a new job, not to mention poor internet connections and general distractions! Hopefully now I am back...

I wanted to comment on the strange predilection we seem to have for making things large when we really only want small things... confused? Well, what I am talking about is the fact that we put huge amounts of energy into growing, say, beef cattle, which are somewhat substantial creatures, when all we really want is a steak (I am not using the 'Royal We' here, BTW). In the Andes, they eat Guinea Pigs. In New Zealand, we poison rabbits so we can grow sheep... Energy to make it large, more energy to make it small...

And why would we grow a tree to enormous proportions and the grand old age of 30, when all we want is a piece of 2x4 timber (or, more curiously, woodchips)? In Europe they used to (and in some places still do) grow the tree for ten years, 'til it's the right size for the job, and then cut it down (after which it grows back, is cut down, and on and on ad infinitum). Avoids the need for enormous machinery and vast amounts of energy to transport and process...

And the lawn. Ahh, the lawn... I shouldn't have got started on lawns, but now it's too late! Yet again, here is a strange modern phenomenon - copious quantities of water, fertilisers, fossil-fuelled lawnmowers - and for what? So we can grow big grass... and make it small again! For goodness sake, how about replacing some of the underutilised lawns with permanent low-growing groundcovers - Roman Chamomile, clover, pennyroyal, native grasses... there are many options I could list.

I am not suggesting that all lawns should be replaced of course, just the ones which serve no apparent purpose. A friend of mine has a splendidly healthy 'lawn' which is largely the result of a complete lack of care and attention. It is a thrivingly diverse combination of red and white clover, dock, mint, dandelion, daisy, plantain and yarrow - in other words, a perfect herbal ley, which is habitat for many creatures, including insects as well as birds. Not to mention the nutritious mulch which goes around the plum and lemon trees...

So there we have it - something to consider in terms of energy inputs vs. outputs. In addition, while we are so absorbed with enhancing biodiversity, how about turning those barren monocultures (a hangover from a bygone age of Victorian status symbols) into micro-scale havens of diversity?

Give this some thought next time you plant a native tree - what is the state of your lawn? Haven or horror? And next time you tuck into a juicy steak, consider - wouldn't Guinea Pig be so much more energy efficient?!

And I say, how revolutionary would it be to use your lawn to raise guinea pigs for your table and avoid the need for all that annoying mowing and the plastic packaging that you get your meat in? Splendid!