The Natural Community Planner
Chris Lempa
Black Oak Presents
Spring 2007

Have you ever wondered why county borders lie where they do? Or why cities have nonsensical borders? The arbitrary borders that divide us make very little sense once we begin thinking about them.
   
A realistic vision for the future is essential to anyone interested in improving their communities. In my utopia, bioregions would serve as the basic building block of society. A bioregion, simply put, is a geographic area of interconnected natural systems and their characteristic watersheds, landforms, species and human cultures. In other words, cities, counties, and states would be shaped by the natural features that give them life and character.
   
To better illustrate this idea, replace words such as “city”, “county”, and “state” with terms that are descriptive of surrounding landscapes. Fox Ridge and the Embarras could replace Coles and Charleston in our daily vocabularies, to use my local example.
   
Produce and manufactured goods would differ from one bioregion to the next. Diversifying crops would enable farmers to stock local grocery stores with foods that are currently imported from other states and countries. The produce would be fresher and require less chemical fertilizers and pesticides, not to mention cheaper to transport. Our family farm would benefit from increased sales and consumers would benefit from fresher and more natural food.
   
Currently, there is a major concern that buying locally is costlier. Until we stop seeing local products as “novelties,” they will continue to be more expensive. Worse is the downright refusal to stock local products. A stunning example can be found at restaurants.  One would think that a locally owned restaurant would support local farmers when possible.
Sad to say this is not always true.
   
Not that long ago I went out for breakfast and asked for some honey.  Naturally, I was expecting the honey to be from a local apiary.  Needless to say, I was astonished when I saw it was from a major, multinational food conglomerate.
   
While this may seem trivial, think about the difference it would make if restaurants purchased locally when possible.  Not only would the food be fresher, it would also drive the cost down while supporting our neighbors.  The increase in sales and competition would benefit the consumer and producers alike.
   
By supporting local farmers and producers – and telling them what to improve – we are helping to improve our communities. It is easy to feel trapped because we feel that our community is mediocre. An easy way to change our community is by changing the way we see it.
   
People have a natural tendency to organize their daily lives based on what they have in common. By allowing this to happen we increase the chances for peaceful cooperation. Unfortunately, this concept is foreign to rogue imperialists and the dominant way of thinking amongst societal planners. Fortunately it seems to be a common feeling amongst most people. The examples are endless. Look at the various subcultures, voluntary clubs, or social organizations. These groups, unlike governments, do not rely on force. People join voluntarily. This is the idea behind the bioregion.
   
The possibilities are endless and it is up to us to make them happen.

Chris Lempa is a streetwise professor in search of the perfect cup of coffee
and the perfect glass of water. He is a guest editor at www.Strike-the-root.com.
  You may e-mail him at 8lempa8@gmail.com.

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