Friday August 8, 2008, 4:28 pm
A solution is to grow your own food. Since this isn't practical or feasible for some, at least grow a few items that can be sold or bartered locally in exchange for what you need. Eating genetically modified or pesticide loaded food, or having it shipped from Brazil, India or China where you are getting who knows what is a setup for disaster.

Friday August 8, 2008, 4:59 pm

So glad you posted this, Marion!

I was watching a documentary last night on "China: Inside Out" and how they are buying soy beans from Brazil (potentially endangering the rain forest), rebuilding Angola, etc., lending money worldwide (and, of course, my mind was working full-time filtering out the mainstream propaganda message, in light of the Olympics -- what a work-out. LOL).

But, you are absolutely right. Food is becoming the new gold.

Friday August 8, 2008, 5:07 pm

But, I wanted to add a side-note. China is experiencing increasing prosperity, starting to equal the over-consumerism of the West. Supposedly, this urgent need is for soy beans (to be added to feed for livestock to supply their increasing consumption of meat).

And yet, none of this prosperity is spread to impoverished countries, where people (children) are dying every few seconds from hunger. Sure, Angola is being rebuilt. But the common people are not the ones benefitting.

Yes, America has set an example of over-indulgence and omnipotence. But, it's not a good one to mimic.

Friday August 8, 2008, 5:27 pm
Good comment!

On America setting a bad example...I was in Japan in 1983. The US was well on our way into healthy eating, less drinking and no smoking. Walking around Tokyo, I was shocked to see Japanese businessmen drunk as skunks clinging to stop signs during the lunch hour on a weekday. Smoking was prevalent. They seemed to exist where we were in the 60's - about 20 years behind.

It seems we truly are leaders, but have abused the privilege. If what I saw in Japan and what we now see happening in China is any indication, the world is in serious trouble. I think it's time for America to bite the bullet and sacrifice - intentionally or by force - to set a new model for ourselves and the world.

Friday August 8, 2008, 5:33 pm
This gives a brand-new meaning to
"growing your own".....which everyone
ought to do, to one degree or another.

This also gives a new urgency to going
vegetarian. For every acre of grazing
land that goes to raising a cow, the same
acre of land could be used to grow food
that could feed FAR more people than the one cow.

Thanks for a great post, Marion!
noted.

Friday August 8, 2008, 5:42 pm
Good points, Tim. Two years ago I started growing my own tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs and other goodies. It was easier than I thought and tastes so much better than from a store. When a vegetable or fruit is eaten right after harvest or picking from the vine, the nutrients are more potent. The store food is so greatly diminished of nutrients, which causes the body to be undernourished and feeling starved. This leads to immunity issues, disease and overweight - problems the US is dealing with.

Living in the desert is a challenge with growing food. My husband is building a greenhouse to solve this. Wherever we live, there are solutions.

Friday August 8, 2008, 6:04 pm
I grew my tomatoes this year and last and for a few years there is nothing like them, I also don't eat meat nope can't go there. China down the line is going to controling our food not good, We need to cut them loose now and start depending on America like before its to late. Why they ever started this stupid export crap is stupid anyway and imports too. for there went our jobs and our econmoney. Thanks Marion Thanks C

Friday August 8, 2008, 6:09 pm

Although I am not (yet) a vegetarian, I am increasingly witnessing the far-reaching results of meat consumption (way beyond the cruelty to the animals).

Funny. When I watched the documentary, and saw that acres of rain forest were being destroyed, out of the greed of supplying soy beans to China -- to feed livestock -- it was almost like an epiphany.

Even more odd? When a Brazilian representative was asked about their responsibility to protect the global environment and save the rain forest? His response was: "That is Brazil's problem."

(Another example of the ridiculous concept of imaginary ownership/boundaries and the delusions of sovereignty.)

Friday August 8, 2008, 6:26 pm
I love the rain forrest and the animals in it greed gets me sick

Friday August 8, 2008, 7:32 pm
I really miss my gardens...we used to grow herbs, berries, and all kinds of vegetables in addition to beautiful flowers. Living in an apartment just isn't the same!

Friday August 8, 2008, 8:44 pm
Read and Noted.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 1:22 am

Japan was like that when I was young. (Ahead with technology, behind with
so much else!) Well, I understand they're improving, but as you said Marion, I think they're still about 20 years behind. Even further with lack of social services.

As for food, we all need to wake up. It is the third most important thing to humans, after clean air and clean water, and it's been difficult for third world countries for a very long time. It's finally going to become a
real problem for all of us if serious changes aren't made.

Thank you Marion.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 3:30 am
I can not help but think that anything I read about food, water and oil - oddly enough water always on the back burner, yet it should have prime light - I can not help think it is somehow tained by one or the other opinion maker.
No matter what we do and consume we have to do it with meassure and balanced. Diversity and local is the key to success. Resist labels advertising "health, well being, prosperity, wealth, glamour .. etc" they are all hog wash. If you eat a diversive diet of local produced foods - self prepared and cooked, avoid ANY processed food. If possible opt for non packaged, bulk.
Read all labels - do not assume anything.
This in my HMO is the only way to counter act the merging TOTAL control of food resources as to the now excisting LARGELY controlled food. What, who and where and how much is all already controlled.
When we buy seed to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and co we are already supplied by controlled seeds. There are a few seed exchange sites on the net - check to see if you have one locally.
Potatoes and carrots for example used to be in their original form purple. Who eats today still mustard greens or collard?
When you buy - opt more times for foods which are not the "run of the mill" ie iceberg salad. Try dandelion and spinach, ruccola, romain, leave lettuces etc. When you buy seed search for "old" varieties and keep your own seeds.
Should you live in an area where every one has a garden - organize a crop exchange and rotation club.
And for heavens sake: DO NOT USE FERTILIZERS OR PESTICIDES other than ORGANIC or BIO DYNAMIC. AVOID ALL HERBECIDES YOU DO NOT NEED THEM - PERIOD.
Should you do the switch from conventional to traditional gardening - give your lot a break first. Let it recover. Let it lay for a year and then plant fertilizer or green mulching crops. Itroduce your earth worms, your compost and organic dung during all stages. Do not mulch with plastic foils. Avoid watering with chlorified water - if you can not purify it then leave it for a day in a water butt before using it.

This should be your road to become more autonomic. You can also grow crops in planters - like tomatoes, cucumbers, courgets, potatoes etc...

Go local - not global. Know from whom you buy -avoid all large SM chains and food labels.

AND

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 3:34 am
One more thought - the worst famine ever is yet to come.
And
Who says they want to feed and thus populate the 3rd world countries - those vast areas are the fields of tomorrow.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 4:02 am
What a grand manipulation, you can look back and trace every move made in this chess game of factory farms and total control of resources by the same management styles that raped loyal workers of a job for life. The same people who then fired people near retirement and then "disappeared" their retirement funds leaving the workers bankrupt. These are the same corporations that we allowed to take over the management of every component of our life and we were surprised when they took over our food??? Yes the worst famine is yet to come but it will be man-manipulated and not a natural occurrence. Find ways to be self-sufficient now it is the only thing that will save your future.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 5:37 am
ty well i still grow my own but some no honey bees too produce

Saturday August 9, 2008, 6:43 am
Littlewing, you will have learn to hand pollunate. I too have returned to growing my own food, even hand turning the soil for the garden, composting to enrich the soil. I have and will continue to harvest seeds from these plants for the next season as well. Water is very key, the powers have secured these rights across most of the third world already. A time is coming fast when if you cant pay for drinking water, you will be forced to go without to your own demise. Who knows, this may be the plan to secure all that productive growing land.

On one of the agriculture shows, I witnessed a farming tower, recycling water, etc. This was a concept for encreased production without the need to use more land. In reality this could move us to restoring land for its more natural purposes. Anyway, city dwellers, a vertical tower for growing crops may be a co-op option for you to investigate.

My tomatoes are calling my name, a little potatoes bread toasted with butter, light garlic, a little chives from my trianle of herds, sliced rutgers, and with some regrett, bacon. I to still eat meat, but have moved away from eating meat three to five times a day.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 9:33 am
Cate...you can still grow tomatoes, herbs and berries on your patio, if you have one. There are upright growers that take up little space.

Isabella...EXCELLENT points! While growing our own may seem overwhelming, starting small is a start, and it gets easier from there. My neighbor grows over 8 different fruits. We exchange produce. Another neighbor grows several greens, and we both exchange with her. Know who is growing nearby and you may never have to buy produce again. On the coming famine: very possible.

Morgan...Manipulation? Yes, a frightening reality we must address and stop.

Littlewing...Are you creating an environment to attract the bees? They like certain flowers. If pesticide use is heavy in your area, it is probably driving them away. Anthony's methods are sound.

Anthony...good tips on hand pollinating and enriching the soil. I am worried too about water shortage and working on a recycling/generating water plan. You make me hungry! Sounds almost like bruschetta on the menu.

Thank you all! Good input.

Saturday August 9, 2008, 8:18 pm
Noted and thanks for posting Marian. I didn't do a garden this yr, but I do go to the local farmers markets and always ask if pesticides are used. Being a vegetarian (or not for others) pesticides are very important to me-NOT USING. Yes, the water here is in the top worst supplies in the country.
Thanks for all the great comments, lots to think about.

Sunday August 10, 2008, 10:39 am
There are people working on this problem. The answer may be vertical farms. I read about this months ago in PopSci. I couldn't find the article in their online mag, but here is one possible future that is just awesome. Can you say "Jetsons"? Oh, the vertical farm is in there.

Sunday August 10, 2008, 12:35 pm
Merry...good for you! it's all able awareness and starting somewhere.

Deborah...this link is sooo cool! I like the idea of vertical farms. I do something like that with my hanging baskets for growing tomatoes. But this is really futuristic. Lots of possibilities.

Monday August 11, 2008, 4:51 pm
it just keeps getting scarier and scarier....