[Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Jon,

Government subsidies that keep prices low is truly a problem for farmers.  It is not a problem for consumers (yet?) and I think the fertilizer manufacturers and dealers actually eat it up.  Clearly, corn growers are hooked on subsidies and fertilizer.  Just ask any corn grower if he wants to try it this year without industrial fertilizer.  Oh yes, but you do know the answer to this, don't you.   Corn is "THE" cash crop.  Ethanol has driven prices up.  The subsidies support the ethanol manufacturers.  And they turn around an "beg" for local farmers to grow and sell corn to the the distilleries.  This is ramping up.  You know it, too.  You will sell fertilizer to the corn growers and/or scare the hell out of them by telling them that they will go bankrupt if they do not buy (and you would likely be right).

I would like to ask if you would think about some things.  If it is possible that charcoal in soil will help soil retain its plant nutrients, then this will eventually mean that you will sell LESS fertilizer to your customers who use charcoal amendments to their fields.  This may at first seem like a threat to your business.  Nonetheless, do you realize that you could possibly parley this into "providing your customers BETTER service"?  What farmer would not be grateful, if you could show him a way that he will need less fertilizer from you next year than this year?!  What farmer would not be very grateful that you have helped him IMPROVE the qulity of the soil on his land, rather than get him more "hooked"?  What farmer would not be grateful that you could help them kick the subsidy and fertilizer habit?

Is it possible that that ag chemical suppliers could embrace the Terra Preta phenomenon and use it to turn your industry in to one which does more help than harm?  You might still make money (after fossil fuel prices have driven your costs through the roof), if you had a healthy business in charcoal manufacturing and remediation of soil and the atmosphere.  Just think about it, ok?

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jon C. Frank<mailto:jon.frank at aglabs.com> 
  To: Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:43 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow


  Peter> Corn is such a heavy feeder and we know what it will be eating and the soil poverty it will be leaving behind. 

  Corn is excellent for building humus and biomas in the soil.  The problem is not raising corn--it is how it is raised.  The deeper problem is goverment policy that pushes the price low with subsidies.  A hands off approach would be much better.

  Jon
    -----Original Message-----
    From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of PurNrg at aol.com
    Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 4:36 PM
    To: sean.barry at juno.com; MMBTUPR at aol.com; lou.gold at gmail.com
    Cc: Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow



    In a message dated 9/11/07 2:04:04 PM, sean.barry at juno.com writes:



      The use of industrially made, fossil-fuel based fertilizers is a shameful gluttony that Industrial Agriculture has done for this country.
      It may be one of the worst things that we have ever done to the land.
       




    And the advent of growing millions of tons of extra corn to turn into ethanol isn't going to help matters one bit! Corn is such a heavy feeder and we know what it will be eating and the soil poverty it will be leaving behind. It's really like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but typical of 'addicted' behavior; no thought really of anything beyond the continued flow of the substance we love so much. We need an intervention! Anyone else read Asimov's Childhood's End? We can hope, because that's what it's apparently going to take to change our wicked ways!

    Sorry for wandering off topic :-/>.

    Peter :-)>


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