Animal power
Nirmal Hickey (nhickey@pennet.net)
Thu, 7 Dec 1995 07:50:43 GMT
I've been reading this back and forth discussion about FB and whatever
forces think FB harms environment. It's true that pesticides/fertilizers
used in farming now, will not be good for the soil in the long run. It's
true that a farmer who wants to stay afloat or succeed in producing on their
farm, will use those things if they feel it will help their farm support
their family. It is very true that it is much easier for people who don't
farm to get behind a certain position, say strongly opposing FB, by their
philosophical ideas and stastical information. It is true that
they(anti-FB/certain farming techniques supported by FB) don't have any
positive influence by ridiculing farmers who use those techniques; if they
are not farming in a family capacity or do not have a real empathy for
farmers who are actualy farming, they don't have a right to be high and
mighty with philosophy or statitics.
Personaly, I grew up on a farm where we used tractors sometimes and
whenever we could we used oxen and biodynamic techniques. For a while we
used chemical fertilizers/pesticides, and then we tried to use other, more
Earth friendly techniques as much as possible. I know that there are people
throughout this country who are very happily farming with natural techniques
in different degrees to their abilities.
A problem(or at least a problem if you think like I do that it
should be more prevalent) that I see is that the nature of most, if not all,
of the farmers who farm without harming the soil or intend to move in that
direction, are of a certain character. They are, in my experience, not into
philosophical or promotional debates, but absorbed in the daily activities
of their farming, which they love. I have wanted to promote or convince
people of the value of farming using animal power and other soil promoting
fertilizers and pesticides. For people who wish to endorse the concept of
sustainable agriculture, they must have credibility. To have credibility,
there must be a segment among them who are actually practicing a form of
sustainable farming.
If anyone knows where I can find others on the net interested in
farming naturaly with oxen, please give me those contacts.
Thank you,
Nirmal
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Nirmal C. Hickey
Arch Rock, PA
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