Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net>]

This link says what I've been saying for quite a while: With financial 
instruments under a bit more scrutiny, those with money who are looking for a 
better return are turning to commodities, including things that people eat, 
like wheat and corn.  The demand caused by climate, population, upward 
mobility, etc. is greatly amplified by good ol' capitalism.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/02/14-10 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.net



On Feb 14, 2011, at 8:15 PM, Tradingpost wrote:

> 
> Besides unpredictable climates the main reason for increasing shortages is 
> increasing populations which raises demand. Countries such as China with a 
> growing middle class want more meat which puts even more pressure on grain 
> prices. None of this can work in reverse, barring an extinction event. I 
> didn't say that.
> 
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
> 
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
> 
> On 2/14/2011 at 9:42 PM John D'hondt wrote:
> 
>> Hi Liz,
>> Timing of price increases is all good and well. The main reason is that
>> many 
>> of the biggest grain producers in the world have seen disastrous crop 
>> failures in the recent past and thus grain prices are going up.
>> I do think though that we could very well see that next seasons crops will 
>> do no better and thus that prices will keep going up and up. My reason for 
>> thinking this is that the reasons for crop failures will not likely abate, 
>> like extreme weather caused by climate change and SDS or sudden death 
>> syndrome caused by gm and glyphosate spraying. It should get worse if 
>> anything.
>> Whether that will save family farms I sincerely don't know.
>> But I think you are right in your conclusion that we all better start 
>> growing more of our own.
>> john
>> 
>> 
>>> Interesting info about the timing of price increases. I hadn't thought 
>>> about a chicken's lifespan entering into that, for example. I'm also
>> glad 
>>> if farmers are better able to pay down their loans. That by itself may 
>>> slow the invasion of corporate agriculture into family farms. On the
>> other 
>>> hand, any time a profit appears on the horizon, you can be certain
>> people 
>>> with no interest in the work itself, but looking only to get rich out of 
>>> it, will come sniffing around. We don't need any more agribusiness
>> driven 
>>> only by the bottom line.
>>> 
>>> Take-home message? Get out there and grow more of your own. And in 
>>> addition to that, make an effort to find more local growers where you
>> can 
>>> buy things you aren't able or ready yet to grow yourself. Not everyone
>> has 
>>> to grow everything. I buy blueberries every year from a friend rather
>> than 
>>> grow my own. Helps to support him, and frees up my land to grow other 
>>> things. He buys my blackberries in return.
>>> 
>>> Liz
>>> 
> 
> 
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