Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Interesting abt those high volume low profit margins. I say that's a dead end 
for all concerned. The other way is low cost low tech on small land, hand 
labor, natural inputs & direct to customer sale, with up to 90% profit 
margin. If I can do it millions more can do it, & in these times every bit of 
supplemental income helps. It's not get rich quick in this high cost of 
living but it may mean survival on the downside. The time to learn is not on 
the downside. It's too late then.

tnx for fascinating comments, people. (I've got into spelling shortcuts 
somewhat, call them Twitterisms maybe)

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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

On 5/15/2012 at 12:19 AM John D'hondt wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>  From: henry walden
>  To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>  Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2012 5:04 PM
>  Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] We already grow enough
>
>
>At the risk of setting myself up, I would like to respond to this. This
>"horse race" between conventional vs organic farming is useless. The
>question has to first be posed to our host, namely Mother Earth, "how do
>you feel about supporting 10 billion human inhabitants?"  You won't force
>her to do it, she'll shake us off like a December flu. Never the less here
>we are on the down side of the bell curve giving it a go.
>
>Hear,hear!
>john
>
>And I could say more. Was listening to a farmers program here in Ireland
>and the story was grass fed beef. (supposedly that is good) How important
>it is to get a cow back in calf two weeks after calving since every day
>she is not in calf costs about $11. There is now a machine available that
>you put on the cow which releases hormones to get the cow in season and
>will time exactly when AI is best given. Every minute counts.
>And of course the grass is fertilised to the hilt. Cows are grazed on
>paddocks and it is extremely important that they "finish" every last blade
>of grass before they are moved because otherwise the farmer will have to
>go in with a mower to top and that costs $25 per acre.
>It is all about pennies and money and supreme efficiency because that is
>where the penny profits are.
>
>We are told as farmers that efficiency is everything for even when you
>make 2 cent of profit per broiler chicken that you rear, you will still
>have a good income if you can finish a million of the poor suckers every
>day. Same with every other "commodity", pork and beef and potatoes.
>And we are supposed to improve that efficiency further to feed 10 or 12
>billion people. (really to be able to compete in the free market)
>
>Really, this is all just an effect of cheap oil and when oil is no longer
>cheap the merry-go-round stops.
>
>
>
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