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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Ryan Albinger" <ryalbinger@earthlink.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency
  • Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:50:21 -0600

There is one item with the 1400 miles of food transport that we forget, it
is that 100 pounds of food costs about 0.46 gallons of fuel. Now if that
1400 miles away is a locale that produces the food without greenhouse,
without lumber, with less input becuase it is a suitable climate for the
crop, how likely is the .46 gallons of fuel going to be saved by growing in
a more suited location and shipping it than trying to grow it in a less
hospitable local location where production is lower per unit of input
required? A 30mpg vehicle would need to haul on average 200 pounds of
produce to market 15 miles away to match the fuel effcientcy of a semi load
worth moved from 1400 miles away.

Merry Christmas.

Ryan

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
> [Original Message]
> From: TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net>
> To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 12/24/2007 12:06:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency
>
>
> Sure. Let's look into the externalized costs of farm and garden machinery.
> What is the true cost of our produce if we use a tiller and commercial
> fertilizers, and sell to middlemen who transport it 1400 miles on average?
> Don't forget the cost of health consequences, and oil wars and VA care
that
> follows. I assume we're only considering dollar costs and not human
costs.
>
> I grow without machinery and retail locally to test the financial
viability
> of it in person. There is a gas cost to and from market but we use a
> recycled '87 van and get 30 mpg. The greenhouse may be Canadian lumber,
> with 6ml UV plastic from oil, but expected to last several years and
> produces enormous amounts of naturally grown tomatoes and garden
> transplants nine months of the year with little added heat and no cooling.
> Plus my electric stapler, drill, and saw were all made in China. Not ideal
> but if there are more energy efficient ways I'd like to find them.
>
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>






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