3-16-18

Historical alternatives:

Problem: the isolation of farmers because they live on their farms far apart
Alternative pattern: Hutterite communal farming

Problem: concentration of land into large farms
Alternative pattern: agrarian reform
every person has the right to a share of land which is a common resource, not something that should be owned and monopolized by a few
19th century proposals for 160 acres per family, that reverted to the state on death and could not be mortgaged (today it would be 7.5 acres per person)
this is different from the eventual homestead act, which gave people land for free if they farmed it but then they could sell it

single tax on unimproved land value only would fund government services:

• people own the value of what they produce but the economic value of land should belong equally to all members of society
• income tax is a tax on labor, in comparison a land value tax does not take from individual productivity
• people are taxed not according to what they produce but according to the share of the common resource they monopolize
• a high tax on land would encourage people to put it to productive use

Problem: high-chemical use single crop farming
Alternative pattern: A return to mixed farming patterns, crop rotation... under the broad umbrella sustainable farming
fence-rows

History:

• Rudolph Steiner, Biodynamic Agriculture
• use of manure and composting
  
• astrological farming calendar
• Albert Howard, Law of return (return as much to the soil as we take away), influenced Jerome Rodale who publicized organic farming
• started a magazine in 1942, got respect by 1985
• Edward Faulkner, 1943 book led to no till methods--prevent erosion by not plowing at all
• John Todd, perennial polyculture led to various experiments with perennial agriculture and permaculture
  
• Wendell Berry (of this list, the most important one to read today) became a spokesperson for a broader view of sustainable farming based on crop rotation
• another more recent model of importance: Joel Salatin, Polyface farms
  

organic farming has become a clear business model thanks to government regulation and is becoming larger in scale
https://clemsonareafoodexchange.com/