On Wed, 30 May 2007 09:52:11 -0700, Bill Rose
wrote:


Charlie,
It appears that the "New Deal" for farmers was laid to rest in the 70s
after it had been whittled at for a generation. The original deal was
where the government would loan the farmer money to hold the crop off
the market until prices went higher. If they didn't go higher, the
government kept the crop and they called it even. The reasoning being
that it was in the nations interest to lay away food for bad time and to
support the farmers who grew it. In the 1970s the above got changed to
price supports. The government decided what a fair price was and paid
the farmer the difference. Thing is as the government determined price
has dropped, farmers raise more to cover expenses, causing in turn a
lowering if price supports. By now the farmer gets about 4 cents to the
dollar for their crop, uh, commodity.

The main benefactors of the commodity price collapse for corn is Archer
Daniel Midlands and, Cargill.

The price collapse realy started in the 50s with the introduction of
chemical fertilizers. Previously, farmers had used crop rotation and
manure to invigorate their land. Now there is no need for crop rotation,
meaning more corn and lower prices.

And until this point, much af what was produced on the farm remained on
the farm. I can't recall the percentage of produce that left the farm,
but it was fairly low.

Nearly every forty or eighty had a farm and family. Most, if not all
of the family food was produced and processed on the farm.

Stock was taken to a local or regional processing plant and was
processed and distributed to local stores. Stores sold local eggs and
produce, in season. You see what we have now. People were trying to
make a living and life for their families and communities, not trying
to become quadrazillionaires.

I well remember the taste of real pork and beef, real eggs and real
milk. Ever notice how pork and chicken kinda taste the same nowadays?

Back in the fifties and sixties, the local farmers also provided good
summer jobs for us kids. Before Monsanto, we walked bean fields,
cutting out the weeds. We made hay all summer.

Now there is little work for our young, even less meaningful work.
Gardening can be return to this, a reconnection with the natural world
and the natural rhythms of life. To the quietness of nature and mind
the working the dirt can bring.

According to Michael Pollard's book,"Omnivore's Delimma"
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/r...1_pollan.shtml
it takes a little over 1 petroleum calorie to produce 1 calorie of
edible corn (pg. 46, 1st paragraph). There is the possibility of using
the entire plant by converting the cellulose back to sugar but I don't
know what energy investment that would entail.

Funny thing though, before using crop rotation and farm manure, you got
2 food calories out for everyone put in and the environment was a hell
of a lot healthier.

How you making out with your clay?

Ha! Always one to make me think, aincha? I am holding off to see some
results on my friends pastures and research a bit more.


- Bill
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

Care Brudda
Charlie