This is very true but none of the politicians will ever understand this as they need jobs.
As for myself I have adopted growing what I sell locally. I grow my crops organically managing to purchase some mushroom compost and create some compost for myself.. but never enough. There is no profit in what I do but I do rotate every year and leave any residue in the fields. With the horses I create pastures after my sunflower crop which has been planted with legumes and grasses which appear after harvest. I basically only crop half of my farm to allow some kind of regeneration of the soils. Most people in Canada are grocery store addicts and mostly obese. I have a very hard time getting workers even though I offer accommodation. We need to produce less food, but better quality and people need to understand that making the environment pay for our excesses is a dead end venture.
I'm trying hard to enjoy what I have and share it with those who wonder where our world is going. I wish there were more Gunnars close by to encourage me and others to enjoy this way of life which for us is very close the the Amish.
It sounds like you are doing a grand job on your land Mat. We need so many more farmers like you. It also sounds like you are obeying the Doctrine of Return which has been so eloquently articulated by Wendell Berry and the Early English Agrarians (Gunnar in his writing is continuing the rich heritage that they have founded - you are right we need lots more writers like Gunnar!). Here is a link to something I wrote on the Doctrine of Return if you want to explore the concept further: https://overthefield.substack.com/p/investing-in-the-precious-land
This is great Gunnar. I remember reading a paper which argued along the same lines as you. The food system crisis is greatly down to poor distribution and exorbitant waste. It is a modern day tragedy.
However, it is so much easier for politicians to make this a matter of deficient production - partly because increased production will satisfy their coveted "economic growth" and also because production narratives are easier and more intuitive to explain to voters. But as long as this narrative continues to dominate, the food system issues will get worse.
Yes!!! Can't wait for the rest of the series, but working in agriculture somehow my whole life allows me the experience to know where this is going. I work for the government and feed myself from my dairy pets. So many thoughts...
This is very true but none of the politicians will ever understand this as they need jobs.
As for myself I have adopted growing what I sell locally. I grow my crops organically managing to purchase some mushroom compost and create some compost for myself.. but never enough. There is no profit in what I do but I do rotate every year and leave any residue in the fields. With the horses I create pastures after my sunflower crop which has been planted with legumes and grasses which appear after harvest. I basically only crop half of my farm to allow some kind of regeneration of the soils. Most people in Canada are grocery store addicts and mostly obese. I have a very hard time getting workers even though I offer accommodation. We need to produce less food, but better quality and people need to understand that making the environment pay for our excesses is a dead end venture.
I'm trying hard to enjoy what I have and share it with those who wonder where our world is going. I wish there were more Gunnars close by to encourage me and others to enjoy this way of life which for us is very close the the Amish.
mat
It sounds like you are doing a grand job on your land Mat. We need so many more farmers like you. It also sounds like you are obeying the Doctrine of Return which has been so eloquently articulated by Wendell Berry and the Early English Agrarians (Gunnar in his writing is continuing the rich heritage that they have founded - you are right we need lots more writers like Gunnar!). Here is a link to something I wrote on the Doctrine of Return if you want to explore the concept further: https://overthefield.substack.com/p/investing-in-the-precious-land
Keep up the great work on your land!
This is great Gunnar. I remember reading a paper which argued along the same lines as you. The food system crisis is greatly down to poor distribution and exorbitant waste. It is a modern day tragedy.
However, it is so much easier for politicians to make this a matter of deficient production - partly because increased production will satisfy their coveted "economic growth" and also because production narratives are easier and more intuitive to explain to voters. But as long as this narrative continues to dominate, the food system issues will get worse.
Yes!!! Can't wait for the rest of the series, but working in agriculture somehow my whole life allows me the experience to know where this is going. I work for the government and feed myself from my dairy pets. So many thoughts...
Is the bulk of vegetable oil corn and soybean sourced?
The bulk is palmoil, followed by soybean oil, https://gardenearth.substack.com/p/where-shall-fat-come-from