"With huge waiting lists, public demand for allotments is clear. What’s needed now is political will, and an ability to reimagine cities not just as places to live and work, but as places to grow.
Because as Corbyn warned: once these spaces are lost, they’re rarely replaced"
#Allotments #Gardening #Nature #Food
Allotments are vanishing when the UK urgently needs more of them
https://theconversation.com/allotments-are-vanishing-when-the-uk-urgently-needs-more-of-them-262844
@junesim63@mstdn.social
There has always been a struggle over allotments. Surprisingly, perhaps, it was central to early trade unionism, as documented in Joseph Arch's autobiography 'From Ploughtail to Parliament'. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries landowners tried to stop workers having allotments, or even large gardens, because they would grow food - and any contribution to making workers less dependent on wage labour was fiercely resisted by their bosses.
@junesim63@mstdn.social
This is, incidentally, the main reason US corporations resist the introduction of a proper state health car system, even though it is clear that it would be cheaper than the insurances costs for them. They choose the more expensive option - lose money - but what they really want workers totally dependent on their jobs.
It's also the reason they ignore the many proofs that a social safety net is cheaper than dealing with the problems arising from not having one - for example simply giving people homes is cheaper than dealing with homeless people in other ways - but it takes away the fear of losing your home,, and what bosses want most is dependent, compliant workers.
@GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social I've spent a good chunk of my life on waiting lists for an allotment plot! You need acres to be fully self-sufficient, of course, but even halfway there would be nice. I miss having a large garden (tiny house, but we bought it for the land) and growing purple broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, herbs, and so forth.
@ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
Anyone got a good source on how much someone/a group really does need for self-sufficiency? (I'm assuming a bit of trade with other groups... all the more reason to learn from someone who's done their homework. So many variables - soil quality, latitude and local climate, what else?) #Foodandwaterhandbook #basicneeds
@ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
Anyone got a good source on how much someone/a group really does need for self-sufficiency? (I'm assuming a bit of trade with other groups... all the more reason to learn from someone who's done their homework. So many variables - soil quality, latitude and local climate, what else?) #Foodandwaterhandbook #basicneeds
@SusiArnott@mastodon.green @ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
You're talking about re-inventing subsistence farming, which is one of the most miserable ways to live, as anyone who has actually done it will tell you. Better not to go there.
@SusiArnott@mastodon.green @ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
You're talking about re-inventing subsistence farming, which is one of the most miserable ways to live, as anyone who has actually done it will tell you. Better not to go there.
@SusiArnott@mastodon.green @ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
It's good to produce some of your own food, but the bulk (say 80%) of your Calories SHOULD come from industrial agriculture, because it requires two orders of magnitude less labour per Calorie. Anything else leads back to serfdom, because (and I don't say this often) Marx was substantially correct when he said that the form of production strongly determines the structure of social relations. Pastoralist fantasy is best left to the Far Right.
@SusiArnott@mastodon.green @ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
It's good to produce some of your own food, but the bulk (say 80%) of your Calories SHOULD come from industrial agriculture, because it requires two orders of magnitude less labour per Calorie. Anything else leads back to serfdom, because (and I don't say this often) Marx was substantially correct when he said that the form of production strongly determines the structure of social relations. Pastoralist fantasy is best left to the Far Right.
@publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social Recognizing that there is likely to be substantial disruption to human food supply chains in the near future isn't "pastoralist fantasy", it's basic situational awareness! While growing more of our own food isn't an option available to everyone, it's a good idea for those who are in a position to rent or buy a small plot (it's very cheap to rent an allotment here in the UK!), or those who already have large enough gardens for a vegetable patch.
@publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social Recognizing that there is likely to be substantial disruption to human food supply chains in the near future isn't "pastoralist fantasy", it's basic situational awareness! While growing more of our own food isn't an option available to everyone, it's a good idea for those who are in a position to rent or buy a small plot (it's very cheap to rent an allotment here in the UK!), or those who already have large enough gardens for a vegetable patch.
@ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
The skills (let alone time & energy) aren't available to everyone, and they aren't easily acquired.
On our large allotment site in Central England I'd guess that 2/3 of the plots are like ours - barely managing to produce much more than sporadic crops that supplement mass produced food.
The quality of the fruit and veg may be generally excellent, but getting consistency and a sensible succession without gluts or famine is beyond most home producers.
@ApostateEnglishman@mastodon.world @publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social
The skills (let alone time & energy) aren't available to everyone, and they aren't easily acquired.
On our large allotment site in Central England I'd guess that 2/3 of the plots are like ours - barely managing to produce much more than sporadic crops that supplement mass produced food.
The quality of the fruit and veg may be generally excellent, but getting consistency and a sensible succession without gluts or famine is beyond most home producers.
@MikeFromLFE@cupoftea.social @publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social But no-one's talking about becoming 100% self-sufficient in some sort of prepper's "bug in" fantasy. We're talking about whole communities easing the cost of living by moving towards growing a little more of their own produce, and sharing whatever they can grow.
I had two veg patches and a herb garden. The spuds and purple broccoli did so well we were giving bucketfuls to neighbours, and they'd bring us stuff in return. Barter culture!
@MikeFromLFE@cupoftea.social @publius@mastodon.sdf.org @SusiArnott@mastodon.green @GeofCox@climatejustice.social @junesim63@mstdn.social But no-one's talking about becoming 100% self-sufficient in some sort of prepper's "bug in" fantasy. We're talking about whole communities easing the cost of living by moving towards growing a little more of their own produce, and sharing whatever they can grow.
I had two veg patches and a herb garden. The spuds and purple broccoli did so well we were giving bucketfuls to neighbours, and they'd bring us stuff in return. Barter culture!
JuneSim63 💚
GeofCox
