Will horses be used once again as the biological replacement for mechanized farming? You bet. In a world of decreasing fossil fuel supplies, the idea of turning medieval is a real possibility. However, I think in many areas of the country, horses (or any large livestock breed) may be a rare sight indeed. What has lacked discussion is the very real possibility (or certainty) that almost all large livestock animals will become extirpated from much of the continent. With 40 million Americans and counting receiving food stamps, the fertilizer crisis exploding, and insane droughts destroying any hopes of a good harvest, the likelihood of Americans starving is a real possibility. When people starve, they eat any and all things once previously thought inedible. I recall reading that civilians ate elephants in local zoos during WWII in Europe, so the idea of people eating cows, donkeys, horses, and anything else is not far-fetched.
What leads me to this idea? An incalculable amount of grass lawns in all socioeconomic classes around the country. When I drive through parts of Appalachia, I see dilapidated houses surrounded by mowed lawns. God forbid anyone turns this total waste of fossil fuels, time, and money into something productive! Perhaps when the government subsidies dry up, people will be forced to garden, but it's too late by then. Green beans take almost 50 days to harvest, and what is Billy Bob Joe supposed to eat all this time? After a few days with an empty stomach, a horse might look pretty darn tasty. Being what I call a "doer," I find it impossible to comprehend Americans' lack of motivation and sheer laziness. There is such an epidemic of apathy, of disconnect, of purposelessness. In one of his YouTube videos, Mike Maloney of GoldSilver asked his audience what the most undervalued asset was. I replied - "heirloom vegetable seeds." I got a few likes on that one. Mr. Maloney was referring to silver, but let's get real y'all. Yes, heirloom vegetable seeds ARE the most undervalued asset Americans can buy. For under $3.00 a seed packet, you can start producing your own food supply. Every seed is an invaluable asset to invest in food security and overall resilience. I do not get how so many Americans are missing this obvious point.
I get frustrated seeing so many young people my age drugged out or just sitting around doing nothing. All the while, the lawns outside their houses are going unused. Sadly, these folks will be overwhelmed and add to the countless problems the rest of us have to struggle with on a daily basis.
For the "doers" out there, I hope to encourage you to keep up the good work. Spring is not that far away, and it is becoming more and more apparent that we need to be maximizing our time, resources, and space in growing as much food for ourselves and our loved ones as we can. Maybe others will be inspired by you to get off their asses when they see how much joy and purpose growing our own food brings us! Perhaps if enough people can do this, we will not have to eat our four-legged tractors after all?
