On Thu, 12 Oct 1995, Mike Linker wrote:
>
> I've known one producer who grew organic tobacco and as far as I remember
> he did it because he felt it was better environmentally and he made more
> money. There was a company who bought his tobacco at a higher price.
>
> I do object strongly to the implication that tobacco growers are like drug
> producers. To me it's like saying if you drink a beer you're an alcoholic.
> I believe there is a distinct difference.
>
> It must be nice to live a life where you make no compromises for the sake
> of your family, to keep your farm, tradition, etc. It must seem so simple
> to certain confortably tentured faculty to point out the foibles of others when their livelyhood is not threatened. (Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you giveup your job and show these poor misguided tobacco farmers how to start a new
> life at middle age?!)
>
> Others have responded on this subject by saying we just need to encourage
> tobacco growers to grow other crops. Not even organic vegetables (making
> the giant assumption there is a market big enough to abosorb this much
> production) is as profitable as tobacco. For many, the options are very
> limited because they have little land and specialized equipment. So they
> hang on, defend what they do, and hope it lasts until they can retire, or
> get their kids out of school, or pay off the bank, etc. Some are trying
> animal production, but, guess what, this offends some folks also. Perhaps
> they should all grow organic neem (surely this will be politically
> correct) and allow certain faculty the time to pontificate on other
> subjects.
>
>
>