A 50-Year Farm Bill

[nosmokes]

When Wendell speaks we should listen.
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original-NYtimes

A 50-Year Farm Bill


By WES JACKSON and WENDELL BERRY
Published: January 4, 2009

THE extraordinary rainstorms last June caused catastrophic soil erosion in the grain lands of Iowa, where there were gullies 200 feet wide. But even worse damage is done over the long term under normal rainfall — by the little rills and sheets of erosion on incompletely covered or denuded cropland, and by various degradations resulting from industrial procedures and technologies alien to both agriculture and nature.

Soil that is used and abused in this way is as nonrenewable as (and far more valuable than) oil. Unlike oil, it has no technological substitute — and no powerful friends in the halls of government.




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complete article here

[drm604]

1. This article talks about developing perennial crops.

Most of our current crops are annuals. This is the cause of many of our current agricultural problems. Scientific American had a good article about this in 2007.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=future-farming-a-return-to-roots

Unfortunately, the entire article is not available online unless you want to pay for it. I recall reading the article when it came out and, if I recall correctly, a big advantage of perennials is that over time they develop a deep root system so they require less irrigation and retain soil better. Research is being done on both developing perennial versions of existing crops and domesticating wild perennials.

[pansypoo53219]

2. but then monsanto can't SELL THEIR seeds.

their expensive genetically 'enhanced' seeds. and gotta BUY petro fertilizer.

[drm604]

4. Screw Monsanto.

We have to somehow develop sustainable forms of agriculture.

[MadHound]

3. Everything old is new again

Perennial crops, cover crops, old fashioned crop rotation. An ecologically sound and sustainable agriculture model that we threw out sixty years ago with the advent of chemical fertilizers and herbicides, a problem we further exacerbated with GM crops and industrial agriculture.

[saltpoint]

5. Kick and recommend. I saw this piece today and loved it.

Wendell Berry is the cat's pajamas.

Or the cat's over-alls.