I have some thoughts about the process this article describes accurately.
I partly grew up in Iowa, and the rest Missouri. I have watched farming, and the land, and the community, die all my life.
In this essay it is described in passive terms. It happened theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-o…
I partly grew up in Iowa, and the rest Missouri. I have watched farming, and the land, and the community, die all my life.
In this essay it is described in passive terms. It happened theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-o…
H/T Jason Snyder for the article.
https://twitter.com/cognazor/status/1400125988009283584?s=19
2. The processes described in this article occurred sequentially as the level of imported energy, i.e. fossil fuels, have increased. I propose that there is a cause and effect linkage. The higher speed and power caused this outcome, inevitably.
Only be removing them can it stop.
Only be removing them can it stop.
4. My maternal grandfather was instrumental in mechanizing Iowa farms. He was the district rep for International Harvester, and traveled the state selling tractors and implements. Mostly tractors.
Lots of guys pulled their horse implements the first few years,
Lots of guys pulled their horse implements the first few years,
5. He believed, and my mother believed, that he was working to benefit the farmers. He believed in tractors, believed it was better.
The market was hot. Lots of guys fresh home from World War II, horses and mules were in short supply because of the war. Tractors were cheap.
The market was hot. Lots of guys fresh home from World War II, horses and mules were in short supply because of the war. Tractors were cheap.
6. They'd take teams of horses in trade-in, and send them to the slaughterhouse, worsening the shortage of horses.
Capitalism at its best.
The last year International manufactured a horsedrawn hay mower was 1952, the #9, a prized horse mower to this day. Lots of them still work.
Capitalism at its best.
The last year International manufactured a horsedrawn hay mower was 1952, the #9, a prized horse mower to this day. Lots of them still work.
7. My grandfather, and all his friends and relatives, were the first people in all of human history to drive all around whole states in cars. My parent were born before cars. So - I know this first and second hand, from my family.
Farms started going down immediately. Get big or.
Farms started going down immediately. Get big or.
8. The Amish, and all the other farmers in the country, all lived just alike, except the Amish wore uniforms.
But they looked and the tractors and cars and they said, "Those things will destroy our communities. We can't use them."
And they didn't.
And our communities vanished.
But they looked and the tractors and cars and they said, "Those things will destroy our communities. We can't use them."
And they didn't.
And our communities vanished.
9. What makes it possible to catch salmon in the United States, transport it to China for processing, and transport it back?
High speed high energy transportation.
And salmon aren't even the tip of that iceberg. We fly apples to South Africa to be polished. I shit you not.
High speed high energy transportation.
And salmon aren't even the tip of that iceberg. We fly apples to South Africa to be polished. I shit you not.
10. Climate change as we know it and love it is exactly as much an output of high speed high energy transportation as corn and soybean factory states.
No more and no less.
No more and no less.
11. To observe and bemoan the characteristics of industrial agriculture in Iowa without observing that it exists within a system which makes it inevitable is to be incomplete.
12. Mr. Frerick cites laws and policies, but they were passed in response to demand from the marketplace.
The faster we can go, the farther we can look for the best deal.
I often mention that our predicament is the result of our value system.
This is the most profitable.
The faster we can go, the farther we can look for the best deal.
I often mention that our predicament is the result of our value system.
This is the most profitable.
13. On my smallholding, I look at every task as an energy transaction. How can I accomplish things beneficial to this land and my objectives and needs at the minimum expenditure of imported / not locally available energy? The gasoline machinery has to go. It's a learning.
14. When they make a horsedrawn hay mower, they put quite a bit of energy in it once. Have to melt a bunch of iron and steel, which takes a lot of heat.
After that it runs on naturally available energy. For a long, long time. And in the end, rust will turn it into Earth.
After that it runs on naturally available energy. For a long, long time. And in the end, rust will turn it into Earth.
15. Speed and distance are inextricably bound together. The faster you go the farther you go, and the farther you go the more room you have to have to do it. You can't raise onions with a planter 48 feet wide, pulled by a rubber-tracked bulldozer tractor. Earl Butz didn't do it.
16. In America we operate under a technological imperative: if we can make it we must make it, if we can increase our cash flow we must increase our cash flow.
17. I do what they call "agroforestry" here, although it's more agro-savanna-ry. It is popular with a certain group of folks.
But they all agree: we need to find ways to mechanize so we can get more efficient because climate change and lots of work...
Scale up.
Like in Iowa.
But they all agree: we need to find ways to mechanize so we can get more efficient because climate change and lots of work...
Scale up.
Like in Iowa.
18. Anyway. Suppertime.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
