Goss, Jeffery, Jr. 2008 How a city was built, starting with a hobby: Baker Creek--a seed house that is changing the course of history The Free Library (January, 1), http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How a city was built, starting with a hobby: Baker Creek--a seed...-a0172830071 (accessed October 30 2008)
This article describes a operation that was started by a young person who felt the need for a change. This is how a need can be turned into a business that can be successful. I guess what can be said about it is that he started on a farm, so it would be more difficult if you were to attempt to begin such an operation with out having a family farm to begin from, but it should be possible.
This will be cited in our business plan.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Small Farms Cultivate Way of Life, and Profit
NY Times article on profits being made by small part time farmers. A trend that appears to be developing in the suburban landscape. People are trying to farm even on small 3+/- acres and many are successful at turning a profit, but is it really farming? This is yet to be discovered trend that should be investigated further. It does however demonstrate that profit can be found even in this small scale, and that can be applied to a larger more diversified farming operation.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Community Gardens
Community Gardens
As a idea, the concept of community gardens is great. As an application it is less than realistic. On an individual basis it does work, however in this country, unlike in other countries, such as continental Europe, where such community gardens do work, this country is very self centered, and therefore it is very difficult to get people to work towards a common goal without a catalyzing factor. Can such programs work, yes, they have for centuries work in many places, however in this country it is about competition for resources rather than cooperation for conservation of resources.
This being said, I do believe that we are soon to realize that catalyst that will make such efforts more possible. I have seen some communities that worked, but how long have they worked, and on what scale. They do not work on the larger scale, because people do not feel the need for such and therefore they put greater effort on what seems the more important issues. This is a common circumstance, as it normal in this country to compartmentalize issues as if they are unrelated, and prioritize them as if getting one done will therefore free up the other. It is however only parts of a single problem, and that it will only be solved by taking a holistic approach to the issue.
It will be necessary to look at the Urban landscape in a different light, as one that is more agricultural than previous thought of. That some percentage of the food needed by the residence living in the Urban areas will have to produce some of their own food, as there will be no food available in the stores they are used to shopping in. This has not happened yet, and until this does happen it will not create theh needed factors to generate the need for community gardens to be more than a novelty. There is ino way that community gardens will completely replace the local farms, which are more dedicated to such programs as Dairy and meat production. Even though a small community can produce a great amount of the needed food, and cooperation will produce even greater community, until the factors that create the need for this, it will be difficult to make this happen for more than select groups and there will be no long term development past the current generation of development. To make this happen for many generations it must include a social shift as well as a holistic vision, which includes agriculture in both the urban landscape (which is only a large group of communities tied together by common networks of roads and communications), and throughout the outlying areas where larger scale agriculture can support the urban communities with products that these same communities can not produce due to space or skill. However it is likely that these same urban communities will be the very areas where artistic development will flourish and therefore provide for theh others the tools and other products that will be needed, in the trade off for the products that can not be developed in the Urban Landscape.
This is possible, yes, probable, not likely in this current environment and economy, but I do believe that it is the way that things will turn in the near future, but only by force of these factors being in place, as Americans specifically do not help each other like they used to, or like the Germans do, because we are taught from the very beginning it is all about what we have and what others do not. After all it is the person that has the best toys and the most glitter that wins right.
I have been a proponent of community and community gardens for many years. This does not mean that it will work, it only means that if you have a visionary person willing to put forth their effort to lead, others will follow, at least for now, it takes a very forceful vision with carefully crafted design to make it happen for longer than their lifetime.
As this is a response to a comment from someone who was not brave enough to even put their name to it, I provide but a slight response. The truth is I have great faith in the human race, but I know that it will take a very devastating event in the social and economic factors for this selfish and self centered society that we have built to make that leap into community, or many generations of slow growth, with a consistent leadership that champions this community aspect.
Let us hope that either or both will work out to be better than the current direction, which does not lead one to believe that we will continue with out dire consequence to our environment and therefore our potential for existence.
As a idea, the concept of community gardens is great. As an application it is less than realistic. On an individual basis it does work, however in this country, unlike in other countries, such as continental Europe, where such community gardens do work, this country is very self centered, and therefore it is very difficult to get people to work towards a common goal without a catalyzing factor. Can such programs work, yes, they have for centuries work in many places, however in this country it is about competition for resources rather than cooperation for conservation of resources.
This being said, I do believe that we are soon to realize that catalyst that will make such efforts more possible. I have seen some communities that worked, but how long have they worked, and on what scale. They do not work on the larger scale, because people do not feel the need for such and therefore they put greater effort on what seems the more important issues. This is a common circumstance, as it normal in this country to compartmentalize issues as if they are unrelated, and prioritize them as if getting one done will therefore free up the other. It is however only parts of a single problem, and that it will only be solved by taking a holistic approach to the issue.
It will be necessary to look at the Urban landscape in a different light, as one that is more agricultural than previous thought of. That some percentage of the food needed by the residence living in the Urban areas will have to produce some of their own food, as there will be no food available in the stores they are used to shopping in. This has not happened yet, and until this does happen it will not create theh needed factors to generate the need for community gardens to be more than a novelty. There is ino way that community gardens will completely replace the local farms, which are more dedicated to such programs as Dairy and meat production. Even though a small community can produce a great amount of the needed food, and cooperation will produce even greater community, until the factors that create the need for this, it will be difficult to make this happen for more than select groups and there will be no long term development past the current generation of development. To make this happen for many generations it must include a social shift as well as a holistic vision, which includes agriculture in both the urban landscape (which is only a large group of communities tied together by common networks of roads and communications), and throughout the outlying areas where larger scale agriculture can support the urban communities with products that these same communities can not produce due to space or skill. However it is likely that these same urban communities will be the very areas where artistic development will flourish and therefore provide for theh others the tools and other products that will be needed, in the trade off for the products that can not be developed in the Urban Landscape.
This is possible, yes, probable, not likely in this current environment and economy, but I do believe that it is the way that things will turn in the near future, but only by force of these factors being in place, as Americans specifically do not help each other like they used to, or like the Germans do, because we are taught from the very beginning it is all about what we have and what others do not. After all it is the person that has the best toys and the most glitter that wins right.
I have been a proponent of community and community gardens for many years. This does not mean that it will work, it only means that if you have a visionary person willing to put forth their effort to lead, others will follow, at least for now, it takes a very forceful vision with carefully crafted design to make it happen for longer than their lifetime.
As this is a response to a comment from someone who was not brave enough to even put their name to it, I provide but a slight response. The truth is I have great faith in the human race, but I know that it will take a very devastating event in the social and economic factors for this selfish and self centered society that we have built to make that leap into community, or many generations of slow growth, with a consistent leadership that champions this community aspect.
Let us hope that either or both will work out to be better than the current direction, which does not lead one to believe that we will continue with out dire consequence to our environment and therefore our potential for existence.
Friday, October 24, 2008
RE: Community Garden "Clusters"
From Alchemical Nursery Organization:
About clusters, or local networks of farms, I believe I have discussed this before, if not here, at least somewhere. The point to this is that it is about the community that the agriculture serves. Unfortunately this is a world of individuals, and because of this the idea of clustering will not work well without some catalyst.
As I continue to work through the building of a farm, I realize that what I am attempting is the building a model from which others can then develop from. As this has always been part of the plan, it hopefully will be utilized as it is built to provide examples to other communities that it can be done in any environment or culture. However I expect that no one will consider this until I have shown how it works, and that it can work, without the new age ideas, that seem to at this time pervade all the community projects that I have seen or read about.
The single largest problem I see with all of the "planned communities" is that they are mired in communities and making sure that they represent all the interest of the participants. The truth is what they need is a visionary who can design a workable model that includes sufficient foundation to ensure that the vision is carried forward. There must be a solid foundation and a form of beneficial transfer of the leadership. There must always be a visionary in leadership, in this way the lead continues to be progressive, however there is potential for problems here as well, but it needs this first, then a contingency for what might be bad leadership.
How does this relate to the article about clusters? First these clusters need a vision to be effective. Second because they need a leadership that is capable of moving this vision forward. Third they need an economy that is not representative, but effective regardless of the political economics. They need a system of time that provides them all with a cycle that is stable in regard to seasonal disturbance. They need to enhance each others diversity rather than enhance their specialization. They need to support the support organizations who are based in artistic competition rather than political division. There needs to be a guild system that continues to provide a logical progression of artistic development based on capability rather than desire. They need a network of communication that is outside the normal political channels. They need access to the market through a common market, so that the community is provided with equal access, and each individual organization is provided with equal access, that is stable to the unique vision of the community.
So as you can see it is more about the visionary that can put this in action rather than a group of people who can debate the potential and try to figure it out, but that will only solve the logistics, it will not provide the engine for the success of the program, that must come from a single engine.
About clusters, or local networks of farms, I believe I have discussed this before, if not here, at least somewhere. The point to this is that it is about the community that the agriculture serves. Unfortunately this is a world of individuals, and because of this the idea of clustering will not work well without some catalyst.
As I continue to work through the building of a farm, I realize that what I am attempting is the building a model from which others can then develop from. As this has always been part of the plan, it hopefully will be utilized as it is built to provide examples to other communities that it can be done in any environment or culture. However I expect that no one will consider this until I have shown how it works, and that it can work, without the new age ideas, that seem to at this time pervade all the community projects that I have seen or read about.
The single largest problem I see with all of the "planned communities" is that they are mired in communities and making sure that they represent all the interest of the participants. The truth is what they need is a visionary who can design a workable model that includes sufficient foundation to ensure that the vision is carried forward. There must be a solid foundation and a form of beneficial transfer of the leadership. There must always be a visionary in leadership, in this way the lead continues to be progressive, however there is potential for problems here as well, but it needs this first, then a contingency for what might be bad leadership.
How does this relate to the article about clusters? First these clusters need a vision to be effective. Second because they need a leadership that is capable of moving this vision forward. Third they need an economy that is not representative, but effective regardless of the political economics. They need a system of time that provides them all with a cycle that is stable in regard to seasonal disturbance. They need to enhance each others diversity rather than enhance their specialization. They need to support the support organizations who are based in artistic competition rather than political division. There needs to be a guild system that continues to provide a logical progression of artistic development based on capability rather than desire. They need a network of communication that is outside the normal political channels. They need access to the market through a common market, so that the community is provided with equal access, and each individual organization is provided with equal access, that is stable to the unique vision of the community.
So as you can see it is more about the visionary that can put this in action rather than a group of people who can debate the potential and try to figure it out, but that will only solve the logistics, it will not provide the engine for the success of the program, that must come from a single engine.
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