Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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

Thanks, I'll answer that. 

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

On 11/30/2007 at 12:53 PM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:

>The only way I can imagine that transition, is:
>
>1) You OWN enough land for a home and basic garden/farm.  This can be just
>a few acres, and can be supplemented later with leased land if you grow.

Hundreds of thousands own enough land and live on it. Millions more can
grow for their own use.

>2) No debt.

Almost all farmers of every description have some debt, along with almost
all families.

>3) At least on person in the family has a secure job with health insurance
>or a home-based profession with flexibility (like a writer).  Outside
>income is important during the early years.

Millions don't have any health insurance now. Hardly a requirement for
going into business. And what job is secure anymore?

>4) At least one person in the family has computer and/or business skills
>and the willingness to "keep the books".

Same for any business.

>5) You're all healthy and fit.

Or at least the person doing the work.

>6) You've got some knowledge of what you're getting into.  In my view,
>this takes a few years of gardening and research.

Now this is a good point. Of course with any business startup, you need to
learn the ropes first before committing time and resources.There are plenty
of people with some garden or farming experience who at least know which
end of a shovel goes in the dirt. Many advise starting small with home
growing, not quitting your day job till you know you can run with it. I
agree. At least it can be started on a shoestring if need be. In my case
I've substituted labor for hard cash in several ways. And recouped my cash
investment in the first four months of market. Then you can expand as time
and profits permit. You make mistakes while you're still small so you don't
make them later. And you learn. 

The research part: no one should have to do all their own research and
reinvent the wheel. My partner Barb tells how she saw her father's garden
and neighbor's gardens as a kid, and they all shared the knowhow and
stories about their produce. It was an immigrant neighborhood, Italian,
Greek, and so forth. And they all grew pretty much the same way with little
money invested and even less work. Their own garden was only dug up at the
beginning but never afterward. They weren't obsessed with weeding. Her
father manured it each year and kept permanent paths to walk on without
compacting the growing areas. No neat rows, no chemicals, no tillers. And
always, they cooked from the garden. They grew the varieties handed down
through generations, that stood the test of time. The interesting part is,
that system is identical to the way we're growing now - tho I had to slug
through a lot of reading and experimentation to get around to it. In the
end it's not rocket science. Having someone nearby to show you how is the
magic short cut. 


>Sounds unlikely...................

What's unlikely is a lot of folks like me doing it anyway. 
paul tradingpost@lobo.net
-------------------------------------

>E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>www.hillcountrynatives.biz
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: TradingPostPaul 
>  To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
>  Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:21 AM
>  Subject: [Livingontheland] Farmers, NMSU Discuss Growth
>
>
>