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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Scratching My Head/praying

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  • From: "Jill Taylor Bussiere" <jdt AT itol.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Scratching My Head/praying
  • Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 07:31:50 -0600

Yes, David! I agree very much with you about much below.

- we do what we can - which is to influence the social framework. This
includes, for me, individual actions, such as your collective forming, and
such as grazers networks, and such as Organic and/or sustainable
conferences - set up by folks. There are countless examples.

It also includes, for me, an attempt to clean up the election process and
the government, so that such groups have an equal say with folks who choose
other methods of farming/growing.

It also includes a national dialogue on the status of the earth, and what
measures we can take as a society to enhance its recovery and richness of
life. And here is where sustainable/organic folks still have some learning
to do, and other methods of farming also have much to learn. - Jill



> Though I agree with Mr. Williams that the market can meet the demand for
> goods in short supply, either by direct supply or substitution, it does
> not follow that the above statement is correct or that such a system
> will result in a healthy Agriculture. The situation described above
> would be an exception if it occurred. Market systems do not stop price
> pressure at the point of 'economic viability'. Most Ag.products
> stabilize at below cost pricing and the enterprises that produce them
> are supported by either: Other enterprises such as, for example, spouse,
> land speculation, food re manufacture, government enterprise [subsidy]
> or unrelated sister enterprises that bury their capital gains. Or self
> imposed slavery on the part of the producers resulting in hopelessness
> followed by living off depreciation, divorce and finally bankruptcy and
> or suicide [ change order to suit ]. In other words the appropriation of
> personal wealth by the market. The net effect is non viable Ag
> enterprises [ taken on their own ] that set prices for the rest of us
> that are trying to make a living exclusively from food growing. One
> strategy to respond to this is differentiation of product and/or
> customer base which is what most on this list spend their time doing. I
> believe this will only work in the short term though. E. Pfeiffer[?] was
> once asked if a BioDynamic Farm could stand on its own two feet. He
> replied that it could anywhere a conventional one would.[ paraphrased]
> Which is to say, sadly, almost nowhere in the American landscape
> today.[my words ]





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