permaculture

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

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Overall, my perspective is that the current government & extension focus 
on food safety i.e to establish expensive private certification programs 
for small-scale produce farmers- is misguided (the education part is OK).

Perhaps their attention should be more focused on other issues such as
pesticide residues, gmo contamination, and pollution/food safety issues 
from factory farms.

Hector
Univ. Hawaii--Manoa

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I would suggest that now is the time to restructure the U.S. poultry and
livestock industries and ban large-scale, intensive production.

Industrialized poultry and livestock facilities are the #1 source of 
food contamination incidents in this country by far, not to mention the 
source of widespread suffering on the part of animals and concentrations 
of waste products that too often become environmental pollutants.

Jane Sooby

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Perhaps instead of banning large-scale, intensive livestock production 
we encourage small-scale, distributed, sustainable livestock production. 
Present government policies are designed to eliminate or at least 
severely curtail the small producer.
Pegi

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The trend in agriculture has been toward mechanization, consolidation,
centralization. I would suggest reversing this trend, based on the
recognition that animals are not machines and should not be treated as 
such, and invest in local production, slaughter, and distribution 
infrastructure all over the country so that animals are produced in 
smaller, more sensibly-scaled operations and, for the most part, 
consumed locally.

Of course there are a multitude of policy and economic barriers to
fulfilling this vision because of entrenched industrial interests and 
their political clout. But it could result in more employment in less 
dangerous jobs than in today's fast-paced slaughterhouses.

Yes, it will cost more and that will mandate another series of policy
changes to make high quality food accessible to all. But it's way past 
time that the price of food accurately reflects all of its production 
costs including labor and any environmental burdens created.

If Americans really understood how much animals must suffer in order for
them to have their steak and eggs for breakfast, I think they would 
demand more humane alternatives.

Jane Sooby

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There were very large cities before there were concentrated animal 
feeding operations.  How did they do it?  Many smaller town and rural 
communities around the country produced for themselves and had excess 
that was consolidated and shipped to suppliers in the cities.  This 
produced more vital rural communities throughout the country that 
created jobs on the farm, in the processing facilities, the farm 
equipment and supply dealers, and the many businesses that supported 
this system.  People in rural communities in the 1950's weren't rich, 
but they didn't require the assistance they do today.

Mike Lanier
Agricultural Economic Development Agent
NC Cooperative Extension
Orange County Center
Hillsborough, NC  27278

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Actually, the small farms produce more food per acre than the large ones 
do.  The problem is, supporting people.  When tomatoes are $0.99 at 
walmart and it costs me more than that to grow mine, most people won't 
pay my prices.  Our society puts food at the bottom of the list of 
things to spend money on.  They want it cheap, they generally don't care 
about quality or what that cheap food will do to their health, the 
environment, or the politics of their country.

We are full time farmers with a 20 acre farm that is sustainably 
managed.  We do make a living, but it is a challenge.

Bright Blessings,
Garth & Kim Travis
www.TheRoseColoredForest.com
Bedias, Texas

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