THE WAY OF THE FARMER

Many of the traditional farming practices of the world are disappearing while others are being improved but there is much to be done to get people involved in the growing of their own food,whether locally or nationally or regionally. The biggest obstacle to all this is not only personal inertia of people(read laziness) but also they prefer convenience, abundance(without the sweat) and want others to do these things,believing that science and technology will solve all these problems they presently have. The greater obstacle to all this is GOVERNMENT which in many part of the earth monopolizes the land in several ways that require a deeper study than can be mentioned right now.

THE SCYTHE

A nearly forgotten tool of American Farmers and others is the SCYTHE, which is somewhat kept alive by handmowing contests in the New England Area. Not only is hand mowing hay and other grasses,etc. an excellent exercise but it does not require the use of fossil fuels or gasoline powered machines,etc. In the old days, horses were used to do things, like pull wagons upon which the hay was pitched with pitchforks,etc. Oxen and other beasts of burden were employed in harvesting crops, hauling logs, etc. This has gone on all around the world until the complete takeover of farming by machines, which were touted as 'LABOR SAVING' but what labor is saved? Actually, such machines increase labor, intensify and speed up the processes involved. a chain saw,for example, is easier to use, but at a certain cost, BUT more trees can be 'havested' or cut down and forests denuded and jungles cut down,etc. This speeded up process is going on all over the world and some would say is leading to the present climate conditions in various ways. The man with the scythe is more in tune with nature than the tractor driver with a mowing machine! Same goes with the man with the hoe!

ELECTRONIC FARMING & OTHER INNOVATIONS

In the cyber world of addictive amusement and entertainment that only seems to develop the index finger and over-emphasize the visual world, enterpreneurs have devised 'electronic farming' that is, growing crops on a game device, even on line. You plant the seeds, water the ground, etc. all without any real sweat and so forth. It is a sort of game that has followers. There is also a thing of various pets, like dogs or cats, that romp, bark, cavort, meow, have to be fed,etc. all without the usual poop you'd have to scrape up or the litter box to change. Now, what about a device that allows you to cook food, create menus, desserts, dishes,etc. and so forth? My feeling is that we need to get back to reality and actually cook, take care of pets or animals, and plant gardens,etc. and do some work,especially for those who are advocating and preaching GREEN!