after some experience trying market organic farming in my 20s, i personally opted out of it for perennial agriculture. i think the model of perpetually tilling and starting annual crops is way too hard for the human system! it's a long story, but i don't think humans are willing to raise the price of food to accurately pay the labor wage of people who organically farm- it's so skewed from years of subsidized inflation.
i would encourage my kids to farm/garden for sure, but not to become market gardeners. it's a crazy hustle!! i think crypto is changing our lives personally. we've been able to subsidize our lifestyle here from blogging/vlogging on steemit :) that's def a positive!! hope to see more of it for people sharing alt lifestyles on the blockchain. .
good to see ya here lady!! xx
I agree with you on market farming! We made a decision against tilling and annual row cropping as well, especially not relying on it as a way of making a living. This year has been interesting for us because we're not yet living on our own land so we've been patiently holding off on planting a lot of perennials and instead are growing mostly annuals.
I've heard from other farmers that there's a new "serfdom" emerging with landowners renting to young farmers who then grow for CSAs and for market. I have friends who fall exactly in this category. Quite a few graduates of ag programs tend to go this route too. I'm mentioning this because I can see how this contributes to the tilling/annual growing pattern. I've also met CSA farmers who shared that they feel pressured by their consumers' expectations of getting annuals they're used to getting at supermarkets. So as long as there's demand for it, there will be those who will try to supply.
How do you think we could help shift our culture to perennial agriculture? Maybe through delicious food or education or free seeds...? We've been stuck on this question for the past few months :).
I'm glad crypto is subsidizing your lifestyle! It's helping us as well!
totally agree with your notes about consumer demand and people not knowing perennials very well. as far as shifting the culture-- i think we have to make it look cool! talk about it a lot! write articles on steemit and on other social media sites. slowly start slipping the perennial products into the market offerings (like jerusalem artchokes are already becoming more common fare) and educate the consumer. with enough "hip" people starting to shift the trend, it can really catch on and start to become more mainstream.
totally get not wanting to plant perennials cuz you wont be there to reap what you sow!! glad crypto is having such a positive influence in your life, too :)