permaculture

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

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] What % of U.S. consumer's food needs can be met
by local small farms | Was: Re: GM plants will never have a fit in
future agriculture | Re: World On the Edge (of descent into
chemical/gmo-ag-caused deserts)
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:21:42 -0400
From: Lawrence F. London, Jr. <venaurafarm@BELLSOUTH.NET>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

On 3/24/2011 7:09 PM, Gilbert Gillespie wrote:
> Lawrence's question is a very good one. I don't have data, but I surmise
> that, except for large urban areas (perhaps excluding Detroit, which may
> have land area available), most people's food could be locally produced.
> However, answering this question would involve many considerations and
> attempting this in the abstract probably would require some kind of
> complex assessment (like Charles Benbrook et al.'s Shades of Green
> Organic Dairy Farm Calculator
> --http://www.extension.org/pages/31790/shades-of-green-dairy-farm-calculator-webinar-by-eorganic
> --only more complex). Some things to think about would include:
>
> What would people eat? (Probably it would have to be much different,
> more diverse, more locally adapted, and very seasonal compared to what
> people now eat.)

The range of foods available would vary according to season and climatic 
zone, with season extension and greenhouse production filling in some of 
the gaps. There would be opportunities for farmers specializing in crops 
adapted to local weather conditions to become
a vital part of the local food economy as their offerings would be much
in demand, i.e. _their_ onions, cabbages, apples instead of produce
trucked in from sources outside their region. New zone-adapted crops
and additional varieties of existing ones could be grown and introduced,
giving farmers more economic opportunity. Keeping consumer's grocery
money in the local economy would be a big plus.
<>
There are limitless possibilities for production and marketing available 
to a large number of micro to small farmers in any given "local" 
demographic area.
<>
There are vast opportunities for production of healthy traditional
staple foods using locally grown ingredients.
Traditional Oriental foods:
- macrobiotic
tofu, tempeh, natto, miso, seitan, mochi, tamari and miso tamari, sweet
barley and rice malt, shiso (beefsteak leaves), umeboshi plum
crops: rice, sesame, barley, rye, wheat, spelt
- vegetables
shiso, green vegs for mcrobiotic cooking, onions, garlic, carrots,
celery, daikon,
- fermented foods
kim chee, sauerkraut, many others and many combinations of ingredients,
pickles
- syrups, jams and jellies, honey
- the list goes on
<>
There are oportunities for producers of agricultural tools and
accessories, energy efficient and human powered; tools for kitchen use
and for processing (threshing, drying, etc.) and storage. Energy
efficient equipment for cooking, heating and food processing (rocket
stoves, solar thermal) and of course energy efficient structures.

> How much would they eat? (Possibly fewer overall calories, especially at
> certain times--but this might not actually be a bad thing and one might
> have to think seriously about how large a population could be supported
> given the big picture.)

If they were deliberate about buying local as much as possible, if not
entirely, their diets might change, for the better in many cases. They
could, with education, gravitate toward a leaner, more nutritious diet.

Just heard a radio interview with a medical researcher. He discussed fat 
accumulation and its relationship to the onset of diabetes and its
general impact on organ health. Fat has a lot to do with a person
developing diabetes.

> How would this food be produced? (Probably much more like permaculture
> or what is advocated by the Transition Towns Movement or TCLocal
> [http://tclocal.org/] than than currently, though a variety of types and
> scales of agriculture and food processing might be incorporated.)

Exactly. Planned diverse communities with integrated food production in
designated areas within a community-wide permaculture system. It can be
done in cities of the future with vertical farming in 30 story
residential buildings within sunspaces and below ground for mushrooms
and sprout farms. Homeowners and farmers can learn and practice
permaculture utilizing refined systems design for maximum site eco
stability and food production.

> Who would be actively involved in its production? (Probably such a
> system would be much more labor intensive.)

The millions of people, mostly 16-40, but any age, who are becoming
farmers, urban or rural are part of a growing new trend. Network them
throughout the Web. with a national product and services production,
marketing and distribution system so that people can quickly find out
what is available to them where they live. This might be an important
part of any campaign to encourage people to buy local and what is in
season while adjusting their culinary preferences to help make that
possible.

> How much energy and resources like phosphate would be available?
> (Probably more local food systems could be less energy intensive and
> allow for more recycling of nutrients.)

Recycle, reuse, no waste.

> What kind of government policies and subsidy programs would enable more
> local food? (Doubtful that these would look like what we now have.)

They have to become interested in seeing such changes first. I assume
the Transition Towns movement encourages this. Subsidies? Reduced taxes.
<>
Governments can offer a regular schedule of training opportunities,
workshops, demos, classes, cycled throughout the year with topics in
sync with seasonal priorities.