Posted on 06/02/2022 4:14:34 AM PDT by orsonwb
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2022 - Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing details of a framework to transform the food system...
(Excerpt) Read more at usda.gov ...
It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what the government, globalists and large corporations think. Funny thing; I went to Shop N Save yesterday and with that trip, I drive by hundreds if not thousands of head of beef cattle. All the beef at Shop N Save was from Mexico. Regardless of "sustainability", I just think that's stupid, inefficient and wasteful.
Gardening/farming is certainly not for everyone. It's a lot of work for one thing and on top of that, takes a ton of planning to produce enough to feed many families. Eating styles would have to change too. No fresh tomatoes in January in the Northern states for instance.
Those Northern states seem to be where high tech vertical farming is biggest and while they all claim to be run on 100% renewables, that doesn't take into account that all that high tech equipment was likely not manufactured in facilities that run off of "renewables". Was the steel and aluminum mined with with solar/wind power? Are solar panel and turbine manufacturers run off solar/wind? Are those raw materials mined, processed, manufactured and distributed with solar/wind?
Those latter two items are the real test of sustainability. Show me every step from mining raw materials to distribution of completed solar/wind running off of solar/wind.
Unless every part of every process, including the building of facilities and all equipment and transportation can be run on solar/wind, zero carbon footprint or 100% renewables is a farce. We'll run out of raw materials long before we even get close to that and then things will collapse. Meanwhile, The Powers That Be keep us heading in that direction. That's why I think there needs to be a renaissance of small farms that utilize low tech season extension techniques like high tunnels, low tunnels, row covers, greenhouses. That's what most market gardeners are doing and while they may not have tomatoes in January, they can grow cold weather crops like lettuce, peas and various greens.
Meat is easy. Cattle can stand outdoors in 20 below with snow falling on them. Of course they want to outlaw cattle and make lab grown meat in high tech sterile environments that are likely not "sustainable". It's all about money and control. I giant transfer of food systems and large chunk of the economy to the techies.
The biggest problem is that in a few generations, there will be very few people who will even know how to farm.
Always "Green crap" and "Race". They just can't concentrate on the supply chain disruption caused by the Scamdemic.
Actually, scallions are probably the most space efficient veggies I have planted.
You can get so many of them in a small area, but they do need to be started early.
Try some green beans. If they are bush variety, start a couple seeds every 2 - 3 weeks.m It will give you a constant harvest. Pole beans which can climb up a trellis nicely, produce almost continuously. They are nice because they, too, are very space efficient.
back of the napkin...about 4 billion, plus another billion available for loans? they still have to continue funding during any transition
where’s the new money coming from?
If you live near where you can easily get to a good local farmer’s market, not doing your own garden can work.
For us, there might be a few roadside veggie stands, but no farmer’s market with8n decent driving distance. Besides, I like to garden.
I have decided to plant raspberry and blackberry bushes. We have so many deer, that I figured fruit trees would be out of the question. For blueberries, we can go pick what we want near Newport. There’s a big blueberry farm there.
We did pole beans last year. I’ll put some in again.
Thanks.
L
The USAF and Army used to do origin inspections of food and food facilities that fulfilled contracts to the military. Except for a group of dishonest Army inspectors that took bribes back in 74’-75 to pass substandard subsistence, most of the military food inspectors took their job seriously and made sure the quality of the food sent to the military was both safe and palatable. Food inspectors for the military were held by regulations that if broke sent the offending inspector to Leavenworth. Today there are no such checks and balances since the USDA took over the responsibility once held by the military branches.
I grew some Tokyo Turnips this year. They take up very little space, slightly more than carrots but are super easy to grow and can give you something to harvest in as little as a month or up to two months for larger turnips. They also like cold weather. The tops can be eaten as greens too. I just pulled a half dozen 2 inch diameter turnips yesterday and I started the seeds almost two months ago. I could have pulled some at 1 inch a couple of weeks ago.
For a 30 day harvest, my soil would have to be better as would my seed starting ability but this was my first year starting thing from seed. I don’t count that one time I tried to start a few tomato plants on the window sill.
You'd be surprised how may young people are getting back to the land so to speak. Many become market gardeners and/or supply local restaurants. They're mostly just outside the metro areas so they're feeding upper middle class people. Some use small tractors or walk behind tractors. Most use high tunnels to extend the growing season by 1-2 months on either end.
Closest place to me like that is a college town and they have three farmer's markets with one being pretty good sized and year round here in Missouri. Cold weather crops, mushrooms and meat are available year round.
I'm also seeing a lot of people putting in a garden for the first time or first time in years and I'm very rural.
I must admit I love watching YouTube videos of harvesting with combines. Maybe through videos like that farming will become more attractive to future generations.
“Fair” says middle class whites will subsidize everyone else.
They’ll pay the bill.
My warm weather crops are in and when a bunch of them are harvested, then I’ll use the space for cool weather crops.
My garlic should be ready to be dug in Aug, so that frees up that whole bed for beets and turnips and perhaps carrots. I’ll have to try them there.
Maybe some Brussel Sprouts, too. Turns out when you find a good recipe, and grow and harvest your own, Brussel sprouts are actually pretty good and surprisingly popular.
rife with dementia joe democrat utopian/kommie buzzwords: "equity", "carbon pollution", "accessible and affordable", "distributed and local", "fairer "
everything but fixing what the REAL problems are: namely dementia joe democrats deliberately putting the kibosh on domestic energy production ... and no surprise to anyone with a half a brain that energy costs are a primary cause of current "inflation": energy is THE primary input into everything that makes up modern living, including resource extraction, resource refining, manufacturing, transportation, farming, fertilizer and agricultural chemicals, food preservation, medical care, communications and telecommunications, computing, internet, online commerce, construction and construction materials, clothing, and heating and cooling ...
...better not dare toss out that pizza crust...
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Bird food. They will welcome any fat/protein that is still there.
Here in the north, it’s still in planting season time.
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It is cool and very dry, though lots of sun. Our garden is planted and doing ok. We just need about a 10-degre rise in temp and about 20% more humidity. We had a few days (twice) of 80-90 degrees and some drenching rains that jump started things, but 60s/40s don’t give much growth.
I did plant several early, drought-resistant varieties this year and am about to install a bottle-drip system, right after I side dress next week. I forgot the rock phosphate at planting and need to add it to the tomato & pepper beds.
At least the bunnies have plenty of grass and the fencing keeps out them & the deer. Greens are in rail planters and loving this weather. I should have planted peas, but it was too hot, so I skipped them this year and now I have no room.
Anyone planting carrots, which can be succession planted, look on YT for the cornstarch gel method. I used it this year and in 1 week some carrots are already sprouted. I soaked for 2 days, made a 2cup water:4Tbs cornstarch gel and applied it as you would use a pastry bag. 1 hr later we got unforecast 1/2” rain. Didn’t hurt a thing.
So much can happen in 120 days......no one emphasizes how much angst a gardener can experience in a season. And each season is different.
... city folk will be moved to a 40 acre plot and given a few seeds to plant?
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Community gardens. Some do all the work, others come and harvest at night. Typical commune operations.
I just do not see the ROI.
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As I tell anyone who uses that argument: we still have abundant, if expensive, food available. The storage/preservation prepping is for when there is nothing available.
Tending to a garden of any size takes effort at certain times
which can’t be avoided.
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The rewards go beyond the work invested vs. calories harvested.
It is empowering and calming and the work can be adjusted to ones’ physical ability. You learn so much about each variety of plant/soil/weather.
I know people who tuck tomato plants into their flower beds.
I have two orphans that will get planted in the landscaping tomorrow (rain coming Saturday/Sunday).
I am old and using raised beds. I supplement in fall with saved coffee grounds/eggshells/banana skins. Using bottle drip irrigation this year to save personal energy. Dehydrating as much as possible due to my own limited strength and tight storage availability.
Also will buy cheap produce at harvest time and dehydrate.
Everyone can adjust the work to their own ability. In winter, I cook once for 6-10 servings over time. Better than eating out when I don’t want to cook and saves energy (except to run the freezer) .
YT has a lot of videos showing ways to save effort and time and cost. It’s a valuable resource.
...seed starting ability...
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Went through that learning curve. Now I use a $20 heat mat and 2 $20 LED grow light systems. I have very limited space in my retirement place and I managed 24 tomato plants and 9 sweet pepper plants using a 10”x20” shelf for sprouting and an unused bath tub in the 2nd bathroom for the seedlings for the 6 weeks needed.
I direct-seeded the greens in rail planters and brought them in when we had late frosts....not really late, as I am in zone 4b and they are expected. I have been harvesting lettuce this entire week (pick & come again).
What do the Tokyo Turnips taste like and where did you get the seeds?
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