Economic Hardtimes - bring a back-to-land trend?

[Joel_BC]

This is a question of philosophical curiosity on my part. Maybe some of you would like to share your guesses and insights on the topic...

We know the world economy has been challenging since 2008. A lot of economists say the first couple years of it were the worst economic period since the Great Depression. Situation's still not very stable.

We also know that - if not thrown off the land by some local bank, and if not swept off (like in the Dustbowl) by natural conditions - people are able to feed themselves and "make do" if they have access to arable land and have some skills and character virtues.

There was a back-to-the-land trend in the early 1970s. I'm no expert on it, but there's stuff on the internet about it. Such as...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-to-the-land_movement

What are your thoughts? Do you believe that continued economic uncertainty, coupled with affordable land prices in some regions, could result in another sizable back-to-the-land wave?

 

[baymule]

I know in my small town that many people are gardening. Quite a few times people have stopped and asked me questions (my garden is in the front yard between the sidewalk and driveway). They have asked when to plant potatoes, how to make plants grow, what to plant in their first garden and so on. I always stop what I am doing and answer all their questions, sometimes I give them seed, sometimes exchange email and phone numbers. Some I have gone to their house to advise them where to plant their garden and what would grow best for them. People are intrested in growing something to feed themselves and their families.

It is a mix of trying to eat healthy, get away from GMO's, or trying to save on the grocery bill. They aren't necessarily buying the farm as much as they are doing with what they have. Some would love to have land, but can't afford it because the economy sucks. They are trying to raise food because the economy sucks. Their jobs are shaky because the economy sucks. People are scared of being poor, broke and hungry.

 

[Joel_BC]

Some would love to have land, but can't afford it because the economy sucks. They are trying to raise food because the economy sucks. Their jobs are shaky because the economy sucks. People are scared of being poor, broke and hungry.

Yeah, I can believe it.

By the way, you're kind to be so helpful to the people you're meeting who want to learn and get somewhere with their efforts.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Most everyone I know is tightening up their belts a bit. Just about everyone I know is trying to at least do a little something, natural, in an attempt to take care of a need or two of theirs. I have several projects going and I'm normally a financial wizz, but lately, I can't figure out how to live well on what I'm making. Thats a recent developement. However we first became really concerned in 2008. Its a good thing we did. Hate to see what kind of shape I'd be in if we didn't make some serious changes at about that time.

 

[~gd]

A massive return to the land? Not going to happen. Reasons It is darn hard work. Most have been off the land for a full generation and know nothing about growing plants or rasing food animals. lack of a support structure, when family farms were common you could ask your neighbor for help either physica; or knowledge, With today's factory farms, ask a chicken farmer to advise on your small flock and the most likely response is a stupid look. You just keep the feeders and waters working and the fans on whem the temp is over 85. Few know what the feed is and most don't know how to bucher a chicken. People that work in auto plants can't tell you how to fix a car can they. Specialists all they know is their one little part.
The excape to the suburbs show more prospects. Start a community garden and it might grow into a small food farm or provide some training for the people that really want to farm. It is still a big jump from a garden to SS! maybe Solar and cell phones will help but when more people earn their living by providing services than producing real goods I will bet against them.

 

[Joel_BC]

That's well-reasoned, ~gd. I agree, I would not expect any massive movement. I did read someplace, though, that the demographers could see a statistically significant movement of people from cities and suburbs to rural communities back in the early 1970s - a "reversal" of the previous one-way trend. But still, it probably wasn't a massive move.

Thanks for your thoughts, Rhoda, and your reflections on your own experience. Your posts generally have that practical dimension, valuable on a forum like SS.

 

[moolie]

My parents were part of that 70s movement, and both grew up on farms/orchards in the 40s and 50s, so a lot of that knowledge passed down to me. I've always had a garden, even when I was first married and living in apartments or basement suites we always had a container garden on the patio for salad veggies and tomatoes. I've always canned, starting with fruit and baby food. And baked bread, cooked from scratch etc.

I think a lot of people my age have similar backgrounds, their parents gardened and canned and root cellared and dehydrated and made yogurt and fruit leather and baked bread and ate a lot of granola. Most people my age never got into it on their own, because they didn't want to and/or don't really remember it because it was just a passing fad for their parents. My parents kept it up, and it was a good example to us kids. My siblings don't do much more than garden and make jam etc.--I'm the only 70s throwback in the lot. And my parents have retired and moved into a condo so they don't do much of it anymore either, but there are still a number of "old hippies" amongst the aunts and uncles in my family who keep it up.

I think a lot of comments above about how people today view things are totally correct, and what is driving the "visual" that you may be seeing: Organic, non-GMO, local etc. is really important to a lot of people all of a sudden for health reasons. It's not that they have an especial hankering for becoming small-scale farmers, they just want to be more in touch with the food cycle. Then there are the obvious economic savings (once you are set up). Plus there is the whole "foodie" thing that goes on, where people are really into cooking these days--just check Pinterest on any given day, it's all about recipes and pictures of pretty food.

Health concerns, economics, a hobby--I think these are the main drivers for most people to try their hand at many of these old skills. But I don't know if it's a real shift in lifestyle for the majority, a lot of people try this stuff and give up because as ~gd says above, it is hard work. And the western world seems to provide everything that most people want/need so why bother? I live in hope though

 

[Kotori]

A massive return to the land? Not going to happen. Reasons It is darn hard work. Most have been off the land for a full generation and know nothing about growing plants or rasing food animals. lack of a support structure, when family farms were common you could ask your neighbor for help either physica; or knowledge, With today's factory farms, ask a chicken farmer to advise on your small flock and the most likely response is a stupid look. You just keep the feeders and waters working and the fans on whem the temp is over 85. Few know what the feed is and most don't know how to bucher a chicken. People that work in auto plants can't tell you how to fix a car can they. Specialists all they know is their one little part.

I'm -attempting- to return to the land, but my entire family is against it. Grandma- 'we spent our whole lives getting off the farm and you're going back? Mom-Pointless. Crops won't grow, animals will die and you will starve. Just trust the Gov't and the banks.

Yeah, It's hard. I have a 2 sq ft garden and a little strip, and tried growing watermelon, Cucumber, corn, tomatoes and lettuce. Want to know how much sprouted? zilch.

It will be at least 5 years untill I can buy my own land...hope it will stay liveable until then.

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't feel bad. I lost almost all of my tomatoes to a frost they weren't calling for, and my peppers and eggplants never germinated. Right now, I'm waiting on the stuff I planted last week to sprout. So, you're not alone.

 

[~gd]

A massive return to the land? Not going to happen. Reasons It is darn hard work. Most have been off the land for a full generation and know nothing about growing plants or rasing food animals. lack of a support structure, when family farms were common you could ask your neighbor for help either physica; or knowledge, With today's factory farms, ask a chicken farmer to advise on your small flock and the most likely response is a stupid look. You just keep the feeders and waters working and the fans on whem the temp is over 85. Few know what the feed is and most don't know how to bucher a chicken. People that work in auto plants can't tell you how to fix a car can they. Specialists all they know is their one little part.

I'm -attempting- to return to the land, but my entire family is against it. Grandma- 'we spent our whole lives getting off the farm and you're going back? Mom-Pointless. Crops won't grow, animals will die and you will starve. Just trust the Gov't and the banks.

Yeah, It's hard. I have a 2 sq ft garden and a little strip, and tried growing watermelon, Cucumber, corn, tomatoes and lettuce. Want to know how much sprouted? zilch.

It will be at least 5 years untill I can buy my own land...hope it will stay liveable until then.

Yep my father never could figure out why I bought a 6.5 acre 'hobby farm'. He always said I would never turn a profit on that. Even when I explained that the point was to have some space from my neighbors and that I was planning on loseing money on the farm to offset the high income and taxes from my day job. I even managed to mess that up brcause the state decided to run a highway through it and I got hit for capital gains tax on it.