R2: Hi Jeanie

I can relate to that. We’ve got some fruit trees at our place, a veggie patch that’s very productive, grape vines and chooks. It’s too small to feed us completely but it’s nice to have fresh and it’s hard to beat the eggs from happy chooks. In a few years we plan on buying a few acres of land so we can expand our orchard and veggie patch. I don’t think we need more than the two chooks unless we want to start selling the eggs though.

Jeanie: With the economic trends, etc., it'd probably help us all to eat this way, plus its healthier. We have 2 acres and I want to put some trees on and garden. We are waiting to find out if we are going to be able to stay here and retire, though, now. My dream has always been to be able to be somewhat self sustaining. I forget you're over in Australia.

R2: Still if we look at the big picture the earth could not sustain even the current population without scientific / mechanized agriculture. The potential productivity falls short without these aids but we have them, we are quite clever at growing food, so we can and do produce enough for everyone right now. The problem is unequal distribution not lack of quantity. And of course global populations can’t continue to grow as they are or this is unsustainable but we have solutions for that too if we put our minds to it.

Jeanie: Yes, we could make it work.

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