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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Two agricultures not one

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Barbara Money <bmoney9@verizon.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Two agricultures not one
  • Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:09:42 -0400

Interesting take on the subject, Mike. It sounds like you are talking about a net-zero loss or gain, a steady state? But taken from a purely practical standpoint, then nothing is sustainable, at least in a limited geographical area; it may be sustainable if taking it globally. Even after reading a lot of material about homesteading and growing all one's own food, etc., it seems to me there *have* to be some non-local inputs (meaning non-local to the farm itself, could be another farm, say). One couldn't live only on one's own tomatoes, for example, you'd need different foods that may come from other farms or even other regions.( Where do folks in the higher lattitudes get vitamin C in the winter, if not for oranges?) Though trading for other foods, then using that gained energy (labor) on one's own farm would "cancel" out the input.

I can see how harvesting leaf litter would destroy a forest; it depends on it for its own fertility. Apparently the forest in question doesn't produce any extra from the sun, water and air inputs. Other forests in different climates may produce more. By that same token, a farm in a very "rich" or fertile location could produce more than is used, and have a net gain.

If that doesn't make sense (smile), try this example: I live on 5+ mostly wooded acres. I have maybe 900 square feet total (very rough guess) in food production, for our own use, and maybe to give some to friends. We burn wood for heat, but don't have enough trees to cut only our own; we have to buy several cords each year. I'm considering chickens for next year; again, I would have to buy feed as I have no space to grow the seeds, grains, etc to feed them as they wouldn't get enough protein (I don't think) just foraging. This of course, doesn't take into account things like inputs to keep entropy at bay (building repairs etc.). I think then, the calculation of just food production cannot be separated from other factors. As we all know, everything is connected!

Great discussion.

Barbara M
Foster, RI

--
"Animals Are A Gift"





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