Back to the Roots

    I’ve had a very productive weekend, my garden is started and it’s a monster, 90+ feet by 90+ feet and an additional 30’ by 40’ melon patch.  I’ve been thinking about doing something on this scale for a few years now and it seemed to be the right time to try.  I was motivated by the history of the “Victory Gardens” planted during WW I and WWII.
 

    During the Great Wars the labor force relied upon for food production took a massive hit as young men were drafted into military service and young women left the farms to support the war effort in industry and other areas.  Food shortages and rationing became common place, so out of necessity many families took to planting small gardens to supplement their needs.  The practice caught the attention of Government Officials, they began promoting the activity to reduce the drain on an already overburdened labor force and transportation systems.  By the end of WW II the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated there were over 20 million Victory Gardens, producing 40% of the nation’s fruit and vegetable harvest.  For the people that took part in home or community gardens this was a great moral boost, they felt they were part of the war effort and helping to ensure final victory.
 

    I took their stories to heart, I could see the difference their dedication, their resolve, their patriotism made.  I looked to the “Greatest Generation” for guidance.  Those who have read some of my stories know I like to take hard turns and connect seemingly unrelated subjects…  Hang On! 

    Today we do not face a war with other nations that overtly drains off our labor and resources but there is a war.  There is no enemy force of men waiting to charge over the hill but there is an enemy.  The war we face today is an economic battle, the enemy we face is an enemy of ideology.  We have been lulled into dependency on a system that is manipulated by a few to control the many.  With the mechanization of food and crop production labor is no longer the constraining factor, petroleum is now the force that brings food to the family table.  Fuel is now what decides the price a family must pay for necessities.  The farmers are hit with fuel cost increases as they prepare their fields and plant, then again like clockwork fuel prices climb at harvest, all the while we sit atop oil reserves that could make our nation energy independent and stabilize fuel prices around the world. 

    President Obama’s failed “All of the Above” energy plan is just that!   All above the ground, we should be at least 3 years into aggressively accessing our reserves on public lands (Our Land! Not the Governments land and certainly not Obama’s personal property to withhold from use) instead our petroleum industry is being undermined and quite possibly damaged for years to come.  His all above ground energy policies have succeeded in siphoning funds from the public coffers after investing in one after another failed “Green Energy” scams and promising jobs that never came. 

    It’s time the law of supply and demand are turned on those that use manipulation to control the many, farmers need to restrict their production until an equitable energy program is in place.  There are no wind powered combines, there is no solar powered tractor.  Plant what you need to make ends meet but no more, let the market work for you, its time to quit expending your time and labor to cover Obama’s failed dreams… (More likely his extortionist agenda).

    With all the respect and adoration I have for the American farmer it grieves me to say, I’m going to work hard to limit my dependency on your products.  In the tradition of the “Victory Garden” I have started an Opposition Garden, I start it with the same dedication, resolve, and patriotism of the Greatest Generation.  I’ve started it to oppose the manipulation and dependency.  I don’t like seeing crude oil prices at the mid-$90 range with no real supply chain issues or shortages, I wonder how the Middle East oil producers would like to see a 300-400% increase in corn, soybean, or wheat prices?  I’ve been to the Middle East… a few times, not a lot of farming going on.

The TOMCAT

     Side Story:  I know not everybody has access to the land or equipment I’m using and me being a contingency planner type, I look for alternate paths to a goal.  I have also started a container garden and the majority of the seeds used in both gardens are non-genetically modified varieties (seeds from this year’s harvest can be used for next year’s garden).  I have about $34 invested and 20 hours of labor (kind-a fun as labor goes).  Just a little something to think about, find what works for you.  I drink way too much coffee, I’ve got another 20+ empty cans to set-up.