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As local marketing returns in
West, corporate food producers lose their markets, reduce their production accordingly and poison much less land and water. That is, unless taxpayers continue to subsidize them. When an individual only produces
value of
food s/he consumes, s/he can now live with ten to twenty percent less income. If s/he produces a surplus, other income could be cut in half. Should s/he lose
main source of income, s/he eats well as s/he increases production with mostly personal labor, which essentially removes this person from
corporate value system and all its hidden costs. Economic justice becomes a lifestyle.
Food is so basic to life and health as to be
first need addressed in
Lord's Prayer. So it is in any economy also. It is
foundation of economic prosperity. Food has usually been grown so inefficiently, only people who loved
work or immigrants would do it. Making agriculture a chemical and machine operation was one of
huge mistakes of
Machine Age. Individuals are now in a position to make it right and would be wise to do so. I understand about nine million people are out of work in America. Use those unemployment benefits to grow and store food and have more money for housing.
As local agriculture replaces corporate agriculture and hydrogen becomes
new fuel for power, water becomes very valuable. Rainwater, which is superior to ground water in so many ways, for plants and people, can be collected. Large storage containers, such as swimming pools are not only justified but necessary to food production and home security. Use enough water gathering capacity to weather three years of serious drought. A back up well can be a handy thing for a neighborhood association. Indoor and outdoor water can be stored conveniently and provide thermal mass for moderating home and greenhouse temperatures. It can be raised to high temperatures and pumped through radiators in winter. We could all live in cozy, clever, greenhouse homes. Eat fresh strawberries year round and earn lots of money for as long as it is worth anything to do so. Feed your neighbor. Feed your community and encourage others to grow. Food independence is true independence for an individual, a group, a town, a nation.
When we love our neighbors more than we love our money, we create economic justice. We move
least valued things to
top of
old value system. We know there is great intrinsic value in
other. We want to know each other's thoughts on world issues and be free to respond. Freedom exists in service. If we love our neighbors, we include them in our work, as time, need and desire requires. Who do we wish to exclude from relative prosperity in global crises? What if
world demands win - win solutions for every problem, instead of win - lose? Can we not create such a world by increasing our chances of surviving its plagues? Green plagues would be a perfect reason to keep and produce much of your food in your home, where you can have environmental control and protection. This is especially so in
city where cultivating land may be impractical.
What is wrong with living with one's food as a lifestyle? How many people need to choose this to make a positive change in
balances of external, material power? One thousand? One million? Ten million? They don't have to congregate in Idaho, though it's good for like minded folks to congregate anywhere. Most folks can be far more independent in their choices than they are. It helps when they know they have
choices, regardless of corporate, political and bureaucratic systems. When there are people starving anywhere, someone has made poor choices and it might be you and me that made them. Governments feed people in emergencies. Will you be needing government food in
future? What will you do to get it?
Stored grains, nuts and seeds provide ready food you can eat dry, while sprouting pounds of tender, delicious, baby plants; in anywhere from one to seven days. These are fine food storage items when vacuum sealed to keep insect eggs from hatching. Add water, increase nutritional value and eat, fresh, live food. Meat, fish and poultry can be stored in cans for quite a while if desired. Jerkys will also satisfy a taste for meat and keep a long time. Build stacking sprout trays according to your available space and begin indoor food production. Go meet your neighbors with samples. They will soon be your customers.
It is
Boy Scout motto to Be Prepared! It applies to all of us today. The hard times are so much writing on
wall. Who will you and I help through them? When will we begin to practice economic justice in our personal lives? When will we divorce our old world corporate masters?

Freelance writer published on many websites and newspapers. edhowes@hotmail.com justanotherview.com