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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] World Hunger Best Cured by Small-Scale Agriculture

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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] World Hunger Best Cured by Small-Scale Agriculture
  • Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:27:21 -0700


I suggest you go back and read what I replied to originally. He was arguing
against the financial viability of the theme of that article "World Hunger
Best Cured by Small-Scale Agriculture", quoted some bad statistics, and began
by advertising his PhD and permaculture certification - neither of which had
any bearing on the subject. Since I've shown for years on this list how small
scale intensive can be economically beneficial, a challenge based on a PhD
(and permaculture certification!) is going to get called out. Sorry but that
kind of approach doesn't sit well with a lot of people. On this list you need
evidence to convince people.

I have the same right to an opinion as anyone else, and for you to label me
prejudiced because I disagree does not speak well for you. I said aquaponics
is modified hydroponics, and the impartial Wikipedia link I sent backs me up
100% on that. You can split hairs all you want. I never said anyone shouldn't
do aquaponics, and under certain conditions it might be useful and
sustainable.

The rest of your post was interesting.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 1/14/2011 at 12:40 PM Pego Rice wrote:

>Have a care, TP Paul
> 
>Your testiness and prejudice about the nasty hydroponics (not the same as
>aquaponics at all) has made you rude to those who share your interest and
>general mind-set.  I've been out to Skeptic's place more than once and he
>and Glo are doers, not talk-about-doers.  And share as much as do, having
>also started food programs and community gardens in their local townships,
>hosted gatherings for people to coach each other through new skill sets
>for us back-to-landers and more. 
> 
>Even pretty big farmers find themselves working, as we all have mentioned,
>so growing what we need and earning the cash part elsewhere becomes less a
>point than simply a factor of 'How much work".  I've mentioned to you
>before that my uncle could not get anyone to take over the farm from him
>for this very reason.  When I knew him, he had taken on as many acres as
>he could, leased more, like all the rest.  He worked from before dawn to
>dusk on the farm and then cam home to sit and listen to the farm reports
>on the radio.  That's a heck of a work schedule 6 days a week and adding
>onto it is a bit too much.  My cousins had no interest in having a similar
>40 years of grind. 
> 
>Better, it seems to me, to have a small farm or truck garden that covers
>the family and if the excess does not fill the cash needs, then what of
>it?  The labor for small multi-cropped places are pretty casual and a side
>job would only need to cover mortgage and bills, not food and not major
>equipage and not leases for extra acres.  Then what time we spend is to
>feed those we care for and our own spirits, not to mention bragging rights
>at our favorite watering hole, since bragging is it's own pleasure.  Being
>outside and feeding our family is also it's own pleasure and a medicine
>for what ails us.
> 
>I only have my little garden, but when months of this year brought a loss
>of work due to a combo of economy and equipment failure for my business, I
>was able to simply feed my family, including a friend's family (she didn't
>have garden space and I've turned so much of mine to garden that there was
>plenty of room for her, a private "community garden" as it were, tho she
>mostly injected seed and materials) and an unexpected extra mouth of our
>own until things were back in order, and still not have to pay food bills
>long enough to get our family reunion done.  I do normally get processed
>foods at the store, cereal and the like, and meat from the ranch (My HOA
>doesn't allow chickens or much, so the grass-fed people provide this) but
>I keep stocked so there was no imposition.  I'm pretty lazy but even my
>own lackadaisical nature did not stop a regular meal.
> 
>I seem to be getting chunks of my 'ponics system only when they are cheap
>enough for my tight-wad self, and then only work on it when nothing else
>is in the way, so I cannot attest to a complete system as yet, tho I can
>say that putting the tanks and troughs together for a pretty big set can
>be gotten very cheaply, if you keep a sharp eye out.  We've finally gotten
>the last big item so only pipes, pumps and gravel now.  I've even thrown
>some fish into the tanks.  I suppose my continuing fault is in thinking
>bigger than I am able to do, quickly, but somehow, it all seems to
>eventually get done.
> 
>Yours, Pego
>
><<Well Mr. Skeptic, since I don't have a PhD I disagree (B.A., post grad,
>TX A&M), and I'm not talking about the grand things I'm going to do but
>the modest things I'm already doing>>





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