The sad economics of growing vegetables

I came across an article on intensive commercial horticulture in Organic Matters.  It reflects much of what we’ve learned over the past decade of organic production in Ireland (a developed economy, with subsidised industrial farming and a consumer market generally interested in cheapness and uninterested in quality or source).

Two main ideas which are relevant to organic horticulture are:

  • small, intensive plots – which we’ve found to be easier to work, easier on the soil and more interesting.
  • the economic impossibility of producing real food in the face of industrial production and supermarket multiples.  A passage on the economics is reproduced below because it hits most of the issues.  It is painfully true.

 I re-trained in commercial organic horticulture in 2004, hoping to forge some kind of a living wage growing organic herbs and salads for restaurants and direct sales. A mere three weeks into my FAS course at Rossinver’s Organic Centre, I was brought to earth with a bump when I began to calculate the labour and capital investment required to net a basic salary – and I didn’t yet own any land. Furthermore, it appeared to be a bare wage that would tide you over only if you a) already owned your own home outright or b) possessed a kindly, supportive spouse and/or c) had a second income. (Small scale organic growers invariably have additional incomes as trainers, gardeners, or other forms of consultancy). This was frightening stuff to learn on a ‘commercial’ organic curriculum.

The full article is online here.

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