An interesting read: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/a-simple-fix-for-food/?src=recg
Summary: Seems the folks at Iowa State Univ, at their Marsden Farm did a medium term experiment comparing short rotation chem intensive conventional industrial model ag with a hybrid long rotation, pasture grazing (ruminate based) plot management (old school) with a result of conventional like outputs and 'profits' with radically reduced chem and fertilizer inputs. Interesting aspects include how far afield the university had to go in order to publish their study, and how totally deaf Vilsack's USDA has been to it. On a personal note, a lot of it makes perfect sense to me, and while I am a great big fan of no chem, no how, no way, ever, wholly ruminate field and pasture management, etc I certainly won't dismiss this study out of hand, it's very interesting. I'm trying to get a copy of the study now. -- _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
