Talk:Charles Dowding

Latest comment: 1 year ago by Anna Roy in topic no dig gardening seems to have many "pioneers"

no dig gardening seems to have many "pioneers"

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Charles Dowding began promoting no dig gardening in the 1980s. It seems anyone who does no dig gardening can call themselves a "pioneer", regardless of when they started or where the technique was copied from. Maybe we should reference and respect some of the earlier no dig gardeners. For example, Esther Deans practiced no dig gardening in a very similar way, then wrote a book about it in 1975. There are probably others. Let's not refer to everyone as an inventor or pioneer of everything, when they really should be recognised for promoting an idea, or applying an idea to a new area. 2001:8003:8C0C:9D00:28D3:680C:EFE9:94CB (talk) 09:11, 22 June 2023 (UTC)Reply

I don't think that's quite fair. He has been at the forefront the movement in the UK for 40 years - the leading No Dig British writer. He has "pioneered" modern no dig techniques - at the forefront of new applications. Promoting, yes, but also developing and adapting for cool, temperate climates. The article gives links to the no dig WP article which give the fuller international background to researchers in the 1930s and 1940s. That is the place for discussion of Masanobu Fukuoka, F. C. King and Esther Deans. WP is not about offering "reverance"; It's just an encyclopedia that tries to offer a factual overview. Anna (talk) 18:04, 22 June 2023 (UTC)Reply
Sources widely use the word "pioneer" to describe Dowding. [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. Anna (talk) 00:17, 23 June 2023 (UTC)Reply