Selfsufficientish.com

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 492123.ece

there has never been a better time to be a bit 'ish

This theme has been bothering me for years now, with houses being built on agricultural land, farmers being paid to not grow crops, the current trend towards using prime agricultural land to grow fuel. We (except for those of us going self-sufficient ) are much too complacent. We've had too much food for too long, and have lost all sense of where it comes from.

This quote from the article is shocking:

The UK is now barely 60 per cent self-sufficient in food.

I think its time to rework and re-plaster those Victory Garden posters around the country and get people back into their gardens...

unfortunately, that begs the question "what gardens?" - properties built since the 60's have been increasingly lacking in that department - the current "garden" often being a patch just about big enough for clothes drying whirligig thing.........
I know miracles can be wrought with containers, but I think there is a need to return to decent sized plots on all new builds

Scary! time for a poly tunnel!

I posted that article on another (non SS related) forum, and it only got 2 views and no comments. It seems that it's not an issue for many people. Guess that may change when the shelves are empty...

a little light bulb has just lit up!
Must be getting slow..........who made this announcement? - the government's chief SCIENTIST...
That'll be the GM lobby gearing up for a big push to foist their toxic technology off on us then...............

Martin wrote:unfortunately, that begs the question "what gardens?" - properties built since the 60's have been increasingly lacking in that department - the current "garden" often being a patch just about big enough for clothes drying whirligig thing.........
I know miracles can be wrought with containers, but I think there is a need to return to decent sized plots on all new builds

Every community has green or even brown spaces that can be turned into allotments. Even the most urban environment has vacant lots and disused areas that can be transformed into vegetable gardens with raised beds being fed off of compost. Its not rocket science but people just need to see the benefit of expending the energy to reap the reward.

MikeM wrote:I posted that article on another (non SS related) forum, and it only got 2 views and no comments. It seems that it's not an issue for many people. Guess that may change when the shelves are empty...

Maybe if they don't think about it the problem will just go away.

MrFalafel wrote:

MikeM wrote:I posted that article on another (non SS related) forum, and it only got 2 views and no comments. It seems that it's not an issue for many people. Guess that may change when the shelves are empty...

Maybe if they don't think about it the problem will just go away.

well, if it follows through to it's natural conclusion, the problem will go away .

Every community has green or even brown spaces that can be turned into allotments. Even the most urban environment has vacant lots and disused areas that can be transformed into vegetable gardens with raised beds being fed off of compost. Its not rocket science but people just need to see the benefit of expending the energy to reap the reward.

The problem is, as one of the commentors on the article pointed out, it isn't the most profitable use of land and all some people can see is profit - at least for now, once they get hungry they might get a clue.

Martin wrote:the current "garden" often being a patch just about big enough for clothes drying whirligig thing.........

No, no - that little space is for the patio heater. Clothes are, naturally, dried in the tumble drier.

Makes me mad, seeing the new houses going up here on the edges of villages - no gardens whatsoever! But "luxury, executive developments" one and all. Non-affordable to people who work in the village. And, it being rural, no allotments, either.