Knowledge Towns by David J. Staley

Author:David J. Staley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2023-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Archetype Two: Reimagination

Deep Springs College, nestled in a cattle and alfalfa ranch in a valley in the Sierra Nevada, is a small institution focusing on teaching its students a “life of leadership and service.” It admits only 15 students each year, all on full scholarships. There is no nearby town or even hamlet, with the closest city being 40 miles away. Deep Springs Valley may feel like the last place for expansion. The valley has a saline lake, Deep Springs Lake. Saline lakes as a class are at risk of environmental degradation, as covered by a 2021 article in Deseret around risks to the Great Salt Lake of Utah.24 But with such a challenge, there is also an opportunity.

Fresh water aquifers are on a path of exhaustion in 40 countries, including the United States, India, and China, with agriculture accounting for 70% of global fresh-water withdrawals.25 Saline aquifers and lakes offer comparable global farming capacity to that of freshwater, and this capacity will increase as depleted freshwater becomes salt-water. According to Saline Agriculture Worldwide, farming with salt-tolerant species and adaptive techniques could bring an incremental 70 million to 120 million hectares into cultivation.26 Salt-water farming is a fast-emerging sector, with areas of specialization in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, India, and Bangladesh. A new primer on the space, Future of Sustainable Agriculture in Saline Environments (2022), suggests an immediate opportunity from salt-resistant farming of $1 billion a year.27 One could imagine a strategy whereby Deep Springs College expands to include a new program in sustainable saline agriculture. It could attract or incubate new businesses in this area, providing space on site for these companies and inviting executives to teach classes. Through this expansion, the size of the settlement could grow, built around a new practice and market in saline agriculture. An intentional community could decide to settle with a mission to develop this kind of farming and reach an agreement with Deep Springs and other local landowners.

Black Mountain College in rural North Carolina operated between 1933 and 1957. As stated in its memorial website, “Black Mountain College was born out of a desire to create a new type of college based on John Dewey’s principles of progressive education.”28 It operated on a communal basis and focused on the development of the arts. Although the college did not survive to a second generation, the town of Black Mountain grew from a scarce 300 people at the time of the college foundation to 8,000 today, as it became a destination for those looking for art, nature, and self-reliance.29 The output of Black Mountain’s staff and students is still remembered through a research library and a dedicated journal.30 Western North Carolina, centered around Asheville, has become a popular remote worker destination, driving the average cost of a home from $315K in 2018 to $399K at the time of writing in mid-2021. Black Mountain itself has seen home price increases, from $260K in 2018 to $320K in mid-2021.31 The town of Black Mountain

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