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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] NO-TILL FARMING OFFERS A QUICK FIX TO HELPWARD OFF HOST OF GLOBAL PROBLEMS

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] NO-TILL FARMING OFFERS A QUICK FIX TO HELPWARD OFF HOST OF GLOBAL PROBLEMS
  • Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:25:10 -0500

At 03:16 PM 12/15/2007, you wrote:

But even in a temperate climate where there may be proven
methods of no-till farming, farmers are often under economic
stress that preclude any experimenting with new methods.


Among other things, many farmers have to obtain financing at the beginning of each season to purchase seed, fertilizer, pesticides, new machinery, etc. The bank officer who has more or less routinely granted a loan in the past may be much less likely to do so if the farmer is "experimenting" with some new-fangled procedures. Add that to the uncertainty the farmer feels about methods whose success he has no personal experience with, and there is a lot of pressure not to change.

Around here, I saw the emotional upheaval people went through when they realized they could no longer depend on tobacco. Many older farmers retired and sold their land to avoid having to deal with that change, and that wasn't nearly as drastic as a complete change in planting and tilling methods.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




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