High gas prices drive farmers to switch to mules. I have to wonder if these guys are an advance look at the (back to the) future. You can treat the manure and use it for fertilizer or even use new technology to produce methane. You can grow your own "fuel". And if you use donkeys or draft horses, you can breed your own replacements and even sell the excess power. I think we'll be seeing more local grown in our stores because of the cheaper transportation cost. Also....we'll be going back to eating seasonal fruits and vegetables. We'll probably be seeing more "organic" due to avoidance of fertilizer and pesticides that are petroleum based and hence, will be going up in price or become unavailable. The cost of food WILL go up, whether it's from transportation or from the mega-farms being broken up and the little local farmers taking over again.
I'm probably one of the very few PC members who has used a mule to work a field. It's the same as using a bike to get to work....In rare situations it can work. For the other 99% of farms, it will not.
I think the most environmentally positive situation I've ever seen was some people who lived in huts and making gadgets out of coconuts, palm branches and seaweed. I never noticed any stray bottles or blowing trash. Yet they slept in hammocks and seemed to be pretty healthy despite the lack of modern conveniences. But... I'm not sure we really need to go back to those days. It seemed so corny. ZC1
the problem is that small farms are falling behind the "profitable" line. they get paid less for the same product because they don't produce as much. they pay disproportionate pickup charges. etc. unless we start providing incentives for small farms, they're on their way to extinct.
Every incentive that we give to small farms will just drive them out faster. We own a small chunk of tillable land and get a ton of paperwork without even asking. All of it is written in governentalese and impossible to understand. So please do not ask or even mention more from the government in the way of incentives. We are on our way to becoming an agrarian nation. We do not manufacture anymore and are sending more overseas every day. The layoffs have started as the lawyers are getting the AXE in downtown Chicago. Not just the general lawyers but PARTNERS of law firms. I love to see the sharks (lawyers) getting the knife in the back with a pink slip. Perhaps we can fire some of the politicians?
The other day I spent 30 minutes on the phone with a lady from USDA census...mostly saying no. No I didn't buy fertilizer, rent land, get government subsidies etc etc.
