Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Farming, supermarkets and the end of cheap oil (Audio)
Miriam O'Reilly, Farming Today, Radio 4 (UK)
http://www.energybulletin.net/25593.html

Should we all be preparing for a life without supermarkets? There's a
growing school of thought that argues that the way we shop and the way
supermarkets organise their food supplies just won't be possible once the
era of cheap oil comes to an end ... food miles will become so expensive
that shopping locally and buying food that's is grown near the shop will
not just be a lifestyle choice, it'll be a necessity. So should farmers be
planning for change and shoppers start walking to the greengrocer instead
of driving to the superstore? Miriam O'Reilly and guests explore the issues
in Farming Today This Week .
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Agriculture Meets Peak Oil: Soil Association Conference
Chris Vernon, The Oil Drum: Europe
http://www.energybulletin.net/25593.html

The Soil Association is a 60 year old UK organisation responsible for
setting standards in organic farming. They describe themselves as "UK's
leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic farming and
championing human health." Their logo is the UK's most recognisable
trademark for organic produce. It is found on more than 70% of all UK
organic produce.

Last summer they launched a major peak oil initiative going by the name of
Food and Farming - Post Peak Oil. This theme was the focus of their 26-27th
Jan 2007 annual conference, subtitled “Preparing for a post-peak oil food
and farming future”.

With over 800 delegates and the peak oil educator stalwarts of Campbell,
Heinberg and Leggett amongst the speakers this was the largest and
potentially most significant peak oil communication event yet.

I’ve been to many peak oil conferences over the years, they all had one
thing in common. They were organised by people interested in peak oil, for
people interested in peak oil. It’s a small community with virtually the
same few hundred people at each one! Okay, I exaggerate a little but it is
true to say the core messages from these conferences have, for the most
part remained within the peak oil “community”.

This was different. A step change. This conference wasn’t organised by or
for the peak oil community. It was the first time (that I’m aware of) the
peak oil message - as delivered by Campbell and Heinberg et al - was core
to the annual conference of a major organisation.
(1 Feb 2007)
Rob Hopkins has been posting on the Soil Association conference too.

Across the globe, at about the same time as the Soil Association met, the
Eco-Farm Conference in Asilomar Conference also chose peak oil as a theme,
with Heinberg as keynote speaker. Eco-Farm has been going for many years,
as a gathering for organic farmers.

I have seen very little coverage of the conference (one short item in the
Santa Cruz Sentinel). A friend who went said:

    The receptivity to Heinberg was good. I think that crowd “gets it.”
I heard many comments about how we need to increase the number of farmers.
(Heinberg stated that we need 50 million new farmers. Wow!)

    I’m finding it hard to summarize the conference. Everybody is so
friendly, yet I think there was also a general somber mood-the Zeitgeist of
our situation as a species. However, it is always hard to gauge how much of
this is me and how much if it is out there.