Quote:
Originally Posted by OrganicBananac
I find much solution in aspects of compost and vermicompost teas. Its an ability to take a small proportion of a waste product and stretch it by 100's of times, all the same time unlocking many of the wonders of nature locked up in the soil.
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Yes, I agree. Vermicompost and humic compost are critical to the soil mixes I make.
In the current methods of mass agriculture, it takes about 1 acre total to support one U.S. adult. If we were to keep all the mechanization we have and revert to low-percentage nutrients such as plant sources, composts, etc. the number of acres required per person would increase by 4 or 5 times. Consumer prices for food would rise in direct proportion, using today's prices as a baseline.
For more details on what it takes to support a person or a family, a good reference is a 1940's or 1950's edition of the Kerr Bluebook (a book for canning!). There you will find a complete guide to crops to grow, how much to grow per person of a certain crop, etc. Further, notice that the farming methods assumed in the book are low-nutrient with mostly hand-labor and perhaps a modest tractor.
Another baseline worth looking at is the vast Mennonite community in the Homestead area of Alberta, Canada. For the most part they are masters of utilitarian farming, averaging about 10 acres per person -- which is remarkable considering their winter weather. For a birds-eye view, enter "Grand Prairie Alberta" into Google Earth.