Why Organic Can't Fulfill Our Food Supply Ideals

[BronxBoy]

73. You're absolutely right......

There are some issues with drip irrigation, it is by no means a panacea. Most larger scale farmers, no matter what the growing practices, generally lay drip under plastic mulch, usually Black. It does make for an incredibly efficient growing system. But guess what? They pull it up after the growing system. Recycling solutions are just starting to appear but I believe a lot of this stuff may be ending up in a landfill. There's nothing sustainable about that and those of us who are serious about sustainability are aware of that and trying to find solutions. I only use organic mulches but my place is small and as such this is a viable solution for me.

I do a lot of work with small farmers and one thing I'm starting to see is that farmers on both sides of the aisle are loosening up from taking these highly entrenched positions and trying to learn from each other. The single most important common bond that small scale farmers have, no matter what their growing practices, is their economic viability. If you own a farm between 5 and 900 acres, it is very tough to make a living. When I speak to farmers at conferences, the one thing I immediately ask them is are they making money and are they making enough.

You'd be amazed that once the focus turns to this how farmers bring up and discuss subjects that can contribute to ideas about realistic solutions to our food problems without retreating in warring camps