06-13-2016, 08:34 PM
(06-13-2016, 11:07 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I agree that everyone should be encouraged to raise a garden, but there is no way there is enough land in large cities for everyone to grow their own food.
Plus, if you look at the cost of production large corporate farmers can produce food cheaper than millions of individuals growing their own food. It works the same way with pretty much everything. That is why society has evolved they way it has. Specialization makes everything cheaper for everyone. It is cheaper for one farmer to buy a tractor and use it to grow 100 acres of wheat than for 100 people to each buy a tractor to grow one acre of wheat each. In one case it takes one $20K tractor investment to grow 100 acres and in the other case it requires $2 million in tractor investment to grow 100 acres.
There is also the issue of the best use of human skills. It is easier for one person to spend hundreds of hours to learn how to be a doctor or engineer than to have each individual spend the same number of hours. Society is MUCH more efficient and costs are much lower when we have specialization. 100 people could learn 100 different skills in the same amount of time it takes 100 people to learn one single skill.
I have been gardening for 5 years now and I haven't needed a tractor.
Seriously, if anyone thinks not being able to get a tractor is a reason why gardening is feasible should just stop.
The only reason to need to grow up to 100 acres of food is for the production of it, if you are just growing your own food you can get by with less than 1 quarter acre.
Here are some videos to check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMylpQqVKI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKNuoYCdue4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKNuoYCdue4
It is easier than you think, but there is still work involved. A lot of what I learned was from trial an error.
I don't have chickens, but I do know someone who does. They don't grow garlic and tomatoes, but I do. We trade for what we don't have, I give 2 buckets of tomatoes and 1 bag of garlic for 2 dozen eggs. I have plenty of tomatoes and garlic left over. I do still go to the grocery store but I spend roughly $30-$40 a month instead of $100-$200 a month.
