Monday, January 14, 2008

why don't farmers take long vacations?


Regular readers of this blog have no doubt noticed that my content stream recently slowed to a trickle. First of all I failed at my annual attempt to make the holidays less hectic. Then I spent most of the first half of Janurary '08 traveling. I had a fantastic time in chilly rural NY which was kind enough to snow on this Southerner- something I don't get to experience very often. Then on to KY for more visiting. I am happily at home and settling in for what will be quite an exciting first half of the year. My focus will be twofold. My wife is expecting our second child in the middle of March and my co-author Sharon Astyk and I must finish the book by June 1. I will certainly share information about the former event with readers but it is the latter, the writing of the book, which will show up on this site from time to time. While I won't be sharing everything in advance of publication please comment on anything you think good, bad or even of no consequence as such comments will be helpful. I do believe food can be- might even have to be- the way we really get to work on the unfolding crises of energy descent and climate change. Getting this right is very important.

Best Wishes,

aaron

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Food IS key --but NAIS will equal government/BigAg control of the food supply unless it is stopped. If we don't want to have to consult with the government everytime we hatch a chicken, breed a cow, or buy a goat,we must prevent the stealthy, involuntarily "voluntary" implementation of National Animal Identification System. Tell everyone you know who produces, buys, or eats local meat, milk, cheese, or eggs, because they will soon not have that choice if people don't wake up and stop this thing. Go to NoNAIS.org and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.org for more info.

nulinegvgv said...

anonymous,

i agree that NAIS is a bad idea. it is yet another underhanded government attempt to undermine local food systems. you might want to read Joel Salatin's "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal." It details a number of other policies and procedures put in place to help big ag at the expense of small scale, local producers. one reason it doesn't scare me all that much is because the government is already so inept at running this country. can you imagine how much harder it will be for them as energy becomes less available for top down control? it would take a lot of gasoline to check often every backyard and every small farm in America.

We just need, as a people, to stop buying into this fear crap and realize that our government and industrial agriculture are much more likely to cause us harm than "terrorists" or bird flu.