Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 21:49:36 -0500 Sender: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group From: Hugh Lovel Subject: Changes in German Agriculture Klaus Wiegand's post was long but well worth reading. In closing he writes: >i also strongly doubt, that "we-know-better-what's-good-for-you" >marketing strategies will be convincing any more and PR slogans >like "the taste of the new generation" or "come to xxx-land" or >"better than ever" will make any more sense. europeans will >demand less processed food of higher quality, but with higher >prices and a more conscient attitude against cheap food. >PSE-meat or cheap separator meat each day will be history for >half of the population (for the rest: no idea. it is known, that >about 50% of the consumers will or can not pay more). yet today >organic meat is almost sold out in germany and as most the >readers here have an agricultural background, they also know, >that it needs another year to raise a cow and another 2 to raise >a calf to slaugther weight. the year 2001 will become a >huge experiment for producers, marketers and consumers.... > >organic agriculture will definitely increase, but because of the >transition phase of 3? years i strongly doubt, that it will >reach >5% in 2005 > > >sigh, the mail has become too long... > >klaus Dear Klaus, As best as I can tell you were right on the money about a lot of things. But I do not see it as true that the transition to organic or beyond organic to wholistic methods such as biodynamic requires 3 years. Transition CAN take as little as one year, or even less. Many farms could go cold turkey on all their inputs and maintain yields even in the first year of conversion if they only knew with surety what to do. The big, big stumbling block is educating farmers in HOW to convert. This commonly takes more than three years. Here in the states I've found out how to grow corn as a soil improvement crop without any fertilizer and get high yields of the finest quality. Now I can say this straightforwardly enough, but how is it received? Like I must be crazy? I myself have to admit that until I've done this in hundreds of different locations time and time again without more than a few scattered failures I'm skeptical myself of how true a statement like " growing corn as a soil improvement crop without any fertilizer" is. Maybe it is not as true as I think it is. Or maybe it is just as true as I think it is or truer. But it will take time to achieve the level of proof a thing like this requires before any significant numbers of farmers take it seriously. Of course, once ten or fifteen percent get a grasp of it, it will sweep the entire farm industry. My greatest concern is if the fertilizer industry takes me seriously BEFORE enough farmers get a handle on how this works. Then my life expectancy won't be worth much. I've already had some attempts made to discredit me, so maybe some folks with something to lose ARE taking me seriously. Who knows? Changing the status quo is tricky business. Once, more than a quarter century ago, I was involved in something that threatened the institutional arrangements of some very wealthy people. My house was shot up with live ammunition, but fortunately I escaped without being physically injured. Once burned, twice shy? Maybe. But what is at stake is the survival of humanity, so maybe the risk is worth it? After all, I don't see agricultural sustainability as viable if all we do is hang on to the cliff face by our finger and toe nails. We have to get to where we are restoring the ravages of soil erosion, watershed degredation and the devastation of ecologies as fast or faster than these can occur. Right now the Sahara is showing signs of jumping the Mediterranean. Think what it will mean if Southern Europe becomes part of the Sahara? In short, at this point we need a fast airlift out of hell. And the problem is not so much the technology of doing this but how to get this information on how to do it into the hands of the people who currently are making the problem so they can implement the solutions instead. Pray, keep an open mind, Hugh Lovel WISCONSIN WORKSHOPS! For more about Horn Clay and how to grow corn as a soil improvement crop without nitrogen fertilizers and get high yields of the finest quality HUGH LOVEL will be giving two workshops in Random Lake, Wisconsin--BASIC BIODYNAMICS, February 23rd and 24th, and ADVANCED BIODYNAMICS March 2nd and 3rd. $125 per person per workshop, meals included, couples $200. For more information contact Hugh Lovel, 706 745 6056 or Bob Klavetter, 414 265 5683.