Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship is a term with complex meaning.  However, in this modern age of marketing the term gets thrown around to make the products sound more appealing.  It has no standardized meaning and therefore anyone can claim it as long as they have a specific reason for claiming it.  "I compost my waste material and reuse it in my fields... I practice Environmental Stewardship."  "I use drip irrigation instead of overhead spray... I practice Environmental Stewardship."  "I haven't used DDT in 5 years... I practice.. bla bla bla."  But beyond the hype, what does it mean.  The dictionary defines a Steward as: 

stew·ard

–noun

1.a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

2. a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.

 What I notice right away in these definitions is the fact that whomever the steward is, he/she is taking care of someone else's stuff.  I don't know about you guys, but when I borrow someone else's things, I treat them with a level of respect higher than that of my own things.  If I'm running out to the fields before the rain, I'm going to grab the sledge I borrowed from my buddy before the shovel which I own just in case I don't make it back out there in time.  I mean really, I don't care if my shovel gets rained on a bit, but am I sure of how my buddy feels about rain on his sledge?
Environmental Stewardship implies that your land belongs to something bigger.  It's not wholly yours.  It's part of an environment that belongs to all of us, and not to just us, but to the animals, plants, and our future.  Yes, I do in some respect own a piece of your land, just like you own a piece of mine.  Maybe the Native Americans had it right... land belongs to no one.  
So what does practicing Environmental Stewardship mean?  Treating what you steward with better respect than what you really feel is should have.  Not leaving that sledge out in the rain.  Treating your land in a manor that maybe doesn't sound like a necessary way to you, but in a way that no one could complain about.  
It transcends working for the almighty buck.  It means working hard, in every decision and method, to keep what you steward in a manor that will not offend the other owners.  One that makes the other owners happy that they put you in charge of their land.  
Maybe I don't think herbicides are a problem, but do all the owners of this environment agree?  Maybe I see no trouble at all with the amount of oil used to fertilize and ship products all over the world, but do the future owners agree?  Organic practices???  Shoot, that's just the start of Environmental Stewardship. 
I would like to think I practice Environmental Stewardship on my land. Come see for yourself.  I think its important...  for all of us.
 

Have you read The Tragedy of the Commons?

So F.R.O.G. fans, I pose an idea to you.  We of course have land.  Many of our friends in town don't.  I've considered a CSA, but there are a few details of them that I don't enjoy (such as charging my friends).  What about a COA... Community Operated Agriculture.  We don't charge you, nor do we drop food off to you.  But if you're looking for good tomatoes come pick a few. If you got some spare time and are looking for some relaxing time in the sun, come weed a row or two.  Grab a squash while you're here.  You get the idea.  My job would be to organize and regulate.  Dot the I's and cross the T's.  It goes against the lesson of The Tragedy of the Commons, but what do you think?