Replying to Avatar Nunya Bidness

Fertilizer

The deployment of war machines (tanks) refitted for agriculture (tractors) was the nail in the soil's coffin.

- John Deere and Cyrus McCormick machines allowed more land to be cultivated than ruminants under management could manure (reapply fertility).

- The new equipment drove farmers to cultivate beyond their ability to naturally manage so the scene was set for fertilizer manufacturers (as they transitioned from making high explosives in wartime) to "take up that space".

- Land needs at least 2 head of cattle per acre to be properly manured so a a quarter section of land means the management of 80 head of cattle. A full section (640 acres) requires 320 and that's a minimum.

- Because it's easier to deploy sacks of nitrogen fertilizer a few times per season than manage 320 head of cattle all year long, fertilizer displaced the ruminants and now we have Confined Animal Feeding Operations because beef is still in demand.
Avatar
Taoist Bitcoiner 1y ago

Have you read the book 'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn?

In there the author also compares modern agriculture to modern warfare and points out the many hazards in it. It was a good read that made me think as it provided a different view in human history than the I'd encountered elsewhere. Enjoy...

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Avatar
Nunya Bidness 1y ago

I haven't read that one but many of the books I have read made me well aware that I'm not looking at "agriculture" and I never have.

What I am actually seeing is straight up warfare on the fields and pastures because the main Ag manufacturing components all transitioned from making the tools of war.

I think about this a lot. Probably too much.