Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[dan conine <dconine@bertramwireless.com>]

Here's some ammunition to throw into the fight:

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/03/11/shocking-graphic-reveals-why-a-big-mac-costs-less-than-a-salad/

You might have already posted it, Paul. I've only been reading the LOTL 
digest sporadically lately.
I get a newsletter from the Farmers' Union that lists the farmer share 
of the food dollar.
(scroll to bottom of this archived one) 
http://nfu.org/wp-content/110909-e-newsletter.htm

When you consider that one of the points of the localization movement is 
to circulate money locally, rather than sending it off to be 'processed' 
by central banks and foreign exchanges, then both sides become 
important: the farmer charging Wal-Mart prices gets more of the food 
dollar, even though the food costs the same to the consumer, and when 
the $3 tomato is produced and sold to Berkeley-ites, it encourages 
competition for the best taste and better recipes at the high end. A 
friend of mine gets exhorbitant prices for his organic produce in D.C., 
but he puts a LOT of effort into his produce to have only the best in 
the market, and has to travel extra distance to get that price. 
Personally, I would be glad to get 50 cents to a dollar per tomato if 
people would pay it and not complain about the 'high price'. Cheap food 
has never done us any good.

Dan C.
Belgium, WI