Of course, that means that its a Net Energy Yield versus Labor Productivity race between tractors and horses, in terms of which will lead to the least increase in cost of food, but the US has a massive increase in food productivity up our sleeve due to our absurd over-production and over-consumption of meat, and in any event I prefer two options to one in this kind of situation. I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
yes again, these are first steps that do not require such radical change to have immediate benefits.
i agree that biodiesel will be abundant enough to keep old tractors going, but i still thin we should plan the next-gen of farm tools to be electric...much lower maintenance.
the US has a massive increase in food productivity up our sleeve due to our absurd over-production and over-consumption of meat,
just splitting up the meat production into smaller units should do wonders for pollution, not to mention the smaller travel distances and the lowering of medical bills.
great points, bruce, thanks. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
melo - was your reference to "winter rye ... clover" concerning green compost for gardens? If so, consider leaves for winter cover. They are my main humus (no hummus, thanks) sources. Earthworms love them, too. By Spring the leaves are quite fragile and are ready to spade in. Just have to be a little careful as to type. Oak leaves and black walnut leaves are essentially somewhat poisonous to a lot of plants. In the Pacific Northwest I use Western Maple and Alder leaves, which are ubiquitous. paul spencer
leaves work well, here i use chestnut and oak mostly, some hedge maple.
if i followed your method, i think most would be carried off by winter winds here....
composting them and digging in the compost before planting works best in this region. i recently bought a machine that renders up to 1" branches into mulch, but i'm not using it till my panels are installed, as it sucks a lot of wattage, and my electric bill is over the moon, even being hyperfrugal. i tried it out though and it works really well, fluffs up the pile and helps it all break down aerobically.
thanks for the info paul, how about a gardening diary or two?
with pix! ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
