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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] drought

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  • From: jhecksel@voyager.net
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] drought
  • Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 21:05:23 -0500 (CDT)

> Here in Utah we suffered a severe late spring frost that devetated
the
> pie cherry crop. Now the authorities are warning that because of the
> drought there may not be enough water to keep the orchards alive.
All
> this while folks continue to gaily water their lawns every day. Am
I
> missing something here?

Gary, one of my co-workers, said he had no patience for farmer's
whining. Why should he care? He gets his groceries at Krogers.

My read on the situation is that most people see food as a commodity
that they buy solely on the basis of price. Further, the producer's
portion of the $ is very small. The observation that the wheat farmer
gets less than the manufacturer who supplies the bread wrapper is
almost culturally obsolete. It is a sad world when a slice of bread
requires so much "preparation" that it is just easier to go to
McDeath.

Some people have gone to the opposite extreme. They want an intimate
relationship with their food. They want to know more about the health
and history of their food than of the people they date. That can be
just as frustrating. How can I know the pollution status of the water
where my seaweed extract came from?

Finally, the Universities are pushing for "value added" agriculture.
They are pushing (Drum roll, please) Agri-tainment. As in Agriculture
+ Entertainment. They might be onto something. You can drop $20 at a
movie theater in a heart-beat.

I don't know if satire is your cup-of-tea, but you might take a look
at:
http://my.voyager.net/~jhecksel/SIC4.htm
to get some ideas on creative marketing.

Best regards
-Joe in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.







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