Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Aliza" <aliza@jeffnet.org>]

Maybe this is too simplistic but wouldnt it make more sense for farms to go 
back to oxen and horses?  I know that it isnt as fast a way to farm but at 
least the horses grow their own feed.  If we were in a no till pasture based 
model (cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens etc) with raised vegetable and 
grain beds the needs around energy are vastly reduced at least on the farm.

Speaking of grain - To me grain is one of the biggest drains in a farm 
system.  Going back to a farm system that includes little grain would be 
vastly healthier as would going to food systems that use far less grain. 
There is a mythology that grain for food is cheaper then eating meats but I 
would think that eating meats and having dairy from notill pasture raised 
animals - cows, goats and sheep alike - would be a much smaller drain on 
resources.  Anyone have any information about resources used for pasture 
based meats and dairy as apposed to growing grains?

Aliza
who is looking in to making one of those maggot buckets for feeding broilers 
this late summer.