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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: cayadopi AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Chinampas
  • Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:34:15 -0500



Leslie wrote:

Some of my personal experience ----we went thru hyper-inflation in
ecuador (as fresh water lobsters farmers). It did affect us. This
was as commercial farmer though.

Commercial,,,,I think that is the key difference.



1. The government set minimum wages higher nearly every week. Had
we only had a sucres account - we would never have been able to keep
up with wage increases. We did have a dollar account and bought
sucres on pay day - the only reason we could continue to pay
employees.

Most of us wouldn't have employees



2. When we were trying to get to the airport to ship product, hungry
peasants in large gangs blocked the roads - cash payoffs were
required to continue down the road. One time they stole the truck,
which we later retrieved in Colombia of all places. Peasants
demanded more cash than was in the bribe pocket that day...

We don't need to ship anything



3. Armed guards were needed to go anywhere, even into the grocery
store (one to guard the vehicle, one to guard the food at the
checkout)

We try to reduce the need to go anywhere and buy anything.



4. The only way to ship anything was to pay off everyone, including
the secretary. If the secretary wasn't paid off, you couldn't speak
to the next clerk, and so on. If you missed paying off the loader on
the tarmac - your product "missed" the plane, etc.

Again, no shipping needed.


5. Food prices for workers (who we housed on the farm) rose weekly -
significantly at times. Some of their food was grown on the farm.

Again, no employees


6. Armed guards were needed 24/7 to keep the local peasants from
slipping onto the property to steal anything that wasn't bolted down
(water hoses, buckets, you name it). And steal they did, even with
armed guards.

Very few locals, and those that are nearby are like myself.




7. Most of the food for the lobsters was grown on the property,
but...

8. ...the entire operation required electricity. We had our own
huge generators, but fuel prices for diesel went up continuously in
terms of the local currency.

We generally don't farm with electricity.



9. The place was still under construction, and construction costs
escalated - loans were 100% unavailable.... unless the bank thought
they could raid/steal/attach money from a non-Ecuadorian currency
account (preferably a dollar account).


No hired out construction costs.



10. Taxes rose - although very few seemed to bother paying them,
they didn't have quite the same heavy arm of government that we have
here.


We do deal with taxes, but like Gene said earlier, most of us live in areas where the millage rate is very low.



We left in the midst of the collapse of their currency, it was
impossible to do business under those conditions.

Which is why I watch the "gold" warning bell - it's ringing and
warning of hyperinflation here in the US,,,, when it unfolds I
suspect there will be an effect on homesteaders. How much will
depend in part on what level of self-sufficiency has been reached.

Some here use tractors? watch fuel costs in a hyperinflation. Some
here buy chickens? watch shipping costs & chick costs. and so on....


I do understand your point. No man is an island. The price of things will go up. Our goal however is to reduce the need to buy anything, which puts me in a better position than the average person.





I figure whatever still needs to be acquired off-property is
something each homesteader needs to look at and have a plan for.

I think most homesteaders are doing that or have done that as much as possible already. Regardless of the economy, we do this because it makes sense for us. We don't change operational procedures when the dark clouds approach because we generally don't have too...we are already in the basement-we live in the storm shelter, so to speak.
I'm having financial issues, but the only thing left cut back back on is the phone. If I eliminated phone and TV, I'd save $75/month. That is my last non-vital expense that I can lose. I conserve as much as I can, I grow as much as I can, and I save as much as I can. It may get so bad that my efforts are not enough, but for now, I am doing all I can.

B


--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge




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