In effect, the composting operation has closed the circle in the food cycle,
bringing back to the farm nutrients that the city would normally bury or
flush out to sea.
But there is a problem. Local government planning laws deem the process
industrial rather than primary production and prevent its commercialisation
on Mr Barrett’s farm. The logic being mountains of compost can be made just
as long as it’s not sold. It’s a logic that’s now threatening to ruin one of
the most original and constructive ways yet developed in dealing with
organic waste."
============
Extract from Sinclair Lewis, 'Main Street' 1921
"Main Street is the climax of civilization. That this Ford might stand in
front of the Bon Ton Store, Hannibal invaded Rome and Erasmus wrote in
Oxford cloisters. What Ole Jensen the grocer says to Ezra Stowbody the
banker is the new law for London, Prague, and the unprofitable isles of the
sea; whatsoever Ezra does not know and sanction, that thing is heresy,
worthless for knowing, and wicked to consider...
"Such is our comfortable tradition and sure faith. Would he not betray
himself an alien cynic who should otherwise portray Main Street, or distress
the citizens by speculating whether there may not be other faiths."
(Nowadays of course, Main Street comes to us all on global TV, including the
up-minded PBS News Hour. If you say "Thank you for sending us Rupert
Murdoch" I will have to reply "Rupert Murdoch thanks you, I'm sure, for the
program content.")
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