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Re: Labor Day



Dear Mr. Duesing and others,

	I am troubled by the last statement about usefulness of agricultural 
work for the Earth's population. I would invite Mr.  Duesing and others 
who believe in what they call "sustainable" agriculture to ask Mr. Xing, 
who lives  in a tenth floor flat in a Singapore high-rise, if he would 
prefer to to go back to stoop labor in the rice paddies of South-east 
Asia. Would you?
	Also, which forests, plains, and other wildlife habitats do you 
want to plow down so that each member of the world population can have 
it's three-quarters bushel of potato fingerlings to eat with a nice 
honey glazed broasted chicken.
	Sure having a garden is a good form of recreation; in fact, I 
have a small one myself.  But, I do not pretend that a garden is much 
more than a toy that those who have the capital to own land, free time to 
work it, and dispoasble income to make up for what it cannot provide.  
	Also, I think the killing animal and eating them is more of a 
genetic prime mover than planting sweet corn to eat for summer barbeque.

Jeff Ranalletta
Purdue University
School of Agriculture
	  

On 30 Aug 1996, Bill Duesing wrote:

> Living on the Earth, August 30, 1996: Labor Day
> 
> One of the great pleasures of feeding ourselves from the land around our home is
> the nature, variety and joy of the work it requires.  It is work that our
> species grew up with; it is in our genes.
> 
> Last night we cooked a dinner of fingerling potatoes dug from the earth of our
> farm.  I harvested a basketfull of them to take to market last week.  We
> prepared the ones that we couldn't sell - the potatoes with green spots from
> being exposed to the light or those that the mice had sampled.
> 
> A little washing and cutting, and into the pot they went for boiling.  I picked
> a handful of fresh green beans, and  Suzanne sauteed hot peppers, garlic and
> basil with a little olive oil and then added the potatoes and beans.  A lot of
> fresh ground pepper and a little soy sauce for seasoning, and voila.  Served
> with slices of perfectly ripe tomatoes, it was a great meal.  It was also a meal
> that required some of the most satisfying work we get to do.
> 
> Although we all have other work - our son Dan is going to college, Suzanne's
> teaching and I'm writing, lecturing and recycling  - the growing and preparing
> of our food is an increasingly important part of our lives.  It is important
> because we enjoy the flavor, the seasonal change and freshness of local organic
> food and because we need to eat good food in order to maintain our health.  But
> being intimately involved with feeding ourselves is also important for the work
> it requires.
> 
> The work is whole.  The planning we did nearly a year ago just provided
> delicious nourishment for our bodies.  We plant, harvest, cook and eat the
> fruits of our labors.  Our work teaches us and improves us.  Next year, for
> example, I'll pay more attention to "hilling up" the potatoes.
> 
> The work is continuous and engaging.  The garlic planted last October, and the
> onions planted in April were both harvested in July and now hang to dry on the
> back porch.  The peppers, started on a windowsill in March, were set out in June
> and we'll be picking them into October when it is time to plant the garlic
> again.  The potatoes were planted in May.  When I finish harvesting them, I'll
> plant a cover crop of buckwheat or oats to protect the soil until I plant garlic
> there.
> 
> The work is done outside.  For most of our history, humans have worked in the
> open air surrounded by the sun and rain, heat and cold, and the breezes and
> beauties of our planet.  The pleasures of working with fertile soil and plants
> in the presence of butterflies, birds and bees are numerous.  
> 
> The work of feeding ourselves is very physical.  Our bodies were meant to be
> used--to bend and lift, to walk and carry.  It's only recently that sitting in
> the office, school, car or TV chair became an acceptable thing to do.
> 
> The work is varied.  Planning, preparing soil, planting, tending, harvesting,
> preserving and cooking each provides challenges and builds useful skills.
> Getting better at these tasks will make our lives richer in the years to come.
> 
> The work is useful and relevant.  There are few things which are more important
> than feeding our families.  Study after study points to this as one of the key
> challenges for the future of our planet.
> 
> The work is forgiving.   If one crop doesn't come in another will, and there is
> always tomorrow, and next year.
> 
> This is work that I can envision doing as long as I live.  Once we spend more
> time outdoors, the interweaving of the rhythm of the seasons with the work of
> producing food creates a rich texture for our lives which resonates with the
> lives of most of our ancestors.
> 
> The work of feeding ourselves personally and directly from the soil and water
> around us still engages up to half of the people on this planet.  It more and
> more seems to be one of the few ways we can really use the energies and skills
> of the Earth's burgeoning population in a productive way.
> 
> The nature, satisfaction and relevance of our labor should be an important
> factor in shaping our future.  It only will be, if we make it so.
> 
> Happy Labor Day.
> 
> This is Bill Duesing, Living on the Earth
> 
> C 1996, Bill Duesing, Solar Farm Education, Box 135, Stevenson, CT 06491 
> 
> 
> Bill and Suzanne Duesing operate the Old Solar Farm (raising NOFA/CT certified
> organic vegetables) and Solar Farm Education (working on urban agriculture
> projects in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford and Norwalk, CT). Their collection
> of essays  Living on the Earth: Eclectic Essays for a Sustainable and Joyful
> Future is available from Bill Duesing, Box 135, Stevenson, CT 06491 for $14
> postpaid.  This essay first appeared on WSHU, public radio from Fairfield, CT.
> New essays are posted weekly at http://www.wshu.org/duesing
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 



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