Back in 1978, with world in turmoil amidst ongoing co-mingled political, financial and energy crisises (sound familiar?), James Burke unleashed Connections upon an unsuspecting world. His winning brand of dire British tongue-in-cheek optimism, combined with a fresh new perspective on the progress of civilization (via the mostly unsung heroes of science and technology), was at once both inspiring and sobering.

Right off the bat in the first episode, Burke showed off the marvels of a (perhaps overly-)connected world, and then – jarringly – switched scenes to a rural farm to calls us all out, collectively. Who among us, he asked, would be even the slightest bit ready, to do all the things that we need to do to survive, should the underpinnings of this great global machine fall to pieces?

James Burke’s implication was that none of us are, really, or even could be anymore, more to the point. Then he uses the obvious questions of why is that? and how did we get to be this way? as his starting point on some of the more memorable jaunts through the history books that many of us have ever enjoyed. James Burke’s Connections was definitely one of the best things to come out of 1978. (Yeah, OK: also, Van Halen I, it’s standing the test of time pretty well, too!)

Meanwhile, not too far away in the UK, and driven by the same questions, one man was coming up with a whole different set of answers. John Seymour, a leading figure in the Self-Sufficiency movement, published a veritable bible on the subject in 1976: The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It (updated twice, most recently in 2003: about $20, hardcover). Seymour asserted that with a certain measure of diligence and desire, there’s no reason why a great many of us couldn’t produce, by and for ourselves, most or all of what we consume on a daily basis. A level-headed and nonjudgemental tone runs through his work, both invitation and instruction on how to take one step, then another, and then another, if you’re so inclined. The desire is not so much to “go back” as to achieve a fusion of new and old.

To say nothing of the fact that Self-Sufficient is a beautiful book. The heft of the pages, the layout, and the bounty of beautiful illustrations draw you in faster than the arms-and-armor pictures from a D&D Player’s Handbook. You won’t just want to start (or expand) your garden; you’ll start thinking about making your own shoes, curing some bacon, making beer, and building a house on a plot of good land.

Environmentalism, cynically and ironically, goes dormant during boom times, and the last thirty years have been, overall, enormously prosperous ones. It’s only at times like now, when the ruin surfaces and, acquiring a tangible economic element, starts to chronically pound on the social fabric, that the issue gets back on the docket in a real way. From the wreckage we bootstrap up and start the next boom. From Industrial Age to Rocket Age to Technology Age, perhaps the Clean Age is right around the corner. Well, we can always hope.

Perhaps it’s no surprise then, that the big board game this year is Agricola, and it’s all about farming. (Oh, and – plug, plug – don’t miss MetalJim’s comprehensive review of it.)

Agricola is probably not a good “gateway” game; that is, one you use to win over new converts to board games. Like Puerto Rico, the complexity is just up there a bit high – you haver to consider it a “gamer’s game.”

But its huge-out-of-the-gate success does mean that we can fully expect the theme to run, with very strong legs indeed. The inevitable expansions are guaranteed, as well as the now de rigeur 2–player card game version. I’m sure the computer game rights have already been optioned, adaptable to the video screen or not. You know that all those Harvest Moon players are ready for it.

We seem to be happily into a “post-collectible” age of gaming, so I hope that the Agricola CCG never comes to light of day.

But will there be an Agricola RPG? That’s what I want to know. And if there is, will it license the D&D 4E system?

While we wait and see, I have a humble suggestion for all. Skip right ahead to playing Agricola as a LARP – Live Action Role Playing. (For the love of all things good, don’t do Agricola Cos-Play!) That’s right, get out there and get farming, and experience the more credible version of reality that’s just outside your door! Sure, I know it’s September, and if you don’t have a garden going right now (who needs some tomatoes – anyone!?), you’ll have to wait until next spring.

But don’t just wait – do your homework. Watch Connections. Get the Seymour book. Use these cold, dark months ahead to save, store, and plan. We’ll meet up here next spring and see how many of you decided to get a cow or not. (Hint: Seymour recommends, for a variety of good reasons and thus with few reservations, that you get a Jersey if you do!)

Moo.