Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

I have noticed recently a trend which is worth mentioning here in Florida.There is an exodus of Farms and Farmers .Last week there was an auction to sell the equipments of a farm that was in business since the 1930s for example.

More and more migrant farmers are starting to migrate back home encouraged by the increase of American owened farms that are now taking root in Mexico where the labor is cheap and the farmers are LEGAL citizens of MEXICO.

Another trend which I have noticed is the increase of interest in starting community gardens and private vegetable gardens in the backyards of home owners who know nothing about farming.Guess who are the home owners?The most affluent and the most informed .They are sensing that something is going to happen in the near future and food will be scarce and hard to get just like a hard currency.

I happened to fall on an articla by Richard Heinberg:Fifty million farmers whic is worth checking out at:

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Archives2008/Heinbergfiftymillion.html

Mr Heinberg speculates that famine is on the way and cites four main reasons :

1-"Looming fuel shortage.

2-Shortage of farmers.

3-Scarcity of fresh water.

4-Climate change."

I am having a deluge of questions about how to start growing our own food.There are shortages of programs to educate the public and the reason why not so many are interested to teach here in Florida is :People have no clue about Tropical farming" and if they have it they have no financial stimulus or budget to carry on doing it.

Nobody really cares about migrant farmers and how they are treated ( near slavery conditions ,no medical insurance,no fair wages,no fair housing,etc..), but everybody cares about eating no matter what junk or chemical and pesticide rich produce ..Once the migrant farmers are gone ,and Arizona Law is just the tip of the iceburg of what is following  and being now cooked  on low fire.We are known worldwise for being unilateral,shoot first then ask questions.Invade and destroy first then start construction,negotiations  and dialogue.

Do we have the alternative resources and programs to replace the migrant farmers and farms  ?That is the question  we need to address before we fire ...then hire.

The time is ripe to appoint an Urban Farmer Secretery who is not affiliated or connected to the Big Agri Business, but rather to the small urban farmers that are now sprouting like crazy all over US .

The reason:People sense that something dramatic is going to happen to their food. To Change the Course ,  we need Courage .To get the right thing done ,we need men and women of Courage to lead  period.