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Big farms, Cuba and the backyard

by: la motocycliste

Thu May 20, 2010 at 13:07:30 PM PDT

While Jill Richardson was touring Cuban organiponicos, I was riding through California's Central Valley.

A lot of the Nation's food is grown here, despite the fact that it is very close to being a desert. Water comes from the North down the California Canal that flows next to I-5 and is piped, per water allotment, to huge farms.

At the moment, most of the farmers are screaming mad because they haven't gotten Their Water, mostly because pumping all that water South killed an incredible number of fish, not to mention killing the ecological health of California's Delta.

la motocycliste :: Big farms, Cuba and the backyard

So some folks have only gotten 10% of their allotment and have let their fruit trees die, propping signs (professionally made) next to them, "Congress Made Dust Bowl." Pelosi Hate is strong (or appears to be strong) here.

I visited a Democratic candidate's storefront: the word DEMOCRAT was nowhere to be found. For that matter, the Republicans also don't have their party affiliation on their signs- only the Conservatives (teabaggers) do. We talked about water: even the Democrats are in favor of increased pumping, they are just more civil about it.

The Central Valley only works because of cheap water to grow things, cheap energy to do the pumping and to truck food to population centers, and, lastly, cheap Mexican labor. It is the polar opposite of Cuban farming.

I went home and planted some lettuce and pulled some weeds. The Back Yard is much closer to an organiponico than to the Central Valley: mostly hand labor, basically organic.

I think Cuba is the canary in the coal mine: this is what the future is going to look like. We will not be able to truck food, due to energy costs. We will have precious little water to waste.

Tags: energy footprint, future forecasting, farming, Factory Farms, (All Tags)

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Big farms, Cuba and the backyard | 10 comments

Just a thought on that (4.00 / 3)

I just ordered a few ollas to start using them to irrigate my yard. It's supposed to be much more efficient than any other form of water usage. Unfortunately, it can get pretty costly very quickly. I only ordered 2 ollas to start and I'll see how it goes.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 20:11:46 PM UTC

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olla irrigation (4.00 / 3)

Olla
Use in irrigation
Because water seeps through the walls of an unglazed olla, these vessels can be used to irrigate plants. The olla is buried in the ground next to the roots of the plant to be irrigated, with the neck of the olla extending above the soil. The olla is filled with water, which gradually seeps into the soil to water the roots of the plant. It is an efficient method, since no water is lost to evaporation or run-off.
This irrigation technique was introduced to the Americas by Spanish settlers in colonial times. Agriculture and gardening specialists are teaching it, and olla use is making a comeback in New Mexico and the American West. The state's master gardening program is spreading the word. An olla factory has been founded in Albuquerque to produce the pots. It can be effective for homeowners to use in the desert climate.

Did you see olla irrigation in Cuba?

by: count @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 21:26:17 PM UTC

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nope (4.00 / 3)

but because I had no news while I was there, I caught up on my agroinnovations and deconstructing dinner podcasts so that's how I learned of it.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 21:38:02 PM UTC

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pot irrigation (4.00 / 3)

A necked olla probably would be more convenient than a clay flower pot, but an unglazed flower pot should work well. My thought is that cheap flower pots can sometimes be found at yard sales or second hand shops. Plug any bottom hole and insert a circle cut from wood or any durable substance into the top of the pot.

by: count @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 21:37:49 PM UTC

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the podcast where I learned of this (4.00 / 3)

recommended against that. I forget why.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 21:38:27 PM UTC

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the podcast (4.00 / 2)

Aggroinovations Podcast 43

Clay Pot Irrigation with Larry Sallee, 35 minutes. Larry likes a necked vessel so he can put a rock on top to keep bugs out (instead of my cut circle), but he says any clay pot will work.

by: count @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 22:42:06 PM UTC

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the podcast says (4.00 / 2)

water conservation is not the only reason to use clay pots. For some crops (and possibly in some locations but perhaps not others?) production increases because of a better environment for root systems.

by: count @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 22:50:00 PM UTC

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Larry later says (4.00 / 2)

a problem with flower pots is variability. They aren't manufactured specifically for irrigation so, compared to what he makes and sells, some flower pots might be fine, others might be too porous or not porous enough.

by: count @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 23:00:13 PM UTC

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Growing food where it actually rains (4.00 / 3)

might be a good idea.

The US has the worst land use practices. Good bottom land, close to rivers, is turned into tract housing and used to grow lawns (a very thirsty crop) instead of food. One item you saw in Cuba: growing food close to urban areas to cut down on the carbon footprint.

Re ollas and other means to irrigate: Probably be cheaper (and easier) to buy a do it yourself irrigation system from the Lee Valley catalog, which has all sorts of good ideas on small scale farming on the cheap.

by: la motocycliste @ Thu May 20, 2010 at 22:04:33 PM UTC

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Big policy issues (4.00 / 1)

California and most of the U.S. have strong rules about who "owns" water, often with the water rights going back many, many decades. This means that often the farms with the water aren't in a place where food can be grown (bad soil, for example). Reforming the water rights system, however, is a very difficult prospect. Recall Mark Twain's saying: "whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."

Federal policy also makes a big difference. Lots of cotton is grown in California simply because the federal subsidies make it cost-effective.

High Country News has a comprehensive article on the water troubles at Westlands Water District in the northern San Joaquin Valley. One interesting item in the article is that Westlands is generally a very water-efficient place: lots of drip-irrigation, etc.

by: mental_masala @ Tue May 25, 2010 at 17:14:46 PM UTC

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Big farms, Cuba and the backyard | 10 comments