Emptying the Breadbasket

[phantom power]

Worth reading the rest of the article. It covers several topics related to wheat other agriculture.

At Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end.

Breaking the dollar barrier "scares me," said the Bronx-born owner of Bethesda Bagels. But with 100-pound bags of North Dakota flour now above $50 -- more than double what they were a few months ago -- he sees no alternative to a hefty increase in the price of his signature product, a bagel made by hand in the back of the store.

"I've never seen anything like this in 20 years," he said. "It's a nightmare."

Fleishman and his customers are hardly alone. Across America, turmoil in the world wheat markets has sent prices of bread, pasta, noodles, pizza, pastry and bagels skittering upward, bringing protests from consumers.

But underlying this food inflation are changes that are transforming U.S. agriculture and making a return to the long era of cheap wheat products doubtful at best.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/28/AR2008042802509_pf.html

[Zachstar]

1. Hopefully now people will be encouraged to stop keeping grass cut and instead grow food

The land in my backyard is torn up but I am planning for a pretty large garden for 09 because at this rate prices will be even higher for food.

We need victory gardens to return.

[phantom power]

2. Home gardens appear to be growing in popularity.

I don't doubt that trend will continue.

[Zachstar]

6. It would be nice.

Tho I wonder if there is a line for measuring.

As some are using these indoor things that have a light on them for growing small foods. (Saw it on TV)

Are indoor gardens worth the electric bill?

[phantom power]

7. Thermodynamically, I would guess "no" on the electric light question.

It means your vegetables are embodied coal energy. Or, in the best case, embodied solar energy, but solar energy that was run through a bunch of energy conversions before it ran the plants' photosynthesis machinery. Lots of conversion loss.

Just running the plants directly from solar photons has to be way more efficient.

[kestrel91316]

3. People are too "busy" to garden, we are told.

Busy doing WHAT? is my question. Driving their SUVs to the mall, or watching TV, or driving 50 miles to and from work?

That non-negotiable American lifestyle Unka Dick holds so dear had better change. And fast.

And good for you with the backyard garden! You do, of course, have the starter books?
Square Foot Gardening
The Four-Season Harvest
Encyclopedia of Country Living

[Zachstar]

4. Nope no books tho I may visit gardenweb more later this year.

As for the others I think once reality sets in that food is not going to come back down (As long as oil remains over 100) They will start to garden.

Problem is that is going to mean Chemical soil enrichment is going to happen along with people that use far too much of it. Hopefully they will listen to the directions on the box and not think that dumping it will mean higher yields.

I see people throwing bags of leaves and even grass away! That is like saying.. "Here I could care less about organically keeping the soil strong!"

[NickB79]

5. I would also recommend Lasagna Gardening

Once the garden bed is established, it is far easier to maintain than a conventional bed. Very little weeding required, as most weed seeds are killed in the composting heat.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. Lasagna Gardening?

Is that how you get a Spaghetti Tree?

[NickB79]

9. LOL

That is classic.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Garden blessed by a shrine to FSM ? nt