Growing grass in a starving world

[baymule]

@Ken Adams I raised 20 ducks in the backyard this spring, 17 Pekins and 3 Runners. The Pekins went to that lovely duck resort, freezer camp. The Runners haven't started laying yet, but that's what they are for. I also butcher the old hens and occasional cockerel. While not self sustainable, I knock a dent in it.

You should check out my green beans.....let me go look for that thread... found it! This is the 2014 thread with a link to 2012 and 2013. I can't count how many of these seeds I have given away.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/asian-long-beans-thread-2014.15286/

 

[Ken Adams]

Food is food. I'd love to add poultry to my efforts but it's not allowed in my town...maybe when things get bad we can barter

I'm trying yard long beans for the 3rd year. The first year they did great...last year...not so much. They are my favorite bean imposter

 

[seedcorn]

Even IF our food budget triples, it's still less than rest of world. Beef is going to become a luxury food. Expect fast food to switch to poultry and pork. Fish will have to change as we have to stop fishing the oceans dry.

 

[Ken Adams]

A virus is currently devastating our pork supply and demand for chicken is driving prices to historic levels. There was a news report out today about the subject

 

[Nyboy]

Welcome !! What drives me crazy is the waste with lawns. Where I live the houses have unground sprinker system on a timer. Nothing like driving down the street when its been raining all day and seeing sprinkers on in the rain.

 

[Lavender2]

I agree that some open lawn space is needed. But with food supplies shrinking and populations growing people need to reassess how much play space they need. What bothers me the most are the churches and schools. Churches could be helping provide food for the needy and schools could be teaching kids how to feed themselves

Unfortunately, unless the government moves on things like this it's hard to make it happen. Like they did with the prisons - Article

There are some very positive things happening with education, and 'locally grown' movements... Resilience

I think one of the main benefits of grass is preventing soil erosion. Our community garden plots are full and thriving, and our church has considered providing more space. The interest and demand has to be there. Food should cost more in this country, perhaps there would be less waste.

 

[seedcorn]

A virus is currently devastating our pork supply and demand for chicken is driving prices to historic levels. There was a news report out today about the subject

That swine virus is nothing new. In animals, just like humans, there is always some new disease-it's not new in this case.

Chicken is higher priced because inputs are higher (labor, feed, electric, etc) so they raise less to bring prices up to make a profit. You can't raise more and make a profit. Losing on a million birds is worse than losing on a hundred birds. It is supply and demand. As prices came up, they hatched more.

 

[seedcorn]

Ken, news is always 6 months or year behind in Agriculture. They really have NO clue! Don't care as we have cheap food and plenty of it!

 

[catjac1975]

Valid point in regard to most people these days. But schools have no excuse. They have the land and the manpower (students). A new culture begins with youth

I guess you don't work in a school. You could never use kids in this fashion. Outdoor fields at schools are for physical and outdoor education. My school had a garden club where a few students had a garden and donated produce.Costs money and time must be volunteered by adults.

 

[Smart Red]

@Ken Adams, I've been busy and haven't gotten online much lately, but I do want to say, . I am pleased that you're fast becoming an involved member of this wonderful group. Interesting subject you bring up.

When it comes to lamenting the lack of gardening participation in the community, I fear you are speaking to the choir here. Many of us are preparing to feed and care for our family in the coming years.

I share my surplus with the local Food Banks and it is always appreciated, however, when I offer those same groups food free for the picking, no one shows up. Makes me feel a bit (or rather a lot) like the little red hen.

On the other hand, I have made the same offer -- "so I don't have all this food go to waste" -- to families that I know wouldn't touch free Food Bank staples and find them stopping out to 'help' harvest so often that, if I don't act sharp, I don't get veggies I had intended to put up for my family.

What should be found is a way to help those IN NEED rather than those IN WANT through sharing, teaching, and providing opportunity for them to grow for themselves.