I have been doing a lot of research on subsistence farming. Across the world, groups of people are being pressured to leave their traditional lifestyle of feeding just themselves to pursure a more commercial method of farming. Subsistence farming is equated with poverty. Groups like the WTO are pushing worldwide for countries to develop viable trade. Subsistence farming however is the tradition of most cultures, even ours. Poverty is definitely a problem worldwide. Perhaps the largest problem is not poverty though, it is government interference. It is VERY difficult to tax a subsistence farmer. While it is true that the subsistence farmer is subject to drought, wind, rain, and hail, it is also true that in most cases creation is a much better bedfellow than government. In fact, worldwide much of the incidence of poverty has very little to do with the land, or subsistence farmers, and far more to do with what kind of government is in power. There is ample technology to assist subsistence farmers across the world, but that is not encouraged by the governments of the world, including ours. There are reasons it is not encouraged. I fully believe that if homesteading, and I mean real homesteading were to become a major focus here in the US, it would be discouraged by the government. Historically it hs been, and still is. There were several decisions made by the Supreme Court in the 30's and 40's specifically for this purpose. Homesteading is discouraged even now, by the federal government's expressed right to tax bartered goods, as well as other legislated pressures put in place to require dependence on the aquisition of currency.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), April 29, 2004

Answers

I agree, Diane about the AG subsidies. A bad thing for America if there ever was one.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), May 06, 2004.

LBF......how about the robbing from the poor and giving to the rich? My neighbor has been able to aquire over 5,000 acres of prime land by using his government subsidy check every year to buy more land.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@hotmail.com), April 30, 2004.