Teetering at the Tipping Point -- A Rural Advantage

[SpiralHawk]

"I am convinced that sustainability is the defining question of the 21st Century,” John Ikerd said last Saturday afternoon.

"Ikerd, a senior statesman among American agrarians, was addressing a conference hosted by the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society in Lincoln, and he earned a standing ovation for his definitive, imperative, and impassioned remarks.

"He painted a convincing word picture of how sustainable food production systems can and should be employed to restore health to our bodies and minds, to restore vitality to the land, and to restore long-term stability to our economy. This healing potential, he said as he sounded the conference keynote, is a rural advantage. America would do well to take note..."

(snip) http://thecalloftheland.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/teetering-toward-the-tipping-point-a-rural-advantage/

[peacebird]

1. great find! Thank you for the link to Steve McFaddens website.

Full of good info.

[BanzaiBonnie]

2. Ya beat me to posting this

Good to see attention swing to the issue of sustainability and include the health issues.

I'm also happy to see Michelle Obama pick up the cause of organic and local food production. The connection between the food we eat and health costs is not lost on the President.

[FirstLight]

3. yes!!!

...I love my rural area and plan to get really cookin with the 'community' garden effort with my fellow mommies and kids this summer. (it sux we have a short grow season, but we cn still make something happen!) I know that food is beter for us when we KNW what gos into it. And I also believe the kids can learn a LOT about what is important, like getting back to the EARTH. and if i am lucky they will find a new love for veggies too!

Rural living has the advantge in lots of ways...when driving down hwy 50 to sacramento and looking at all of the national forest between Tahoe and 'civilization'...I am grateful for the buffer zone. When the shit hits the fan, not a lot of the crazy will make it's way to the remote area where we live... (nice apocalyptic thoughts for early morning, huh?)

thanks for posting this article, bookmarked and K&R !!!

[bvar22]

4. In 2006, we moved from the BIG CITY to the Rural South to grow our own.

So far, so good.
Health concerns aside, we would do this if ONLY for the taste.

[fasttense]

6. I have garden envy. n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

5. I'm watching "No Reservations" on DVR - Brittany episode

Should be required viewing on sustainability. Wonderful episode!

Great article, too. I'm sending the link to my dad who is a 7th generation American farmer. I'm hoping farming can get back to the way my great-grandparents did it. My grandparents were the first generation to move into corporate style farming. This was a very interesting read. Thanks for posting!