Has Agriculture Reached Its Peak?

[DFB]

We do both the tomatoes and strawberries in greenhouses The systems aren't hydroponic but the growing media is just inert potting soil, mostly peat and all the nutrients are supplied thru a drip line fertigation setup. We call it quits at the end of October these days to be cost effective but I remember doing strawberries right up to Christmas shutdown when we started.

You can see a short video here just click on picture to make it run

 

[smstonypoint]

I've have been reading that after 20 years of gmo crops- the soil is dead with all of the no till crap that goes into the ground.

Source(s)?

The US with its growing droughts and high heat areas is doomed across the sun belt.

Source(s)?

Steve

 

[/pine]

I don't think it's just agriculture that has "reached its peak"...when it comes to anything "cultural" in America today...I think we are on the cusp of a big change... I hope it's more to the "back to basics" side rather than some ultra-progressive influence...

 

[Depmandog]

I agree. I don't think we have reached our peak. For starters, we have millions of acres dormant - for whatever reason. The US has approximately 30 million acres out of production in the CRP program alone. Then there are older farms where the owners have retired and the land is out of use. And smaller tracts that aren't particularly well suited for production farming.

Personally, I think our biggest gains will come from people growing specialty crops on small acreage currently out of production.

If worse comes to worse, we can keep all of our farm products we currently export. Yes, I know - all of our shelves would be bare in Walmart except for the food aisle

Some interesting farm facts.

http://www.fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=newsroom.fastfacts

 

[dave1949]

That is the catch, production farming as we know it is not viable on marginal lands.

Too hilly, too rocky, too wet, too dry or whatever. Those lands can produce with more intensive labor or capital investment per unit of output. Some can be made more arable by extensive terra-forming. It will be cheaper to vat grow our food.

Those lands are where much of the wildlife is found now. The impact on habitat would be severe. Better to eat Doritos and watch the deer and the antelope play.

 

[DFB]

Better to eat Doritos and watch the deer and the antelope play.

And don't forget to wash down those yummy Doritos with some Sunny D too!

Sunny Delight Fact Sheet

Ingredients: Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Concentrated Juices (Orange, Tangerine, Apple, Lime, Grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food Starch-Modified, Canola Oil, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate To Protect Flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow #6

Great sounding stuff hey

 

[adventure bob]

The only peak weve reached is how much Gov subsidy were willing to put up with in the farming industry. If you want to see want the actual peak production of farming is, remove the farm bill. Economics is the ultimate regulator of industries. Without Gov intervention, I think you'd find we produce way less than ultimate yield because the market wont support current production rates.

 

[charlz]

That is the catch, production farming as we know it is not viable on marginal lands.

Too hilly, too rocky, too wet, too dry or whatever. Those lands can produce with more intensive labor or capital investment per unit of output. Some can be made more arable by extensive terra-forming. It will be cheaper to vat grow our food.

I would have thought the same thing until last year when I watched as they put pivot irrigation on a rough, lava rock-filled piece of land. If you splay your fingers out it sort of represents that piece of land, your fingers would be the rocky mound parts and in between is flat ground. It is a parcel we drive by on our way out to the desert. Couldn't figure out what they were doing at first. Had a front loader and some guys picking rock into the bucket. Picking from the low parts and piling it on the high parts. Then they ran a big trench out across it and I still couldn't figure it out. When I saw them erecting the pivot irrigation system I couldn't believe it. Sure enough, next year it had corn of all things growing in the low parts. Unless it is just pure rock I guess they can grow crops on most anything.

 

[dave1949]

And don't forget to wash down those yummy Doritos with some Sunny D too!

Sunny Delight Fact Sheet

Ingredients: Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Concentrated Juices (Orange, Tangerine, Apple, Lime, Grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food Starch-Modified, Canola Oil, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate To Protect Flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow #6

Great sounding stuff hey

Yuck. Glad I don't buy that stuff but I know it is very popular.

We drink Florida Growers (Ingredients: pasteurized orange juice.) Not from concentrates. It's not very green of us to buy juice requiring refrigeration shipped from somewhere, hopefully Florida. Sharon could support an entire grove of Clementines by herself, I swear.

 

[dave1949]

I would have thought the same thing until last year when I watched as they put pivot irrigation on a rough, lava rock-filled piece of land. If you splay your fingers out it sort of represents that piece of land, your fingers would be the rocky mound parts and in between is flat ground. It is a parcel we drive by on our way out to the desert. Couldn't figure out what they were doing at first. Had a front loader and some guys picking rock into the bucket. Picking from the low parts and piling it on the high parts. Then they ran a big trench out across it and I still couldn't figure it out. When I saw them erecting the pivot irrigation system I couldn't believe it. Sure enough, next year it had corn of all things growing in the low parts. Unless it is just pure rock I guess they can grow crops on most anything.

That would be something to see developed. Thanks.