permaculture

["georg parlow" <georg@websuxxess.com>]

> >By the time you subtract the fuel it takes to grow the plant
matter and to
> >produce the fuel, is there any left over for other uses?
> etc. But growing annual crops specifically for running motor
vehicles is
> not a solution to fossil fuel alternatives.

well, an increasing number of farmers at least in austria and
germany are doing exactly that - they grow their own diesel. but
you are right, robyn, that there are more energy-efficinet ways
to run broad acre farms. in a recent issue of permakultur
austria's nuewsletter was an article by christian salmhofer
(kaernten@klimabuendnis.at), where 'ordinary' biodiesel-farms
where compared with "gutshof breit", a 150 hectar farm near
berlin in germany. this 150 hectar organic enterprise is run by 8
workhorses plus some small dieseldriven machinery (like cranes,
etc).

for the 8 horses they need 5.3% of their agricultural acreage,
and the 540 liters of diesel they use during a year (they buy
their diesel), they would need another 1.3% - totalling 6.6% of
their land for the energy to work the ground, bring in the
harvest, etc.

farmers who grow their own diesel need (according to this well
researched article) a minimu of 13% of their land for this.

cheers
georg