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  • From: Mike Rock <mikerock AT mhtc.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Greens are the beef of vegetarianism
  • Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:42:27 -0500

Bill,
How come no one talks much about the methane or 'swamp gas' generated all the way from the summer tundra of the circumboreal north to the rain forests of the world. I have been north and south and it is a constant stream of bubbles.....lots more than cow farts. Or no one seems to mention the tremendous carbon sequestering power of good humus. Oh, forgot..... chemical farmers today don't know what humus is. It is a crying shame when you chisel up a handful of dead minerals in a thousand acres corn field. A farmer just east of me said he could 'grow corn on a bowling ball' with chemicals.... :(

Just wondering.

Most respectfully,
Mike Rock
Southern Wisconsin, SW of Madison

William H Shoemaker wrote:
Nice job of researching the issue Nan. Pretty complex.
I'm certain that Dr. BoingBoing is referring to greenhouses that are heated.
An unheated tunnel is not going to generate much greenhouse gas. Sure, the
plants respire, but plants in heated greenhouse respire much more. Unheated
tunnel greens are going to generate negligible amounts of greenhouse gas.
Greens shipped from the west coast generate negligible amounts as well,
other than large amounts of methane-generated nitrogen fertilizer from farm
equipment. But the trucks that haul the greens to the east coast generate
plenty. Don't listen to Dr. BoingBoing. Grow greens in your tunnels as far
into the winter as you can. Besides, they are a much better source of
nutrition, food safety and security than the highly centralized food system
you compete against.

Bill
William H. Shoemaker
Sr. Research Specialist, Food Crops






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