Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Harvey Ussery <boxwood@nelsoncable.com>]

(Quoting Paul)

> You said 
> "create integrated patterns in which the various 
> elements (soil building, dealing with competitor insects, poultry and 
> other livestock, manure management, season extension and winter 
> growing,  etc.) come together in the same projects, supporting and 
> enabling each other in synergistic ways that mimic natural ecologies."
>
> Couldn't agree more, Harvey. We have to combine best practices wherever we
> are, whatever we're doing. Any less is too unrewarding. 
>   

What we're talking about, really, is a new sense of what constitutes 
"efficiency." We've been sold on the giant air-conditioned tractor in 
which a single man can do the work of hundreds as the model of 
efficiency. The only way to make that model fly, however, is ignoring 
all the inefficiencies of undercutting natural (and human) ecologies. 
Increasingly, we have to recognize the economists dismissing what they 
call "externalities" as stark, staring *nuts*! "Externalities" are 
defined as such only because we can ignore them temporarily when 
generating this quarter's profits. But the truth is that it's in the 
"externalities" that we actually *live*. Undercut them with a reckless 
and irresponsible economic system and eventually we all go 
not-so-merrily down the tubes.


> Can't possibly go to VA of course, but would if I could. Will there be
> transcripts or videos of any of it, esp your Integrated Homestead
> presentation? 

They usually get the presentations on electronic media, yes. I'll try to 
remember to post a link after the conference.


> We have a friend at our local growers market finding it hard
> to make ends meet buying feed for his chickens no matter how many dozen
> eggs he sells. 

A huge problem, one not easily solved even if trying to put into place 
some of the ideas I advocate for producing more of our flocks' nutrition 
on the homestead. But your friends might find some of those ideas 
useful. The section on feeding is one of the biggest on the site, and 
starts at
   http://themodernhomestead.us/article/Feeding.html

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our 
deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner 
sense of justice than we do.  ~Wendell Berry