permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

Todd Siegel wrote:
> This is a bit of an over-simplification, I believe.  The average  
> industrial farmer most likely understands painfully well the  
> biological processes explained below. 

Not necessarily.

Browse these forums:
Heavy Equipment Forums - Agriculture Equipment
http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?s=cb8de43aca519adb58e0d05ec6250604&f=94
http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?s=cb8de43aca519adb58e0d05ec6250604&f=93

Many just left natural farming behind and launched full tilt into 
conventional.
Natural farming takes a real committment. Its just as much the farmer's fault 
as it is of the corporations
luring them to their type of agriculture. All the farmer needs is a reliable market. If they want to access sustainable 
or organic market share what's available to them? See my post on the Food Safety Bill pending in Congress.

> The problem is that most  
> farmers were forced (or suckered) into this method of farming by, so- 
> called, market forces decades ago.

The farmer has only himself to blame, and of course other farmers for not working together as a group to stand firm and 
demand their fair share of the marketplace for goods they choose to produce, i.e. sustainable or organic products.

> I don't fault the farmers.  I fault the system.  Industrial farming is  
> as much a human tragedy as it is an ecological tragedy.

That is only part of the picture.

> (Lawrence, if there are worthwhile followup posts on that other list  
> please forward them to me.  I'd be curious to read them.)

Here it is, Todd, the latest in this thread and from Douglas, again:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Educating Conventional Farmers
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:13:46 -0600
From: Douglas Hinds <cedecor@GMX.NET>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
References: <1399988482.20091110144546@gmx.net>

Hi Saneters:

(I'm reformatting and resending this, since I KNOW many saneters are
conscious of audio-visual materials of the type I asked about).

We all know that:

Agriculture is an activity whose success is based on biological
processes that occur in an ecological context (the soil, humidity,
air and sunlight), where myriad living creatures participate in ways
highly relevant to the outcome.

First and foremost of these agriculturally relevant creatures are
the microorganisms responsible for the soils fertility, water
retaining ability, tilth and even, disease and pest control.

In short: Naturally Occurring Biological Processes are what make
Agriculture Viable.

We also know that Conventional Farmers DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.
(If they did, they wouldn't be conventional farmers).

The Agricultural Production systems used by Conventional Farmers
depend on AGROCHEMICALS DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS for the
manufacturers, distributors and promoters of these synthetic (and
often toxic) agricultural inputs.

The fact that THESE PATENTED PRODUCTS ELIMINATE OR DIMINISH THE
PRESENCE, ACTIVITY AND DIVERSITY OF THE BENEFICIAL ORGANISMS that
make agriculture viable, IS NOT UNDERSTOOD BY CONVENTIONAL FARMERS.

Nor are Conventional Farmers aware that THE ABSENCE OR DIMINISHED
PRESENCE, ACTIVITY AND DIVERSITY OF BENEFICIAL ORGANISMS (those
responsible for the naturally occurring biological processes that
make agriculture viable) IS DUE TO AN IMBALANCED ECOLOGICAL STATE
CREATED BY THE SAME SYNTHETIC AGRICULTURAL INPUTS THEY USE.

Lacking a Healthy Soil Ecology, CONVENTIONAL FARMERS BECOME
DEPENDENT on the very same SYNTHETIC AGRICULTURAL INPUTS that
created the imbalance.

We know that, but CONVENTIONAL FARMERS DON'T!

So: WHAT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS - particularly Videos Charts and
Pamphlets (especially in Spanish), ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING THE
FUNDAMENTALLY BIOLOGICAL NATURE OF FARMING SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND
THAT CONVENTIONAL FARMERS WILL BE CONVINCED AND READY TO EXPERIMENT
WITH SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY (before making the switch for good)?

(Preferably, audio visual materials that can be obtained via the
Internet for little or no cost).

Thanks in advance for pointing me to your favorite educational
materials that support Sustainable Farming.

Douglas