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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: ryalbinger@earthlink.net, Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Efficiency
  • Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:23:02 -0500

At 06:45 PM 12/27/2007, you wrote:
Not
everyhting can be measured in a currency, but a currency is sometimes the
easiest measure people can relate to accross a geographically diverse
group.

Yes, that's absolutely true. The down-side, of course, is that the common denominator often ends up being the only criterion that people take into consideration.

If the
competitor can get the same work out of $3 gallon of fuel as $25/hour of
human labor, the need to achieve a lot more out of human labor is tricky.

I think we're arguing apples and oranges. What I hear you saying is that right now, vying with non-organic farmers for a share of the produce market, you have to get a certain amount of work out of every dollar, and that sometimes spending that money on machinery gets you more work than spending it on people.

What I think Paul is saying, and certainly what I'm saying, is that the underlying concept of farming as an industry, where the bottom line is how much product you get out for the amount of money you have to put in, IS the problem. But making the transition to where a significant percentage of the population raises its own food isn't going to happen overnight, and it probably isn't going to happen without some chaos and unpleasantness. People who have large amounts of acreage in organic production may be a buffer during that transition period, because they can produce essential food without having to use costly petroleum-based fertilizers and cultivation methods. I very much hope so, at least.

Grow your own fuel on your own farm and produce it on your own farm, the
ideal local economy.

My neighbor has a couple of draft horses. I am extremely envious. I realize that may not be what you meant, but it's what I think of any time someone mentions raising their own fuel!

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




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