Will Soldiers Have to Use Private Ins? - Page 9

TGRR · 03-29-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarpop

I don't think food should be taxed, and I don't like the way big agri-business has taken over and put small farms out of business.

Small farms don't feed cities.

piercehawkeye45 · 03-29-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGRR

Small farms don't feed cities.

Urban agriculture can hopefully make an impact if it starts growing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture

Lots of benefits to it.

xoxoxoBruce · 03-29-2009, 08:23 PM

That's a pipe dream.
First of all, in order to grow food for the city on the surrounding land, you have to tear down the suburbs that are already there. The people that live on the fringes of the city, while they love the bucolic view, soon bitch about the smells, insects, dust, etc, that go along with agriculture.

Now, the people of a particular city could get fresh veggies grown closer... in season. But, not every veggie can be grown everywhere, so the best you can hope for is some produce, some of the year, that costs more.

But for grains, meat, tropical fruits, fugetaboutit.

piercehawkeye45 · 03-29-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That's a pipe dream.
First of all, in order to grow food for the city on the surrounding land, you have to tear down the suburbs that are already there. The people that live on the fringes of the city, while they love the bucolic view, soon bitch about the smells, insects, dust, etc, that go along with agriculture.

The ancient city-state setup isn't the only urban agriculture option. Green roofs are getting increasingly popular and a few cities (Vancouver and Portland) have started planting large gardens in unused lots with some success. It wouldn't be profitable now, but if sources of energy became cheaper entire buildings could be dedicated to the growth of vegetables and maybe even fruits and grains.

Also, preventing excess water runoff is becoming a large issue in cities and methods or preventing runoff can easily coincide with urban agriculture.

sugarpop · 03-29-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGRR

Small farms don't feed cities.

I never said they did. I said I don't like the way big agri-business has taken over everything at the expense of smaller farms. And you know, it didn't always exist, yet people always seemed to have food before. (yes, I know how naive that sounds. It is still the truth.)

piercehawkeye45 · 03-29-2009, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarpop

I never said they did. I said I don't like the way big agri-business has taken over everything at the expense of smaller farms. And you know, it didn't always exist, yet people always seemed to have food before. (yes, I know how naive that sounds. It is still the truth.)

Over half the population used to farmers as well.

TGRR · 03-30-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarpop

I never said they did. I said I don't like the way big agri-business has taken over everything at the expense of smaller farms. And you know, it didn't always exist, yet people always seemed to have food before. (yes, I know how naive that sounds. It is still the truth.)

Yeah. Back when 40-50% of the population was agrarian.

lookout123 · 03-29-2009, 02:42 PM

Quote:

I really think that, over the past 30 years, profit has become such a motivating factor in everything that it has polluted the capitalist model.

That is one of the most amusing statements I've ever read.

piercehawkeye45 · 03-29-2009, 09:26 PM

Yes, they do.

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...kName=See+Also

sugarpop · 03-29-2009, 09:41 PM

Can't you be just a little bit positive about it Bruce? It is a small solution, one that I hope grows, that targets more than one thing, energy efficiency and food. Every little bit will help in creating a greener, more sustainable future.

sugarpop · 03-29-2009, 11:47 PM

Yes it is, which is a good reason why we really should have more local farms, and depend less on shipping goods from far off places. That, of course, applies to other kinds of products as well. Yes, we have to pay more to American workers to make things, but the overall cost to ship things, which is about more than just money, outweighs the cost to make things in this country.

TGRR · 03-30-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Yes it is, which is a good reason why we really should have more local farms, and depend less on shipping goods from far off places.

Well, then. Sucks to be in Arizona, if that's to be the case.

TGRR,
Knows nothing grows here besides cotton.

sugarpop · 03-30-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGRR

Well, then. Sucks to be in Arizona, if that's to be the case.

TGRR,
Knows nothing grows here besides cotton.

Good grief. Arizona, right next to California, the biggest produce state in the country. We still have to ship food, I'm just saying, why do we have to ship it so far? We should try to buy locally as much as possible. SOME produce can certainly be grown in Arizona, can't it? Why yes, it can! http://www.arizonalocalfood.com/

classicman · 03-29-2009, 11:59 PM

Whew. Yup - everyone should have their own manufacturing facility and a garden on their roof. That'd do it.

piercehawkeye45 · 03-30-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman

Whew. Yup - everyone should have their own manufacturing facility and a garden on their roof. That'd do it.

What?

03-29-2009, 08:23 PM	#3
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	That's a pipe dream. First of all, in order to grow food for the city on the surrounding land, you have to tear down the suburbs that are already there. The people that live on the fringes of the city, while they love the bucolic view, soon bitch about the smells, insects, dust, etc, that go along with agriculture. Now, the people of a particular city could get fresh veggies grown closer... in season. But, not every veggie can be grown everywhere, so the best you can hope for is some produce, some of the year, that costs more. But for grains, meat, tropical fruits, fugetaboutit. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-29-2009, 09:26 PM	#9
piercehawkeye45 Franklin Pierce Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,695	Yes, they do. http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...kName=See+Also __________________ I like my perspectives like I like my baseball caps: one size fits all.

03-29-2009, 11:59 PM	#14
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Whew. Yup - everyone should have their own manufacturing facility and a garden on their roof. That'd do it. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

03-29-2009, 09:41 PM	#10
sugarpop Professor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: the edge of the abyss Posts: 1,947	Can't you be just a little bit positive about it Bruce? It is a small solution, one that I hope grows, that targets more than one thing, energy efficiency and food. Every little bit will help in creating a greener, more sustainable future.

03-29-2009, 11:47 PM	#11
sugarpop Professor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: the edge of the abyss Posts: 1,947	Yes it is, which is a good reason why we really should have more local farms, and depend less on shipping goods from far off places. That, of course, applies to other kinds of products as well. Yes, we have to pay more to American workers to make things, but the overall cost to ship things, which is about more than just money, outweighs the cost to make things in this country.

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