What I’m not up to…
Don’t know who that is in the photo…it’s not me! I last posted this image—I found it online; I think it’s public domain; he’s loading up a herbicide called alachlor—in October, 2007: And now for something completely different… I like it. It’s a way for me to make quick sense of this organic tiny farming, so I guess I’ll post it every so often, as a reminder, until something better comes along… I have zero first-hand experience with industrial agriculture or its direct effects, all I know about it is what I’ve read and eaten (and I think I’m doing OK so far). I do know that things are never the same when you’re on the inside, so when I think Big Ag is all wrong, it’s just a semi-educated guess. I haven’t seen it DO wrong in person, and (unfortunately), it still feeds me part of the time. But when I see a picture like this, and compare it with what I do in the field, the contrast is pretty clear. With all of the mind-numbing complexities of the green/what-have-we-done-to-the-planet-and-what-should-we-do-now- to-fix-it/save-ourselves debate, I can simplify: I immensely enjoy growing food for people, and I don’t want to be that guy…
Somewhat related posts: • And now for something completely different… • The Endless Salad… • People in the field update • Meet my garden spirit guide • Au revoir to the farmers’ market!
That picture also reminds me why I have a garden each year. Eeeeewwwww.
and don’t forget what could happened with fertilizer and pork manure, I am french and even tough I lived in the US, I am really sucked by that : ” The Green Wave ” or the nasty green things that turn a wonderful beach in a nasty stinky place
http://www.uco-bn.fr/dummy-3.6.2/fileadmin/template/main/Recherche%20et%20Documentation/Photos/Mar%E9e%20verte.jpg
Don’t give up in your tiny farming and personally, I will do my vegetable garden ….
I totally agree. The more I learn about chemicals in the garden, the more scary it is.
I’m so glad I can garden this year and there are farmers like you all over. I just love driving through farm land and have some plane dump chemicals on my van….
Hear, hear. Go Mike!
Yes! Ugh, there he is all suited up like he’s in a war zone, and those nasty chemicals are going on to *food we eat*. This is the encouragement I needed today to keep hacking at my new veggie beds
Well said. Although I do see a million reasons not to eat industrial ag products (though I am not completely weaned yet myself) the picture really does say a thousand words, doesn’t it?
scary…I mean, just scary…but what a hypocrite I am…I can’t always afford organic, and this is the first year for me to have a garden that will be big enough for us to eat from for a while…
Eeek, scary when you see then looking like men from outer space mixing herbicide’s or pesticides. But on the other hand, what you can and can afford to do on 2 acres is not cost effective on 200 or 2000 acre farms.
I do think ag-chemicals are over used and many time improperly applied. With high crude prices ag-chemicals have doubled or tripled in price, this may be good side benefit of higher priced crude.
This is a moving picture but I can’t say it’s indicative of all commercial farming. “Big Ag” has its place just as Organic does. I appreciate and support both and really think that it’s an economic question. -As long as farmers can afford to produce, and buyers will pay a premium for organic, go for it. I wrote on the topic back in February where I addressed European GMO. (http://blog.alextiller.com/post/33341308/will-europe-go-gmo ) Bottom-line, I am glad to be able to buy my organic tomatoes because they taste better and I like the guy who grows them, but if you or I lived in an area of the world that is more prone to drought and nasty pests, and your best chance for making a nice living or feeding your family is farming, you might want a little more help than what organic framing practices can provide.
Thanks for the chance to weigh in.
Alex Tiller
http://blog.alextiller.com
It’s the suit that gets me…wow…