Building Communities from the Food Up

Monday, February 18, 2013

Building Communities From the Food Up

Activist Post

Politicians like to talk a lot about community building; it is a surefire appeal to emotion that we are all in this together and can work toward prosperity from the ground up. Naturally, the fine print is filled with government-run programs which are bloated with extra costs, special interests, and guaranteed to fail by their structural inefficiency.

In the independent media we often discuss the need to get away from fiat money and into tangible assets like gold and silver. While essential for those who have the means to do so, fewer and fewer people have the ability to buy even a few ounces of gold, since the savings account of the average American stands at around $3,800.

You might be amazed that the price of one ounce of gold can put you well on your way to food independence, or even help create a small business. So, let's take a quick look at some practical solutions that can empower individuals and local communities by returning to the land, as well as taking advantage of new methods for to modify what "returning to the land" really entails.

There is exciting progress being made even in areas hardest hit by the current economic crisis. In fact, it might even be because communities have been hard hit that, similar to the necessary innovations in places like Greece, we are seeing evidence that people are transforming from a mindset of crisis avoidance and survival toward rendering the concept of economic crisis as irrelevant.

Current agricultural techniques such as aquaponics and vertical farming have reduced the space that is required for self-sufficiency. This first video highlights the benefits of producing low-cost, healthy food to begin a process of community building that combines economic concerns, health, and education to start a much more positive feedback-loop than is traditionally offered through government programs.

This second video discusses what can be offered by a small-scale aquaponic system. The closed circle of fish feeding nutrients to vegetables provides year-round healthy food.

For those who have the individual financial means, or would like to help educate their local community about what a large-scale aquaponics operation entails and can provide, the following video from Purdue Extension, NOAA, & Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana is an excellent way to open a discussion. It also gives statistics on what level of production can be expected, what fish/plant combination is best, what type of feed is best, the different aquaponic methods and a thorough discussion of the feedback cycle.

With dedication and proper planning, everyone has the ability to survive the looming food crisis by producing their own food and/or working within their community to organize the means to ensure that no one remains dependent on upon government programs.

Once a community finds itself with the means to provide the most basic necessities of survival -- and do it in a healthy fashion -- the move from stability to growth paves the way toward a long-lasting, thriving local and independent economy built upon production.

Have you or your local community been involved in planning similar low-cost solutions to food and economic crises? We would love to hear your ideas in the comment section below.

Hat tip to Local Org for highlighting these videos and other practical solutions to political problems.

Sources:
http://localorg.blogspot.com/2012/11/growing-power-urban-agricultur...
http://localorg.blogspot.com/2012/11/small-scale-aquaculture-how-to...
http://localorg.blogspot.com/2013/01/aquaponics.html

Other key source:
Reddit's Aquaponics section, and its subreddits offer a wealth of resources and discussion that provide a quick way to get up to speed, connect with others and plan your system.

Read other articles by Activist Post Here