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Re: The value of farming



 
Read on if you feel like engaging in a sort the world out type
conversation.

In article <karen-1406960732000001@ppp5.mtshasta.snowcrest.net>, Karen McFarlin (karen@snowcrest.net) writes:
>In article <7685746QAA@csc.liv.ac.uk>, laurence@csc.liv.ac.uk wrote:
>
>> It looks as if you chaps are living in the past.  In this modern era
>> of supermarkets, are farms really necessary?  Think of all the land
>> they waste that could be used to build homes for the homeless, etc.

If you take a moment more to consider what you just wrote you may
realise that would have something of a food crisis if we didn't have
farms.

>There is a connection between agriculture and homelessness and
>unemployment. In the United States it's called the "Corporate Farm".
>Industrial farming has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The
>decline of the factory economy accounts for even more.

This is also true to the UK.

When I first saw Laurence's note, my immediate reaction was to scoff
but that would have made me somewhat of a hypocrit (like Oz, Hi there
Oz). 

If we de-mechanised our farms it would create an immense amount of
employment and a lot more people would have a reason to live in the
countryside. There would be work for people. 

The snag is farming is hard work and the English are currently
in a state of lethargy and apathy.

After previously dominating the world England is in repression. The
success of our country is presently judged on whether consumers are
buying and the success of the National Lottery. This is a shallow
view. People often shop as a form of therapy or escapism and we
should have realised by now anyway that the attainment of matter
doesn't yield sustained happiness. As for the lottery well....

Companies like Nynex and the Sky network are suppressing people
through TV and gradually eroding away any sense of dignity or
aesthetics wee may have. 

>Most of the city people I know would starve in the country.

That's why it's so important that we return our economies to an
agrarian system. For our societies to be truly secure the
agriculture must be wholesome and rich (and I'm not just talking about
money). Imagine if the majority were living off the land. Those who
weren't could then be easily and cheaply supported. It's got to
happen really. 

At the moment there are more advisors than there are farmers in the
UK Agriculture industry! Spray, spray, spray!  

So let's get to it! Calling all those of you out there with your
hearts in the land let's go for it. It's not so hard really. What
have we got to loose. Organic farming's very simple you just put back
what you take out. What we loose materially we will gain threefold
socially and spiritually. 

Organic agriculture has taken off in this country, but there are
many who wish it too remain a niche market. The more of us who get
involved, the quicker the prices will come down and the quicker it
will grow. There is absolutely no way that the demand will reduce.
Especially while the repurcussions of chemical based agriculture
continue to rear their ugly heads. BSE, BST, Listeria, Salmonella,
antibiotics are running out fast, pesticides, it's all mounting up
and the longer we delay facing up to the reality of our mistakes
the more painful the results will be. 

Dave (the shameless nutter) Libby having a most enjoyable ramble.






********************************************************
David Libby:  112 Kedleston Rd, Derby, DE22 1FW, England
Tel: 01332 736775, Fax too but please ring first.
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