Enter Another Gear
(Couldn’t stay away.)
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT
An impactful shift is occurring right now in agriculture.
The four-year drought in California is extremely significant. Why? First, it brings our attention to water, or our lack thereof in the southwest United States. Water tables are depleting. In the Central Valley area of California, farmers will fall like blazing trees in a forest fire. The Feds cut off water to key food-producing areas, choosing to save Nature rather than Man. Even as a farmer, I support this move. We must be seeking sustainable methods in order for agriculture to survive. Rather than draining our resources, we need to use earth-friendly alternatives such as harvesting rainwater to preserve water.
Secondly, the universal law of supply and demand rises front and center. Less food from the most productive fruits and vegetables area in the nation means more dependence on foreign foods this winter. With more and more talk of a weakening dollar, grocery store prices have only one way to go…and that is where balloon boy was supposed to be.
Third, this is merely a sign of what’s to come. California is the wakeup call for farmers. The draining water table will next hit Arizona and New Mexico. Not far behind is my beloved Texas. My hometown’s main water pump was pumping air a few weeks ago!
The ideas and concepts of permaculture are a great place to start. As farmers, our impact on resources is tremendous. We account for 85% of our nation’s water consumption. We must be protectors, guardian angels rather than mindless producers. If we are not mindful of this, we will pass like the dinosaurs. We must evolve in order to survive.
HEMP FARMERS ARRESTED
This video put a grin on my face. A few farmers/protestors gathered outside the DEA’s main headquarters to plant hempseed on their front lawn. Quite comical. It really points out how silly the prohibition on hemp truly is. While several states have passed state legislation to legalize hemp production, it is still a federal crime.