Most folks have never thought about this, but nearly all human civilization is the result of our relationship to grasses. We progressed from hunter/gatherer societies largely due to an ever increasing reliance on grass. All the early civilizations were made possible by either wheat, rice, or maize, with secondary grains being barley, rye, and oats. All grasses. Some exceptions to this would be manioc, taro, and the chenopods, and maybe potatoes, but they pale in importance to the grains. Even non-agricultural societies that harvested their food from herds or flocks were dependent upon the pastures which sustained those animals. Grasses made it possible to live in one place year round, and to feed an ever larger populace. Its cultivation took less time than the hunter/gatherer subsistence lifestyles, so spare time evolved, and was used for arts and innovation. It was the beginning of intentional learning and experimentation, and somewhat the first information age. It was the production of surplus food, and the need to store some of it in case of future crop failures that led to the first organized governments beyond the strongman or clan leader stage. Without grass we would all still be sleeping in huts and living off the land hand-to-hand style...but without grass the vast majority of us wouldnt be here in the first place. Just something to ponder. Remember this when youre walking behind the mower next summer.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 08:44:28 +0000
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