permaculture

[rafter sass ferguson <liberationecology@gmail.com>]

How do you define capitalism such that what you're describing qualifies?

That doesn't sound like capitalism to me.

On Sunday, September 15, 2013, christopher nesbitt wrote:

> I think an example is that I own a farm. Among the over 600 species I
> manage, I grow pineapples. I cannot sell them in season as the market is
> flooded. I can process them for the off season, by making jams and jellies,
> and then harass my friends to buy the pineapple jam from me around
> Christmas, (which I do, literally going door to door selling my jam to my
> friends, hahaha). That is "business" and is an entrepreneurial enterprise.
> While I bought the jars from the government of Belize at a subsidized
> wholesale price, it is not capital intensive, and value adds my production.
> I own the means of labour (do most of the work myself), and the canning
> equipment didn't cost much.
>
> I also sell piglets and people buy them. I had to buy 4 pigs and build a
> piggery for them, and all of that sent me back about USD800. I have sold or
> traded 50 piglets at either USD25 each or a trade of comparable value,
> which grossed me the equivalent of USD1250. I netted USD450, minus the two
> years of feeding them excess from the farm, including the skins and hearts
> of the pineapples I planted. I then use my pig manure to make great compost
> and apply that to my pineapple and tree crops, getting spectacular growth
> rates. Since most of the pig food comes from trees, anyway, this is a good
> way to cycle the nutrients back to the farm, while also making some money.
>
> I will be fattening up three sows for the next four months, and then
> BBQ'ing them at the Saturday market, and value adding the value of the pork
> meat. Its all profit since I do not eat pork. pork, a delicacy in Maya
> communities, sells for USD1.75 a pound. One pound of pork can make two BBQ
> plates, and sells for USD3.50 with some tortilla and beans. I have to share
> some of the money with someone who makes BBQ since that is not one of my
> skills. He is an entrepreneur, and built the BBQ device from an old propane
> tank, and learned the skill set of making BBQ.
>
> In strict senses, that is both capitalism and entrepreneurial.
>
>
> _____________________________
> Christopher Nesbitt
>
> Maya Mountain Research Farm
> San Pedro Columbia, Toledo
> PO 153 Punta Gorda Town, Toledo
> BELIZE,
> Central America
>
> Country code 501-630-4386
>
> www.mmrfbz.org
> www.facebook.com/MayaMountainResearchFarm
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 15, 2013, at 1:58 PM, rafter sass ferguson wrote:
>
> > Hi Scott,
> >
> > I think the article I linked to would probably answer your question. But
> in
> > case you don't feel like reading it, here you go:
> >
> > I'm borrowing the definition of capitalism that has been used for the
> last
> > 30 years by the Center for Popular Economics. Capitalism is a
> > political-economic system characterized overwhelmingly by these 5
> elements:
> > (1) Private ownership of the means of production
> > (2) Wage labor (i.e. selling your labor to an owner)
> > (3) Production for sale (not for use)
> > (4) Market exchange (as the central mechanism for making allocation
> > decisions)
> > (5) Profit maximization (as the central mechanisms for making production
> > decisions)
> >
> > I'm using the term entrepreneurial enterprise to refer to people taking
> > risks with their resources to try and make a living as their own boss (or
> > co-boss with their colleagues) - to try and turn their big ideas and
> > ambition into a livelihood.
> >
> > Hope that clarifies things.
> >
> > Warmly,
> > Rafter
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 7:21 PM, Scott Pittman <scott@permaculture.org
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Before we start the conversation I would like to know what is the
> >> difference
> >> in the dichotomy you present "entrepreneurial enterprise" and
> >> "...capitalism"??
> >>
> >> Scott
> >>
> >> "To change something build a new model that makes the existing model
> >> obsolete"  Buckminster Fuller
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
> >> [mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of rafter
> sass
> >> ferguson
> >> Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 3:11 PM
> >> To: NE PC Listserv; permaculture; permaculture
> >> Subject: [permaculture] Confronting the Context: Permaculture and
> >> Capitalism
> >>
> >> Here's hoping for some *new* conversations about capitalism and
> >> permaculture - because we've heard all the old ones enough times by
> now...
> >>
> >> So let's sound the funeral dirge for that ol' smoke 'n' mirrors that
> says
> >> we have to choose between *entrepreneurial enterprise* and *opposing,
> >> undermining, and replacing capitalism.*
> >>
> >> See you in the comments!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> http://liberationecology.org/2013/09/11/confronting-context-permaculture-cap
> >> italism/
> >>
> >> Warmly,
> >> Rafter
> >>
> >> --
> >> Rafter Sass Ferguson, MS
> >> PhD Candidate | Crop Sciences Department
> >> University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
> >> liberationecology.org
> >> 518 567 7407
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> >>
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>


-- 
Rafter Sass Ferguson, MS
PhD Candidate | Crop Sciences Department
University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
liberationecology.org
518 567 7407