Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] loss of small farms/small farm extermination

livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] loss of small farms/small farm extermination
  • Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:23:48 -0600


Yes, as you say we shall have to see, of course, how it all plays out.
Actually, OPEC announced last summer that light sweet crude had peaked
worldwide. And that's the grade of oil refined into gasoline.

But my point is there are millions already who can't afford the groceries
from the agribusiness machine, not to mention a severe shortage of
affordable housing and health care (and the cost of chronic health issues
could go down as we shift to more nutritious food and outdoor exercise
gardening). It's a tossup as to whether the 1/3 underclass in this country
will be hit harder by high prices for everything, or those who feed the
system with corporate jobs, mortgages, and credit buying. People need to be
growing their own.

We need a return to cheaper extended family living and specialization of
labor within small communities. We need some growing for local market and
others providing critical services locally. So I'm saying we don't have "76
months" when so many are in dire need of affordable necessities right now.
The food pantries and homeless shelters were being overwhelmed years ago.
BTW you recall Cuba lost its fossil fuel supply when the Soviet Union
collapsed, and successfully shifted to local, organic food production
without the chemicals. But it was not without hardship. There's a learning
curve and it takes months at best to develop highly productive soil.
Whoever's counting on growing their own should have started year before
last.

I'm 63 this month on a fixed income, and we're having to start over
building up a market garden since relocating. My only powered tool is a $34
weed trimmer but it works wonders for huge amounts of green matter (read
nitrogen and minerals) onsite to compost. Plus I can get virgin grassland
sod from nearby with natural humus and all the little guys you see under
the microscope. The trick is to work smarter, not harder. What I've learned
so far about soil, from my own list, may just make the difference. I
confess the ulterior motive in starting Living On The Land. We're all
learning.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 8/10/2006 at 10:14 PM Bobby G wrote:

>one 'n all,
>
>i have a hunch, and it is only a hunch, without
>historical data to back it up. my hunch is that the
>global peak of oil production, now scheduled to occur
>on 12/21/2012, will probably in rather short order
>take the giant corporate farm model right off the
>table as an option. we have just 76 months to prepare
>for this event...
>
>absolutely everything about the giant corporate farm
>model is completely dependent upon cheap oil and
>natural gas. this is true of the actual productivity
>of the "soils", if we can call the burnt-out mineral
>substrate used as a kind of medium for growing, actual
>"soil". it's true of the whole growing method from
>start to finish--all of it dependent upon
>fossil-fueled machinery. and finally, it's true of
>the transport system used to get those agricultural
>products to their very distant markets.
>
>the reason there is not any historical data to back up
>my hunch is simply that, well, there has not yet been
>the full collapse of an entire global economy which
>had been built upon petroleum as its fuel.
>
>we shall have to see, of course, how it all plays out.
>
>"the oil crash: it's non-negotiable"
>
>bobby g
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>http://mail.yahoo.com
>_______________________________________________
>Livingontheland mailing list
>Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page