l'haRMas

I want to speak of the bit of land long cherished in my plans to form a laboratory of living entomology, the bit of land which I have at last obtained in the solitude of a little village. It is a harmas, the name given, in this district, to an untilled, pebbly expanse abandoned to the vegetation of the thyme. It is too poor to repay the work of the plough; but the sheep passes there in spring, when it has chanced to rain and a little grass shoots up. This rejected plot of ground that no one would have had as a gift to sow with an inch of seed turnips happens to be an earthly paradise for the bees and wasps.

Jean Henri Fabre

l'HaRMas

Agriculture has been called the "mother of all crafts;" at prov.en.der we take that seriously--listening not only with Mason and her admired poetic scientist, Henri Fabre, but with those of our day, people like Wendell Berry, Sir Ken Robinson, Fritjof Capra, David Orr and Alice Waters, for a more organic metaphor to guide our educational efforts.

Like farmers repairing and sharpening our tools after the annual harvest is in, we keep this gathering time to look closely, think deeply, and consider ideas as they unfold through the presentations and conversations of l'HaRMaS -- ground that looks fallow but upon close inspection is rife with life. We recognize Mason's education anew as a careful cultivation that swells to a true and satisfying harvest. We notice again its roots run deep, it has great beauty, and it cultivates wonder. Consider being our guest as we draw together to hone our craft and celebrate a festival to the richness of the provender.