Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Liz <liz@allslash.org>]

At 11:10 AM 1/10/2008, you wrote:

> Throughout history it seems hard times fall hardest on the poorest and most
> vulnerable. Few would believe it but Los Angeles already has 80,000
> homeless. You mention increasing your land's productivity. For many of us
> who have a little land, that's more realistic than trying to get more land.
> It keeps our land costs down and concentrates inputs where they'll bring
> the best return, and that's my own strategy at this point. We are going to
> have to feed more than ourselves, and what's more do it at prices most
> people can afford. That could be difficult.

This means we have to restore our neighborhood communities where 
possible, and not just in the inner cities. I live in a small 
unofficial community of people with 1/2 to about 50 acres across a 
small section of the VA/NC state line. As older people die and 
newcomers build homes in the vicinity, the sense of cohesiveness is 
growing fainter. I'm feeling more and more strongly that I need to 
talk to a couple of the natives, one of whom is the county 
agricultural agent, about how to help all of us cope with increasing 
food and oil prices, and how we can stick together if catastrophe 
strikes. The only thing I worry about is that nothing will come out 
of it but a lot of arguing, and the general knowledge that I'm 
prepared even if they aren't.

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