Food Undervalued in the First World

Food waste is an inevitable result of food being too cheap in the first world. Consumption of food as a branch of the entertainment industry is a major culprit. As the EROEI on food production increases from the ludicrous 10% to 15% it is now under "oil subsidy" conditions to the 150% we can expect in a sustainable system (manual and quadruped labour), and returns to its rightful position of 60% to 70% of human economic activity instead of the ridiculous 5% it stands at now, with the rest of human endeavour producing mainly worthless crap. In our great-grandparents generation, they used to skim the grease off the washing-up water to give to the pigs! Now thats what I call frugal!
   
 I speak as a person who produces virtually all my own food with manual labour, and produces a surplus to sell to pay the inevitable rates and taxes. Sadly no horse or bullock-team- yet!
Interestingly, in China, despite consuming 40% of the worlds coal in industrial production, they have continued their agricultural production with manual and quadruped labour.
 
  It is not for no good reason that the horse superceded the bullock and that in turn superceded manual power. It has a lot to do with complexity of systems. If we manage to have an orderly transition to sustainability I see no reason why a sufficient degree of complexity should not remain such as would be necessary to efficiently utilise horse-traction.

There is such a thing as economy of scale. A mixed farming system requires typically one horse per 40 acres, however, for many farm tasks, such as lea-ploughing (ploughing out grass inta arable) three are usually necessary. Hence a total of 120 acres becomes a unit of farm for a horse team. This is way more than one family can farm without labourers, and skilled ones at that. I definitely see the future in terms of small proprietory units rather than "master and servant" type organization, therefore I would see horse owning as a community good and the horse-master as a proprietor in his own right within the village community.

Horses were the zenith of pre-fossil-fueled agriculture and not for no good reason. They represent the most effective way of producing a small disposable income (roughly one third of farm production) that allows society to have some level of cultural sophistication rather than the drudgery of relentless manual labour to produce a mere subsistence. Their use does require a high level of skill and organization in an integrated system. There is no "off-switch" like a tractor! Of course they are culturally iconic too, and become a focus and source of wonderment for small children- like the steam locomotive was of the industrial age!

Unfortunately, It seems more likely that we see a disorderly collapse into near zero complexity and this opportunity will be lost. Probably what remaining good draught horses there are will be killed and eaten along with all other useful animals, crop seeds eaten or destroyed or lost.

I am fully aware there are other systems of food production such as "forest farming". "terraquaculture" and I am sure many more. No one of these is "better" in all circumstances. It is an issue of appropriateness to the land, to the climate, to the culture of the people involved, and to the level of complexity that can be maintained.

Using Recycled Jars for Preserves and Jams etc.

Howdie-Doodie Neighbours! Of course Agee Jars are best and they look lovely all rowed up like soldiers in their identical uniforms on parade.

As true scavengers ourselves, we use discarded metal-capped glass jars or if you prefer new ones are here.
A bit of technique is required in order to fill and seal them without breaking them through thermal shock.

Put the jars in a large roasting pan and add enough hot (not boiling- you'll break them) water to the pan, at least an inch deep but not so much that they float up.

Put the whole lot into a slow oven and heat until the water is simmering. the water regulates the temperature of the jars to around boiling point. This is because if they get too hot they will break just as readily as if they are not hot enough.

The caps should be inspected and any damaged ones- this usually means dents in the metal at the seal or the thread beads worn out- discarded. Then boil them in a pan or we put them in the jug.

Fill the jars with boiling hot preserve and fit the lids loosely. Return to the oven for a minute or two to sterilise the entrapped air.

Remove from the oven and tighten the lids, don't go too crazy or the thread beads on the lids will be damaged. Invert the jars for a moment, the liquid around the seal helps it to seal especially if you're on the third or fourth re-use!

When cooled, check the caps for seal by drumming on them with a fingernail. Any that make a dull low sound are not sealed and should be used up quickly or tossed in with the next batch for a reboil- don't forget to check the jar rim for chips and the lid seal for damage and throw out the offending article to avoid future frustration.

New caps should be available from here.

Neighbourly Regards. Kev.

This is our Market Stall

This is our Stall at Nelson's Montgomery Square Market, Saturdays 8am - 1pm