Food and Cheap Oil

Hey - Jeff Rubin has a blog about, of all things, how weaning our economy off oil means some fundamental changes in the way we live, and other things.  (He is the former chief economist at CIBC.)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/jeff-rubins-smaller-world/

From a post entitled "How much longger will our Chinese food be delivered?"

Behind the green facade of the farm gate lies one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world. From fertilizer to farm machinery, most modern agriculture is really about making hydrocarbons edible. No matter what the crop, the most important input is always energy — and it’s getting to be more so every day. Driven by ever greater fertilizer use and farm mechanization, energy represents half the cost of growing wheat (up from 30 per cent only a decade ago), and over 40 per cent of the cost of growing corn or sorghum.

Mr Rubin recommends getting used to local produce as the days of cheap energy are almost over.  I predict that not only will we be eating local food,  industrial agri business will not survive peak oil.   As small farms are more productive, we will probably be tending small farms by hand - without fertilizers made from and with light sweet crude.  We may even be keeping chickens in our back yard as Vancouverites are premitted to do!

Urban Agriculture

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/growing-an-urban-revolution/article1416414/

Mr. Teulon  has 65 raised beds on top of the Freesia condo tower on Seymour Street, after he was asked to take over the unused space, along with gardens that he farms in 13 other single-family yards near his house near 21st and Fraser streets on Vancouver's east side.  Mr. Teulon and four other friends who also do urban farming are now planning to add a five-acre piece of Richmond land to their agriculture empire so they can expand their operations even more.  That expansion of Mr. Teulon's for-profit operation parallels the explosion of interest in community gardens, farmer's markets and local-food diets that has emerged in the past few years.  But experts say his type of operation has more potential to make a significant difference in local food production than the popular, but mostly hobby-oriented community gardens, especially if cities start using their land and buildings more creatively.  The rule of thumb in the urban-ag world is that one person can comfortably farm 2.5 acres, which is enough to provide 100 people with fresh produce. And, when you look around, there is space everywhere.

More good news: we are going to need local food badly when peak oil makes imports  too expensive and greenhouse gas emissions are verboten. Pressure your local city: ask them to allow and encourage urban agriculture on rooftops and in backyards.  Green roofs not only supply us with food: they reduce energy consumption, help control stormwater runoff, and reduce the urban heat island effect.  They also create green space.