Agriculture Response to Peak Oil

Pops

One of the links I posted above was for John Ikerd and interestingly I just got an email from him - I got on his list a while back I suppose when we talked briefly about his feelings wrt PO. Anyway I thought I'd pass along the info on new books he has:

Dear Friends and Associates,

I hope you don't mind one more unsolicited email message, at least not too much, but I wanted to make sure you were aware that I had two new books published over the winter.

In December, Small Farms are Real Farms: Sustaining People Through Agriculture was released by Acres USA. For a look as the cover, please check out the Acres website for Small Farms Are Real Farms at http://www.acresusa.com/books/closeup.asp?action=search&prodid=1640&catid=&pcid=2

In March, Crisis and Opportunity: Sustainability in American Agriculture was released by the University of Nebraska Press. For a look at the cover, please check out the UNP website for Crisis and Opportunity at http://nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Crisis-and-Opportunity,673343.aspx

My objective in writing these books is much more about sharing my ideas than making money, as anyone who has written this kind of book knows. I hope if you buy one of my books, and like it, you will pass it on to someone else and will recommend it to others.

Press releases for the two books are shown below my address block.

John Ikerd
5121 S. Brock Rodgers Rd.Columbia, MO 65201; phone: 573-874-0408
email: JEIkerd@centurytel.net website: http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/
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...ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality.
--Gekko.

"I hope my own children never have to fight a war,"
--GHW Bush, Naval Aviator

green_achers

Well, there's big, and there's really big. I think we had this discussion once before, or maybe it was another forum. Anyway, my premise would be to look at pre-fossil fueled agriculture. In some places, like the Northeast and the hill country of the South, small family-sized farms were the norm, but they weren't much more than subsistence or market-garden operations. On the good bottom-lands of the South and the Midwest, larger farms were always the norm, because they were producing commodities for the general population, and those crops have always best benefited from economies of scale.

Here in the South, it was the "plantation" system. Plantations averaged about 1000 acres (though some were a lot bigger). That was about the ideal size for a single manager to oversee when all of the labor was human or animal powered.

Now the average operator needs to farm at least 3000 just to pay for his fixed overhead (very expensive equipment, chemicals, seed and fuel for the most part.) Labor is a pittance.

I would argue that the post-peak challenge is going to be to maintain our pluralistic governmental and social systems. We have progressed a lot in the last 100 or so years. Because the plantation (or call it "manor" "hacienda" etc.) makes some economic sense doesn't mean we have to inherit the gentry/peasant paradigm along with it.

I also don't think collective farms at that scale will work, for all sorts of reasons I could discuss but won't right now, so we can stay on topic.
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OK, I give up. If they want to sell us real stuff for our Monopoly money, who am I to argue?

Pops

Ferretlover · Last edited by Ferretlover on Fri May 09, 2008 4:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

Ludi

Folks grew cotton here during the Cotton Boom that ruined a lot of land (that hadn't yet been ruined by the Cattle Boom).

Wool is still raised here.

We'll no doubt go back to one suit of clothes a year, with much repair.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

Pops

I love both of you girls but the question is about getting as many of us as we can from here to there, don't you think?

I know a good seamstress but not many good spinners or weavers.
_________________
...ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality.
--Gekko.

"I hope my own children never have to fight a war,"
--GHW Bush, Naval Aviator

Ludi

Thanks, Pops.

Here's a thread for you:

What to wear?

Smile

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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

JPL

FPOI I've been looking at horticultural set-ups for sale in Northern Britain recently - the farm in France is going on the market next week so we're pretty serious (groan).

I was looking at a place today in the Scotish lowlands which was potentially a good set-up, about 6000 sq ft under glass but was all heated by LPG (groan) and grew cherry tomatoes & (would you believe) satsumas for the local market.

But, for christ's sakes, oranges in Scotland!

The place is going for a bargain price but I think it might be a fire-sale because of the increased cost of heating. I've been trying to figure out how we might convert it to permaculture but also the place is in the arse-end of nowhere so again this is a non-starter given ever-rising transportation costs.

So basically it's a no-go. I just thought I'd mention this because I wonder how many other glasshouse businesses in Northern climes are going to go out of production pretty soon, due to increased heating costs.

JP

Ludi

They could perhaps transition to the Solviva model of greenhouse growing, in which chickens and rabbits are used to provide supplemental heat. This model requires some photovoltaics to run fans.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

Homesteader · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 387

Earlier today I queried my wife if she had any thoughts on how/if eggs were incubated enmasse prior to fossil fuel heat sources. She didn't. Neither do I.

And yes, we both are aware of the underhen method.

Some Iranians we know tell us that a hen turkey can easily be made broody by putting her in a box with food and water and will hatch about 40 chicken egss.

Ludi

incubator info
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

Homesteader · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 387

Thanks Ludi. That was fast. Interesting too. Egg turner will be a possible future career for all the current folks working in call centers. Shock

Actually, some sort of egg roller could be devised with out to much gray matter engagement.

And the alcohol lamps could be converted to ethanol. . . .

JPL

Ferretlover

Ludi