- Thread starter
- #61
The Pagan Pig
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2021
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 72
- Points
- 55
Yes. Ten, two week old, White Leghorns.
East Texas Gardening
- Thread starter The Pagan Pig
- Start date
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
desal for agriculture just isn't a great idea yet, sure some places are doing it but they're in much worse shape than S.Ore... it takes a lot of energy and if you haven't noticed yet the planet is getting a bit warm and smothered by what we're already doing with energy.
another thing to realise is that large scale conventional monocultural agriculture is hideously horrible for the diversity of life so replacing those barren and *cide ridden farm fields with suburbia is likely to be a huge gain for diversity - even better yet if those farms are broken up and put into the hands of people who know how to manage it using natural methods (which work quite well).
baymule
Sustainability Master
@flowerbug I couldn’t agree with you more on the industrial monoculture of food. In Utopia, there would be small farmers in every town and city, they would be respected and paid for their produce and be able to earn a living. These farmers would keep livestock and use their manures for compost to put on the lands for fertilizer. While we are visiting Utopia, people would actually grow gardens and raise at least some of their own food. Maybe some would keep chickens for eggs and meat.
But Utopia is not real. Most people don’t want to get their hands dirty, don’t have time and are utterly disinterested. They want to shop online and have their groceries bagged and waiting, someone to put the groceries in the car and off they go.
Since the population is so large, so many people in apartments with nowhere to plant that garden they don’t give a crap about anyway, food is mass produced.
If everyone who avows to truly care about the environment would buy ALL their food from a small farmer and grow what they could, I’d be impressed by their commitment. But guess what? Most dont. They go to the same grocery stores as everyone else and buy the same mass produced food as everyone else.
Dont down the farmers. Their methods certainly aren’t perfect, but they are feeding the country plus exports to other countries. The farmers work hard and deserve respect. For a state to cut off their water for their crops is reprehensible. For it to be ok to water the lawn and wash a car while a farmer goes broke is purely political fatheads pandering to their voters so that they can remain a parasite on society.
I know YOU do your best to not be a careless consumer. I know you raise a garden and are careful with what you do. But until more people actually live the life they spew empty words about, large scale farming it will be.
Never go to a grocery store again, never go to a restaurant again, for it is all mass produced. Find small farmers, buy your meat and vegetables from them, in season of course so you don’t contribute to airplane fuel being burnt overhead, bringing in food from other countries. Can and freeze the food for winter. We are going back to Utopia again and Utopia doesn’t exist.
But Utopia is not real. Most people don’t want to get their hands dirty, don’t have time and are utterly disinterested. They want to shop online and have their groceries bagged and waiting, someone to put the groceries in the car and off they go.
Since the population is so large, so many people in apartments with nowhere to plant that garden they don’t give a crap about anyway, food is mass produced.
If everyone who avows to truly care about the environment would buy ALL their food from a small farmer and grow what they could, I’d be impressed by their commitment. But guess what? Most dont. They go to the same grocery stores as everyone else and buy the same mass produced food as everyone else.
Dont down the farmers. Their methods certainly aren’t perfect, but they are feeding the country plus exports to other countries. The farmers work hard and deserve respect. For a state to cut off their water for their crops is reprehensible. For it to be ok to water the lawn and wash a car while a farmer goes broke is purely political fatheads pandering to their voters so that they can remain a parasite on society.
I know YOU do your best to not be a careless consumer. I know you raise a garden and are careful with what you do. But until more people actually live the life they spew empty words about, large scale farming it will be.
Never go to a grocery store again, never go to a restaurant again, for it is all mass produced. Find small farmers, buy your meat and vegetables from them, in season of course so you don’t contribute to airplane fuel being burnt overhead, bringing in food from other countries. Can and freeze the food for winter. We are going back to Utopia again and Utopia doesn’t exist.
baymule
Sustainability Master
I’ll just live here on my little farm, doing my part to live a better life, raising my food with my labor, and raising enough to sell, giving someone else an opportunity to buy and consume better food, raised as organically as possible.
But on the other hand, the chickens eat feed that is raised on large farms, shipped to a processor, bagged and shipped to the feed store, that I drive to to make my purchase. Ditto on the pigs, sheep and even the livestock guard dogs. The horses are just dead weight, they eat, but contribute nothing other than the enjoyment I get from them.
Can’t win for losing.
I’ll keep doing my best, I make my own happiness.
But on the other hand, the chickens eat feed that is raised on large farms, shipped to a processor, bagged and shipped to the feed store, that I drive to to make my purchase. Ditto on the pigs, sheep and even the livestock guard dogs. The horses are just dead weight, they eat, but contribute nothing other than the enjoyment I get from them.
Can’t win for losing.
I’ll keep doing my best, I make my own happiness.
baymule
Sustainability Master
Stuff the chicken coop and run with leaves and your chickens will happily scratch it to bits, poop all over it and make you compost for your garden. Well..... maybe not at two weeks old....... LOL
- Thread starter
- #66
The Pagan Pig
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2021
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 72
- Points
- 55
LOL .... i thought I had retired but the Gov. screwed that up. Now I'm back to looking after myself and starting over. Things will get better for those that know.
JanetMarie
Almost Self-Reliant
I've been having to water before planting too! Yesterday when digging deeper to plant some dahlia roots, the soil was a little damp.In my part of VA it's been real dry for a couple weeks. I had to water the garden TO PLANT! Just so dust bowl dry. After watering, the color of dirt and chunks of debris became real obvious.Way more to pick and burn. Bummer!
Did plant, after watering a long time.
Last edited:
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
@JanetMarie I hope we both get some rain! Until then, it's watered by me
However -- my goats are better at spreading their fertilizer everywhere! Which brings to mind that I need to clean out their barn and take to garden. Never nothing to do on our little pieces of "paradise".
What?? You know they poop! They help fertilize....you have a fertilizer farm!
However -- my goats are better at spreading their fertilizer everywhere! Which brings to mind that I need to clean out their barn and take to garden. Never nothing to do on our little pieces of "paradise".
Britesea
Sustainability Master
I will probably be jumped on for this... but, originally... horses were domesticated for meat.
farmerjan
Super Self-Sufficient
There is as much a place for horses for meat as there is any other animal. In times of plenty, they weren't eaten.... in times of "poor" they were the hedge against starvation. There are a surplus of them in this country because of the bleeding heart "dogooders" that even took away the ability to kill them in this country. There are horses that should only be killed..... and the mercy of killing ones that have health, and age problems. And utilizing their bodies instead of wasting it.
Beasts of burden, companions, "partners" in war..... and providers of food in the end also. They were a form of "wealth" for the native indian tribes.... they were used for barter, better than "money".... used for transportation......used for food. They also added fertility to the grounds and utilized the grasses that people would not utilize.
Yeah, @baymule they might be for your pleasure, and "more useless" in some ways, but they are contributing to the fertility of your place. And your personal "psychotherapy" program.....
Beasts of burden, companions, "partners" in war..... and providers of food in the end also. They were a form of "wealth" for the native indian tribes.... they were used for barter, better than "money".... used for transportation......used for food. They also added fertility to the grounds and utilized the grasses that people would not utilize.
Yeah, @baymule they might be for your pleasure, and "more useless" in some ways, but they are contributing to the fertility of your place. And your personal "psychotherapy" program.....
