Save the Planet

24/4/2009
Over the last 40 years that l worked, with my late father and brother.
We used natural organic manure, vraic, cow, chicken, horse, old silage, slurry; waste peat etc.
there was and still is a good supply of this.
In Jersey, all the leaves from the roads, where stored around the Island to be used on the fields. There is still a lot of different compost material could be used, if the will of our States was there.
Now and as always the French use seaweed for lime and natural potash, also waste vegetables in pellet form for use on the land.
These are products we always used, but l will not tell you that we once used waste from the abattoir, lest said about that the better.
As for where will our future produce come from?
My opinion is that large commercial growing for profit, will, because of all the numerous problems, become extremely difficult and almost impossible.
I will not go into the growing problems, but if you grow commercially 25% of what you have on your plant goes for reasons of size, quality or colour into a skip. This is because of supermarket specifications, and that they control over 80% of overall sales. We also on average, waste of 30% of all the food we buy. This adds to a total of 45%, which goes into landfill, all of this could and should be used.
This means that, we could grow 45% less fruit and vegetables, thus using this land for other uses.
Where are fruit and vegetables to come from?
l believe it will be a bit of “deja vue”, going back to when l first started over 40 years ago.
The Supermarkets, l believe will have difficulties getting supplies in the future.
It will be small holding and allotments, supplying farmers markets and bartering produce. All of the produce would be eaten, rather than the waste we have now.
As Tim Smit said 40% co 2, is from our rainforests being cut down.
When the shopper buys imported Fine Beans, for example it is the rainforests in India, Indonesia and Malaysia, which are cut down, to supply our needs.
If beans are out of season, why not have, local cauliflower, cabbage, carrot etc. instead?
Lets all do our small bit to help “Save the Planet”