[permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] Educating Conventional Farmers]

Todd Siegel todd.siegel at gmail.com
Wed Nov 11 11:34:19 EST 2009


This is a bit of an over-simplification, I believe.  The average  
industrial farmer most likely understands painfully well the  
biological processes explained below.  The problem is that most  
farmers were forced (or suckered) into this method of farming by, so- 
called, market forces decades ago. They are now stuck in a cycle of  
credit, seed contracts, subsidies, tilling and spraying that is  
difficult to break out of.  Farmers don't necessarily need education.   
They need help to break this cycle.  What that help is I don't exactly  
know, although ending subsidy programs in the US would do a lot to  
break the cycle here and ending "free-trade" agreements would help a  
lot elsewhere.

I don't fault the farmers.  I fault the system.  Industrial farming is  
as much a human tragedy as it is an ecological tragedy.

(Lawrence, if there are worthwhile followup posts on that other list  
please forward them to me.  I'd be curious to read them.)

Todd

On Nov 10, 2009, at 4:02 PM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [SANET-MG] Educating Conventional Farmers
> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:46 -0600
> From: Douglas Hinds <cedecor at GMX.NET>
> To: SANET-MG at LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
>
> Hi Saneters:
>
> As we all know, agriculture is an activity whose success is based on
> biological processes that occur in an ecological context (the soil,
> humidity, air and sunlight), shared by myriad living creatures whose
> participation is relevant to the outcome, beginning with the soil's
> microorganisms.
>
> And as we all know, conventional farmers (those using methods based
> on agrochemicals designed to maximize profits for the manufacturers,
> distributors and promoters of synthetic agricultural inputs that
> create a dependency on their patented and often toxic products by
> eliminating or diminishing the presence, activity and diversity of
> the beneficial organisms responsible for the soils fertility, water
> retaining ability, tilth, pollenization and disease and pest
> control) unfortunately, don't understand this.
>
> If they did, they wouldn't be conventional farmers for long, would
> they?
>
> So the purpose of this post is to ask: How can we fill in the
> blanks? What educational materials -particularly Videos (especially
> in Spanish), Charts and Pamphlets, are capable of making the
> biological nature of farming so easy to understand that conventional
> farmers will be convinced and ready to experiment with sustainable
> technology (before making the switch for good)?
>
> Preferably, audio visual materials that can be obtained via the
> Internet for little or no cost.
>
> Thanks in advance for pointing me to your favorite educational
> materials.
>
> Douglas
>
>
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