[permaculture] Fwd: [SANET-MG] Restructuring the food system

Lawrence F. London, Jr. venaurafarm at bellsouth.net
Wed Aug 25 16:18:21 EDT 2010


What does this have to do with permaculture? Professional opportunities 
for permaculturists beyond teaching, doing research and becoming an 
information provider, consulting and running permaculture organizations
are in the field of agriculture, i.e. farming, market farming (all its 
variants) and small to micro scale market gardening. There is a 
challenge to bring permaculture to agricultural production systems,
including multi-thousand acre farms.

On 8/25/2010 11:05 AM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [SANET-MG] Restructuring the food system
> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:38:03 -0700
> From: Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens <kandmhfarm at SPRINTMAIL.COM>
> To: SANET-MG at LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
>
> "So we ban large-scale, intensive livestock production and restructure
> to what? What system will provide the eggs, poultry and meat to the
> cities in the U.S.?"
>
> The 'efficiencies' of large scale industrial animal production are
> nothing more than an urban myth. If you take away the subsidies that
> underpin modern agriculture including the externalized costs and the
> market consolidation that gives a few companies control of the
> distribution system, factory animal production units will collapse in
> red ink.
>
> DeCoster is a very good example. They have left a trail of destruction,
> deception, bad business deals, and bankruptcies in their wake wherever
> they have been. Small communities are left to clean up the mess and pay
> the damages after they have gone.
>
> Many small Mennonite and Amish farms have production efficiencies that
> put the 'big boys' to shame. The number of sick and crippled feeder pigs
> that hog factories dispose of regularly is disgraceful. They wean less
> live healthy pigs per litter than small farmers did 40 years ago. The
> number of dead chickens that come out of broiler houses and the number
> of dead cows on factory dairy farms has led to the practice of
> composting mortalities to reduce the stench.
>
> Take away the huge doses of antibiotics (including lots of illegal ones)
> these places use and they will go under in a very short time. The term
> 'animal husbandry' once meant something. It carried with it a
> responsibility to both the animals and the consumers who ate them. There
> are still plenty of farmers in this country who understand what it means
> to practice true animal husbandry. Those operations who don't need to
> either clean up their acts or they should be shut down.
>
> Klaas


<>

I grew up on a 1950's vintage poultry farm. Back then here in New Jersey 
there were thousands of small poultry farms with a few hundred to a few 
thousand birds. Every evening we would collect eggs and the whole family 
would be in the basement washing candling grading and boxing eggs in 30 
dozen crates that we shipped to a co-op. You might be surprised to know 
that this nightly ritual was repeated in millions of households across 
the United States. Everybody was small scale, everybody made a little 
money, nobody got rich or dominated over anybody else. Every county had 
small feed mills, poultry vet services, and spent bird haulers who 
shipped birds to soup canneries. The system worked, the supermarkets and 
food processors were always supplied with eggs. It was all over by 1970. 
How did it end? the same way it always ends, somebody got greedy and 
wanted to dominate the industry in the good honorable guise of progress 
and efficiency. They destroyed the infrastructure and the system 
collapsed then they moved on to conquer the broiler, cattle and hog 
farms. It doesn;t have to be this way. Sadly we have an entire 
generation of adults in America that never knew a time when corporations 
did not dominate commerce. When little people work together they have 
more power than you can imagine ... Bob
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ

<>

Thank you Bob!  I think you beautifully described how an alternative 
(really retro) system would work.  Not only would it produce enough 
food, but, because people back then were more conscientious and prided 
themselves on their work, it could be much more wholesome than today's 
food supply.  This system would also create many more local jobs and 
revitalize rural communities.

Mike Lanier
Agricultural Economic Development Agent
NC Cooperative Extension
Orange County Center
306-E Revere Road
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC  27278

<>

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] SANET-MG Digest - 22 May 2010 to 23 May 2010 
(#2010-98)
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 06:38:38 -0700
From: Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens <kandmhfarm at SPRINTMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG at LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU


I know that the history of organic farming is important - that we are 
all standing on many shoulders, but I do think it is important to 
realize this -

I talk to many organic farmers in the course of each day - mostly 
Northeast grain and dairy farmers - and I would estimate that not one in 
100 have any idea of who these pioneers were,  they don't feel they 
'learned' any of what they are doing from Steiner or Rodale et al, nor 
do they feel any 'warm fuzzies' about these forebearers  - these are 
names they simply don't know.

If we are going to have an accurate snapshot of organic farming today 
and how we have gotten here, we have to look harder at the past 10-15 
years and how our knowledge/philosphy on organic agronomics and 
practices have changed (really drastically) over what the Old Pioneers 
promoted.

It would be valuable to interview current organic farmers of all sizes 
and types to learn what influences their farming information, style and 
choices, but especially focus on farms larger than 200 acres, or with 
more than 100 animals.

I think those who study the 'history of organic farming' will be surprised.

Mary-Howell Martens

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] SANET-MG Digest - 22 May 2010 to 23 May 2010 
(#2010-98)
Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 00:11:34 -0700
From: Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens <kandmhfarm at SPRINTMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG at LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU


Here are some examples of dramatic changes we're seeing on many 
Northeast organic farms -

1. Improved utilization of perennial and annual forages that extends the
grazing season and nutritional value of the forage.  This management has
mostly come out of the grazing/grass fed community and research, but the
organic livestock farmers have adopted it quickly.  The advent of 
electric fencing, especially temporary 'polywire' type fencing has 
revolutionized pasture use and has made intensive grazing management 
profitable.  Plant breeding has given us a wider repertoire of pasture 
species, allowing better use of land, season and improved animal health. 
  Plant breeding has also given us a wider range of disease resistant 
crops that adapt to different conditions and markets.

2. Improved botanical and non-antibiotic medications has given organic 
and non-chemical livestock farmers needed effective tools to manage 
problems, which has increased production, herd health and herd size.

3. The study of soil health management, soil microbial populations, and
scientific cover cropping has done far more to improve soil quality and 
to reduce erosion, and improve production, than organic no-till. Indeed, 
we see very few large-scale organic farmers adopting the no-till/rolled 
crop approach for more than a small trial, but we see many farmers 
adopting a wider variety of cover crops and crop rotations, targeted to 
certain times and purposes.  While the soil health research at Cornell 
and elsewhere is not specifically 'organic', it has profound implication 
on how we improve organic farming techniques.

4. While perhaps modern weed control tools build on the basic principles 
of the organic Pioneers, they would hardly recognize the complexity of 
styles, angles, sizes and configurations, plus now the addition of GPS 
for precision and ease of use.   While it is tempting to claim that a 
certain weed control tool 'descends' from the legacy of a certain 
Pioneer, it is also important to realize that once, probably more than 
one person invented the wheel, without any knowledge of each other.

5. Demographically, the most dramatic increase in organic 
dairy/livestock farms in the Northeast over the past 10 years has been 
in the Amish and Mennonite communities.  A similarly large number of 
non-Plain new organic farmers are Evangelical Christians. Today in New 
York, it would be reasonable to estimate that well over half the organic 
dairy farms are Amish/Mennonite/Evangelical - not half the number of 
cows, but half the number of farms.  Most of the Amish and Mennonites 
have an 8th grade education and minimal scientific/philosophical 
knowledge, but with some experience, most make good organic farmers, 
possibly partly because they are accustomed to following strict rules, 
and because they feel organic farming
fits comfortably with their religious beliefs.  Their 25 cow dairies, 
and Aurora-style 3000 cow dairies are rapidly becoming the two prominent 
bubbles in organic dairy.  This demographic group would be pretty 
uncomfortable with a lot of Steiner's work, if they read it.

6. Among organic grain farmers, the most dramatic increase has been from
superior quality conventional farms that transition some of their acres 
to organic, while still maintaining a split operation.  Most are very
conscientious and follow organic requirements carefully, producing 
excellent quality grain, in a very professional manner.  They also 
utilize large, modern equipment, are not reluctant to purchase allowed 
off-farm inputs, they study successful organic farms and then actively 
adapt to fit their farms, and they often see organic as just one more 
niche market with specific requirements.   If they read works of the 
Pioneers, invariably it is William Albrecht they find the most useful, 
although they are likely to prefer Albrecht pre-digested.  This 
demographic group would be pretty impatient with a lot of Steiner's 
work, if they read it.

I guess my point is that, at least in New York, well over half of the
organic farmers don't remember organic farming pre-NOP.  I'm not saying 
this is either good or bad, it just is.

Actually, the people having the greatest impact on our farming practices 
are generally our Cornell professors and research support specialists, 
and other area farmers.  Because of that, Cornell's weed scientist, Dr. 
Chuck Mohler (and his trusty sidekick Brian Caldwell) are indeed our 
choice for Organic Pioneers of the Year.

Mary-Howell Martens



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