permaculture

["Penny Livingston" <pinc@svn.net>]

Hello all,

Here is a disconcerting story from a man who had an arson attack on his 8
year old agroforestry system, including windbreaks, timber crops and habitat
species that he planted. The issue is that the insurance company has deemed
that this system HAS NO VALUE! He wants to fight it and needs help.
Following is his story. Anyone who has knowledge of what to do, please
advise. I will also be researching solutions as well.  This could set a
destructive precedent.

Thanks!!

Penny

What would you do if faced with this problem? I purchased a 41-acre alfalfa
field just as the 7yr. drought broke. I planted many tree's using
agroforestry development methods to support an organic self-sustaining
farming enterprise. As agroforestry practices prescribe, I integrated
animals, crops, wildlife areas and predatory insects into my farming.
    On Oct. 7th. 1998, a fire was criminally lit just a rocks throw away,
directly upwind during a windstorm. This fire completely destroyed 33 of the
most intensely enhanced acres of the farm. We had no insurance at the time.
The criminal who lit the fire had State Farm Ins., which is alleged to have
extorted over $1,000.00 from us during the adjustment process and has
defended the criminal through criminal restitution court hearings and on
into civil court. Now there is only one issue in dispute, which is how much
"value" our farm loss. I contend, all that was damaged should be made whole
again by replacement or repair. State Farm alleged that if it doesn't have a
profit history it hasn't much real value. Conservation and organics hasn't
much value with State Farm. One danger in this is, our tree conservation
plantings were done with the USDA like millions of other across the United
States. If State Farm succeeds in setting legal presidencies in this case,
all conservation projects and tree plantings maybe endangered by the setting
of a grossly low value, as prescribed by State Farm Insurance Co.
 I am searching for a qualified expert willing to seek out and testify to
the true facts of this case. Further more expose the heavy investment we
made into agroforestry, organic farming, and its true developed value. For a
suitable fee.

What type of expert would be best for this type of problem? Where can I find
that expert? What qualifications should my expert have?


Thank You for your attention in this matter.
Stuart & Renee' Smith
P.O. Box 208 (Mailing Only)
16614 Cram Gulch Road (Shipping Only)
Gazelle, California 96034-0208
Email address: srland@email.com
Phone : 530-435-2522



-----Original Message-----
From: Lawrence F. London, Jr. [mailto:lflondon@mindspring.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2000 7:40 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: all theory thread (long)[longer still]

On Thu, 20 Jul 2000 16:45:52 -0700, "sal" <sals@rain.org> wrote:

>
>they have a low chill blueberry just made for Ca. I think they are called
>rabbit blueberries but I am not sure.  I have seen them grown in the banana
>belt.  I would start with that kind. I would guess pine needles under
>blueberries would help.  I heard they may supply an acidic mulch.
>check out an organic farmers homepage
>http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html
>sals@rain.,org

Rabbiteye blueberry. There are natives that are tasty, 2 varieties
occur in the hot dry SE US, lowbush (small beerries) and highbush
(larger berries); in New England there are a type of lowbush with
small berries that grow in the mountains; these are especially tasty.

LL







>----- Original Message -----
>From: "rick valley" <bamboogrove@cmug.com>
>To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
>Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2000 5:26 PM
>Subject: Re:all theory thread (long)[longer still]
>
>
>How do you maneuver a ladder in a food forest indeed!
>I have to say that I treat the Manual illustrations as cartoons, not
>blueprints! I do lots of "plant 'em all- let God sort 'em out" designs, as
>any of my friends will testify- and I'm very familiar with mistakes &
>pratfalls, but I've made lots of good observations studying abandoned
>homesteads, old Italian's gardens, wild fruit groves of all sorts. It's
>highly complex, a huge subject, and I think there's so much opportunity for
>permies to specialize (!) in this sort of design.
>Caging small fruit is def. a workable tactic; Mollison talks about it; so
>how
>do you plan the cage for multiple functions? What can you use under
>blueberries? What can you do to supply an acidic mulch? What varieties you
>can grow are highest in antioxidants? Do you want one harvest or an
extended
>one? On the other extreme, how can you grow a blueberry in Cal.,(miles from
>its home), in a low-input manner, and not get it eaten by deer? (I think it
>could be done)
>Nothin' but fun...
>-Rick
>
>
>Rick Valley Northern Groves
>PO Box 1236, Philomath, OR 97370
>Mobile-(541)602-1315, hm.& msg. (541)929-7152  Bamboo catalog $3 or at
><http://www.teleport.com/~dbrooks/bamboo.html>
>"Useful Bamboos and other plants< Permaculture education< Ecological design
>&
>consultation centering on water,landform and horticultural systems"
>
>
>
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Lawrence F. London, Jr. Venaura Farm ICQ#27930345
lflondon@mindspring.com  london@metalab.unc.edu
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden InterGarden
metalab.unc.edu/permaculture PermaSphere
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden/orgfarm AGINFO


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