Subject: Re: [permaculture] Leaving the Evil Empire of Facebook — Medium
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2016 17:51:32 +0000 (UTC)
Thanks for the post Larry.
I refuse to have anything to do with facebook.
Namaste,
Linda
From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 2, 2016 8:44 PM
Subject: [permaculture] Leaving the Evil Empire of Facebook — Medium
> In other words, "Smart Tractors" ASSUME that the wild disparities in soil
> quality and productivity that currently exist within the fields cultivated
> by conventional farmers are "natural" and attempt to compensate for this
> deficiencies using artificial means rather than take corrective measures to
> improve the underlying reasons that these less fertile and productive areas
> exist, thus capitalizing on the deficiencies that were created by the
> anti-biological paradigm they espouse in order to increase farmer
> dependency on farming systems that ignore the role soil micro organisms
> play, thus perpetuating a constant need for the inputs these corporate
> entities commercialize, derived from off-farm, non-renewable natural
> resources that they themselves were allowed to extract from the environment
> under the current socio-economic-political system, which they have been
> able to manipulate to their own advantage, to the detriment of the
> legitimate interests of everyone else.
>
> The article (quoting a farmer subscribing to this mindset) refers to
> "variations" in "soil types" without taking into account the principles of
> either pedology or edafology. Still worse, the bulk of the governmental
> agencies responsible for supporting the efforts of farmers to farm
> successfully likewise ignore these basic issues, which fully explains the
> origin of the current dilemma existing in society as a whole. The public's
> access to healthy and health giving food has been severely limited by the
> corporate entities benefiting from these conceptual errors.
>
> Even a remake of the nation's educational system is insufficient as long
> as decent food is not readily available to the public (and Organic Food is
> not a viable solution, given the artificial costs that have been imposed in
> an effort to correct the imbalances created by the domination of a
> incorrect paradigm driven by economic gain rather than a commitment to feed
> and thus satisfy the needs of the population; an idea that itself sounds
> radical -but really isn't- within the current context).
>
> Living organisms created the atmosphere's composition and dynamic state,
> as well as soil and it's ability to sustain crops. Therefore, the biota of
> both soil and water are responsible for maintaining an equilibrium capable
> of supporting life and feeding the public, without wild swings.
>
> The wrong technology is being developed in response to this fundamental
> need.
>
> More regarding what I believe SHOULD be done, soon.
>
Exactly, precisely right.
Will they change and do farming as you (and I and many others) would
recommend?
Will they stop hydrofracking for fossil fuels, especially natural gas, when
they know the risks to air, surface water, drinking water aquifers, soil,
wildlife and the health of those living in proximity to those sites?
Will greed take a back seat to common sense and human decency?
There would have been no need for government intervention and regulation of
the alternative, natural agricultural sector of the economy to the degree
that we are seeing it now if the groundswell of organic agriculture that
started in the late sixties had been allowed to proliferate and develop
unabated while monsanto, ag gmo bioscience and other agribusiness
corporations were small and containable and unable to interfere with
grassroots American agriculture, from backyard gardens to local market
farms and gardens to medium and large family farming operations scattered
from urban to rural locations.Those farmers and gardeners, established, in
training and transitional, knew how to farm and grow and sell a safe,
nutritious product. Is American farming now dominated by big ag? How
difficult is it for a small local farm from one quarter acre to two hundred
acres in size to go online,accessing all available market opportunities and
establish an economically viable, sustainable operation?