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Hello, Chicago comrades,<br>
<br>
I have begun this process last Fall. Have 14 hen chicks (pullets) about
ready to head outside to the coop I'm building now, to provide eggs.
Next is to build the shelter for my milk goats. Working to get the
garden in now... It takes a lot of planning and patience (and work) but
seems quite necessary now. I tell you this as hopefully an
encouragement... <br>
<br>
Second, Kansas City has a growing Food Circle. You might check to see
what's happening in/around Chi for that. Look for sustainability and/or
permaculture groups in the area, who then link to other groups. In KC,
farmers from a circle around KC participate in the markets, but also
offer an opportunity for people to sign up for the produce before it
becomes available, so the farmers have an idea of where it will be
going when it's ready. Also, as you said, no one (hardly) grows
everything, so some of these people trade with each other, as well. <br>
Example: Lawrence, where I'm near now, has the Lawrence Sustainability
Network. It's a clearinghouse of people working on various things...
sustainable energy, (fighing new coal plants in KS now), learning to
get off the grid via alternative energy, food, healthcare/herbs, etc. <br>
<br>
I hope you'll find that there's already a network happening near you,
to which you can just plug in, rather than having to invent the whole
dang wheel :) I've found that these are generally incredibly kind and
generous people for the most part, too--after all they're building
community, and we need various people doing various things in order to
complete a community. <br>
<br>
Just to end... I feel less hopeless, less depressed, less despondent
because of these linkages. I still see what's happening, I still suffer
information overload, but I feel a tiny bit less vulnerable... <br>
<br>
Just a reminder--Please don't put off stocking up on herbal/homeopathic
remedies now (LDM-100, especially), while they're available, no matter
what you do for food. Knowing I can treat the kids for
virus/bacteria/fungus is a huge relief, and I can just sort of check it
off the list now. At least that's one thing, eh?!!<br>
<br>
Love to you all,<br>
Janice<br>
Jefferson County, Kansas--<br>
Home of a BAZILLION honeybees, by the way ... be encouraged :)<br>
<br>
Daniel Stafford wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:480D1EE6.4050507@mailbag.com" type="cite">
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
I don't know how to get family members to listen - I have the same
issue - they just see the downside and want to continue "as-is" so far.<br>
<br>
I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to start with those of us who
live in proximity and are awake to this. We could all start doing our
gardening, and organize canning parties this fall in our local areas.
Setting up something like an online social network specifically for
urban agriculture might be a place to start, other than in your garden.
After all, we all love company while we're working - and who knows how
many of your neighbors might be wondering what they can do about it
all. Also, if we all grow tomatoes and corn, where will we get onions,
garlic, or carrots? Some coordination among urban growers on the local
level is a great idea.<br>
<br>
By the way, here is an excellent article on how to put a no-till
organic garden in any yard:
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-04-01/Easy-Garden-Anyone-Can-Make.aspx">http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-04-01/Easy-Garden-Anyone-Can-Make.aspx</a><br>
<br>
When the food crisis really starts hitting, there's going to be a whole
different attitude. That usually wakes people up really fast - the
problem is, we are within about three-four weeks of planting season. It
is pretty late to start seedlings for this year - so if you are going
to take on a little urban agriculture of your own, choose varieties
that mature rapidly. Seed savers and other seed sources will usually
tell you how long a particular veggie variety takes to produce. <br>
<br>
On the home front, we need to approach our local municipalities on
using eminent domain as a weapon against foreclosure. That won't be
enough by itself, though. Those municipalities do have to pay for what
they sieze, even if it's not market rate. They also lose property tax
revenues on any such properties unless they can turn around ownership
quickly. <br>
<br>
Maybe organizing non-profit "housing co-ops" that buy out mortgages and
sell them back to homeowners at close to zero interest might be another
approach to work with. Think about it - high-interest mortgages really
cost many thousands of dollars over the long term than their initial
loan amount. If people start pitching in to a co-op at $25.00 a month,
then get in line to have their mortgage bought out by the co-op, a lot
of capital that would have gone to pay interest will be conserved in
the local communities. The co-op then sells the house back to the
homeowner over time, but without the added interest costs raising their
payment. Add this up over hundreds or thousands of houses, and the
amount of money not sent to big corporations in interest gets truly
immense - and makes it easier for communities to afford other things.<br>
<br>
Such cooperatives could also have rules about urban/suburban organic
gardening - say, in favor thereof...you join, you agree to produce food
using organic means.<br>
<br>
Approaching municipal governments about city, town, or village-wide
composting programs can also help. Many municipalities that do this
provide free organic fertilizer - compost - back to their residents at
little or no cost while reducing their landfill use by about thirty
percent. <br>
<br>
Organize classes in your area on gardening, canning, and composting -
share seeds and knowledge. Get people working together. Target classes
to specific neighborhoods, so that you're teaching the same neighbors
at the same time - making it easy for them to garden together
cooperatively. <br>
<br>
Also, make your garden as attractive as possible, so you avoid those
"going hillbilly?" looks and grumbles from suburbanites with a
well-developed sense of aesthetics.<br>
<br>
The bottom line, we just need to start taking whatever positive action
we can. E-mail lists need to become better than gripe sessions - they
need to become the inspiration for beneficial, peaceful grass roots
action.<br>
<br>
Dan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Mike Kirk wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:761673.2192.qm@web83808.mail.sp1.yahoo.com"
type="cite">Any advice on how to get family members and relatives to
"see the light" on these issues? Most of mine live in "Disney World"
and don't even bring it up. <br>
<br>
Too much of a downer at holidays and get togethers - la,la, la - "the
government will step in and make the problems go away."<br>
<br>
With these events coming at a more rapid pace, at some point it will be
hard to avoid the reality.<br>
<br>
Thanks for the post. Time to get my bicycle ready for the daily
commute. :-)<br>
<br>
-Mike<br>
<br>
<b><i>Daniel Stafford <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:aqmstaffo@mailbag.com"><aqmstaffo@mailbag.com></a></i></b>
wrote:
<blockquote class="replbq"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;">I
said this first this past January as the foreclosure crisis started
dragging on the economy. Dire predictions were flying all about. Now,
there are major retailing chains and restaurant chains closing stores
or going bankrupt. We've lost 3/4 of the Bakers Square, Joes Crab
Shack, and Lonestar Steak Houses in our area already. Wickes Furniture
was just built last spring, and they went out of business - it's empty
now. Wilson's Leather is going out of business nationally, their entire
store, fixtures included, is on clearance. Food rationing is starting
to happen on both coasts. Oil has spiked over $117.00 a barrel and
gasoline is looking to head north of $4.00 per gallon this spring, let
alone this summer. <br>
<br>
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><span class="rss:item"></span><font><font
color="black" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="60"
href="http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=12162181"><font
color="black">Wage erosion cuts deeper in US</font></a></font></font></td>
<td valign="top"><span class="rss:item"><font color="black"
face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="64"
href="http://www2.nysun.com/article/74994"><font color="black">America
faces food rationing?</font></a></font> </span></td>
<td valign="top"><span class="rss:item"><b><font
color="#990000" face="Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif" size="4"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="54"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Attacks_in_Middle_East_Nigeria_send_04212008.html"><font
color="#990000" face="Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif" size="3"><strong>Oil
spikes to over $117 per barrel</strong></font></a></font></b><br>
<font face="Times New Roman,serif" size="3"><span
id="kicker"><u><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="55"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Drivers_paying_record_pump_prices_04202008.html">Average
pump price hits $3.50</a></u>; Fuel <u><a moz-do-not-send="true"
linkindex="56"
href="http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/-The-fuel-panic-begins.4001427.jp">panic</a></u>
begins, oil capacity rise on <u><a moz-do-not-send="true"
linkindex="57"
href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36b36e2a-0efe-11dd-9646-0000779fd2ac.html">hold.</a></u></span></font></span></td>
<td valign="top"><span class="rss:item"><font
face="Times New Roman,serif" size="3"><span id="kicker"><u><br>
</u></span></font></span><span id="money8"><span
class="rss:item"></span></span><font><font color="black"
face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a
moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="120"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Food_price_crisis_could_harm_global_04202008.html"><font
color="black">Food prices could harm security</font></a></b></font></font></td>
<td valign="top"><font><font color="black"
face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><br>
</b></font></font><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="60" class="red"
href="http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080417/oil_prices.html?.v=10">US dollar
hits record low</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="67" class="red"
href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/17/business/17warm.php">AU
drought worsens global rice crisis</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="52" class="red"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041503157.html?hpid=topnews">States
tackle foreclosure </a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="59" class="red"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/nyregion/16tourism.html?ex=1209009600&en=e2915cf2c501d419&ei=5065&partner=MYWAY">Foreigners
sustain NY's economy</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="48" class="red"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Foreclosures_jump_57_percent_in_las_04152008.html">Foreclosures
up 57% in 12 mos.</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="35" class="red"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/AP_poll_More_avoid_buying_homes_04142008.html">AP:
More won't be buying home soon</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><span class="rss:item"></span><span
class="rss:item"></span><span class="rss:item"><font
face="Times New Roman,serif" size="3"><span id="kicker"></span></font></span><a
moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="51" class="red"
href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/08/real_estate/radical_city_plan/index.htm?cnn=yes">Ohio
town fore- closures up 178%</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="62" class="red"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/business/worldbusiness/14real.html?ex=1365825600&en=efb802e7d1c88270&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">US
housing woes spread globally</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="25" class="red"
href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article3671568.ece">Citigroup,
Merrill Lynch's $15b loss</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="65" class="red"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/11/worldbank.fooddrinks1">'Poor
go hungry, rich fill tanks'</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="58" class="red"
href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/11/business/11soros.php">Soros
sounds world economy alarm</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="42" class="red"
href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5BLKr5It2p9VI3sFdwU7d3x3I5QD8VUJV200">Middle
class hit by debt, econ. woes</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="48" class="red"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/09/AR2008040903900_pf.html">'Bleaker
hopes' for retirement years</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="72" class="red"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Foreclosures_come_to_McMansion_coun_04072008.html">Foreclosures
hit McMansions</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="31" class="red"
href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Late_loan_payments_highest_since_19_04032008.html">Delinquent
loan payments soar</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="60" class="red"
href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-food1apr01,0,5185698.story">UN
World Food Program struggling</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="65" class="red"
href="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Analyst_Predicts_Corn_Rationing_in_2008_0401.html">Corn
rationing predicted for 2008</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="49" class="red"
href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article3649021.ece">Banks
abandoning student loans</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="61" class="red"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002138.html?hpid=topnews">Economic
downturn hits states hard</a></td>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes"
linkindex="71" class="red"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/us/31foodstamps.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1206929080-T1nWta1S+xNL5uA16620wA">Food
stamp use nears new high</a></td>
<td valign="top"><br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.planetizen.com/node/30773">Wave of Bankruptcies Will
'Remake' Shopping Malls Across the Country</a></td>
<td valign="top"><span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>"Foreclosures
Prompt Cities to Make Plea for Aid :</strong> </span>
<div><span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
</span></div>
<span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The
United States Conference of Mayors (usmayors.org)As more than 250
mayors , agreed that the collapse of the subprime market had left a
growing problem of vacant houses, depressed property values, tighter
credit, and a need to cut services to close municipal budget gaps.<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" set="yes" linkindex="13"
href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0019LawIGrT8LvriHOGjTheqSvmvfx6QUej1zZg8MxRU3KKWBg8kySqdYXWEbn0P5-3tb7G5KgAG-fmr2b1ab9IzfhmcPz50wtvu6lqz1da01fApB2xE2P03P-CyT0Hka9KbGHM9RC0r5hZv9z9ldOL21Xd5XAKN1xrtRP6CtGtpIABPrkMv6P0tJLP7puRYsei"
target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/us/24mayors.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
</a>"</span></td>
<td valign="top"><br>
</td>
<td valign="top"><br>
</td>
<td valign="top"><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<big><big><i><b>How do we beat this in the absence of help from
the
federal government? </b></i></big></big><br>
<h3 class="post-title"> It's Time To Develop Community Volunteer
Pools </h3>
<div> </div>
<div><span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>It's
Time To Develop Community Volunteer Pools -<br>
</strong></span></div>
<span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br>
<br>
With news like this, and many other stories threatening the possibility
of a global Depression, (Based on a repeat of the land speculation
mistakes of the 1920's and other factors) it is time to organize
volunteer labor pools. Absent any real leadership from the government,
the unemployed and bankrupt will increase in numbers dramatically over
the next few years. This represents a lot of economically desperate
people and a huge pool of idle talent.<br>
<br>
Food security is going to become difficult under these circumstances.
It will become vital to begin massive vegetable gardening efforts in
urban and suburban areas. It is also going to become necessary to build
large scale shelters as housing foreclosures continue to skyrocket,
driving up the ranks of the homeless.<br>
<br>
</span><span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Grass
lawns are a waste of precious crop-growing space. If you add up the
aggregate land area of lawns in the USA, that is a large area of
"farmable" land. Putting in a home garden now, before it's too late,
could help many avoid hunger if the economy collapses as many are
predicting. Community garden plots need to rise up, and so do back yard
garden plots. "Canning days" for whole neighborhoods could mean the
difference between just missing certain food items or going hungry over
the next few winters. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.seedsavers.org">http://www.seedsavers.org</a>
is an excellent source of vegetable seeds and plant seedlings, with
over 25,000 varieties of heirloom vegetables that are optimized for
different parts of the country.</b></span><span
style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 85%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br>
<br>
Why not begin forming the structures of a "citizens' W.P.A." now,
before all this happens? Strapped municipalities could use these pools
of labor to avoid much of the cost of infrastructure improvements,
focusing their dwindling property tax intake on purchasing materials
for volunteer workers to use. In return, such municipalities could
provide materials and space for shelters and gardening projects to feed
the volunteers and their families.<br>
<br>
Additionally, judicious use of eminent domain laws could foreclose on
the Foreclosers - seizing bank-owned vacant properties and using them
to house homeless laborers in return for their labor hours on community
projects. They do not need the federal government to solve the problem.
This could be a way for rural communities and suburbs to turn the
situation around - since such efforts would in effect fall outside the
purview of the failing capitalist economy.<br>
<br>
Obviously, recycling and local sourcing of materials would be driven
higher by such measures. Energy efficiency could also be built into
such plans.<br>
<br>
Just as the States are taking action on renewable energy and climate
change through local initiatives, the States and local communities
could begin a national turn-around absent help from the federal
government, in a legal and moral manner.<br>
<br>
Idle union workers could initiate apprenticeship programs within the
volunteer pools, creating a vast pool of skilled workers for when the
economy does rebound. Municipal energy projects such as wind, solar,
and biomass (not using food grains, but rather agricultural and yard
waste) systems could be built also, driving up local renewable power
generation.<br>
<br>
Local sustainable forestry programs could also be developed and
maintained, providing a source of lumber for furniture and interior
building structures. Earthen housing using lumber only for floors,
windows and roofing could provide highly durable and energy-efficient
housing in place of the current lumber-intensive methods of buildings.
Existing vacant structures could be tapped for materials and space to
build with.<br>
<br>
Municipalities that embark on such paths could begin to draw people
back out into the small towns and suburbs without the need for
long-distance commuting.<br>
<br>
Small family-owned farms might even work with such communities,
providing much-needed food in return for volunteer labor to help with
growing and harvesting. Composting and sustainable farming methods are
age-old ways of working farms without the need for petroleum-based
fertilization. Natural methods of controlling pests would leave enough
production in place, when combined with urban/suburban gardening
efforts, to feed local populations.<br>
<br>
I also wonder if milkweed pod fiber and cattail fiber couldn't be used
to produce small quantities of local textiles in a manner similar to
the way cotton is used today. Does anyone out there know if there are
small-scale textile mills that could be used or built to operate with
such materials? Milkweed and cattails are ubiquitous in the Midwestern
US in my experience.<br>
<br>
It's time to think outside the traditional box, and recover some of the
skill sets that were our heritage from times when communities had to be
much more self-reliant in the past, combined with modern technologies
in ways that are harmonious to the natural environment and the natural
rhythms of the human body.<br>
<br>
There are things we can do to head the worst effects of a severe
economic downturn off, while making the lives we lead more sustainable
and healthy. More walking, biking, and horsepower in the flesh, more
local foods, more local work, shared computers at libraries, community
fire brigades, and many other means are available.<br>
<br>
Open private schools where laid-off teachers could educate children and
recover from the closures of public schools resulting from No Child
Left Behind and lack of federal funding.<br>
<br>
There are ways to do these things, using non-profit entities and local
initiatives that would bypass the failures of national-scale systems. A
mixture of the best from the past and present could lead to a more
sustainable, stable, and bright future.<br>
<br>
It's not necessary to go down in flaming despair at all - if we work
together, and start now.<br>
<br>
JMHO,<br>
<br>
Dan Stafford</span><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
CitizensTruth mailing list<br>
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href="mailto:CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net">CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth">http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth</a><br>
website: <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://citizenstruth.info">http://citizenstruth.info</a><br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre wrap=""><hr size="4" width="90%">
_______________________________________________
CitizensTruth mailing list
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href="mailto:CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net">CitizensTruth@six.pairlist.net</a>
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href="http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth">http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth</a>
website: <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://citizenstruth.info">http://citizenstruth.info</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
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