Comments on: Serf’s Up http://agrari.us/2009/01/23/serfs-up/ Aspiring to the Agrarian Life Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:53:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: The Accidental Agrarian » The New Order Serfdom http://agrari.us/2009/01/23/serfs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-215 The Accidental Agrarian » The New Order Serfdom Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:06:05 +0000 http://agrari.us/?p=73#comment-215 [...] many ways, we are already Serfs of the New World Order. But, if the world were to devolve to a sort of Feudalism, I am not so sure those in power are as [...] [...] many ways, we are already Serfs of the New World Order. But, if the world were to devolve to a sort of Feudalism, I am not so sure those in power are as [...]

]]> By: Jeannine from Pittsburgh http://agrari.us/2009/01/23/serfs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Jeannine from Pittsburgh Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:32:06 +0000 http://agrari.us/?p=73#comment-168 Well-said, Podchef! One of the most empowering things we serfs can do is grow some of our own food. Even if it's just a tomato plant in a pot, or a jar of sprouts on the windowsill, these self-grown foodstuffs act to weaken the ties to our industrial overlords. Well-said, Podchef!

One of the most empowering things we serfs can do is grow some of our own food. Even if it’s just a tomato plant in a pot, or a jar of sprouts on the windowsill, these self-grown foodstuffs act to weaken the ties to our industrial overlords.

]]> By: Ryan Crocker http://agrari.us/2009/01/23/serfs-up/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Ryan Crocker Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:38:39 +0000 http://agrari.us/?p=73#comment-167 Hi Podchef, I enjoyed reading your insightful commentary on the daunting challenges facing local food production. You are much closer to the world of farming than I am, and you clearly understand the obstacles that the small farmer must overcome to make a living. But it seems to me that as some of the problems you mentioned become more acute (peak everything, climate change, etc.) the structures of corporate and government control will begin to crumble. This could be a great liberation for present (and aspiring) serfs. Perhaps this is the silver lining in the challenges we face. As we all become more aware of the urgent need to re-scale the entire human enterprise, we will see that the most effective and expedient responses to peak oil and climate change are local community responses, such as raising food by traditional low energy methods. At the same time, societal complexity (i.e. economic globalization and international governance) will be decreasing dramatically in an age of energy scarcity. History shows a direct correlation between harnessable enegy and societal complexity. As it turns out, centralized power and empire and conquest are the dubious luxuries of societies with a hefty energy profit. Both of these trends suggest to me that the future is bright for small organic farming, permaculture, local food, self-reliant homesteading, etc. Any low-energy method of food production/distribution will be in high demand in this kind of future. Like you, I don't think we're headed back to 18th century tech. There is plenty of renewable energy to keep the lights on (as long as they're LEDs or CFs). It will just be a return to more normal historic levels of energy. We are living in an anomolous age of cheap abundant energy. This is slowly drawing to a close. Ironically, the sooner the better for the serfs! Peace, Ryan Hi Podchef,

I enjoyed reading your insightful commentary on the daunting challenges facing local food production. You are much closer to the world of farming than I am, and you clearly understand the obstacles that the small farmer must overcome to make a living. But it seems to me that as some of the problems you mentioned become more acute (peak everything, climate change, etc.) the structures of corporate and government control will begin to crumble. This could be a great liberation for present (and aspiring) serfs. Perhaps this is the silver lining in the challenges we face.

As we all become more aware of the urgent need to re-scale the entire human enterprise, we will see that the most effective and expedient responses to peak oil and climate change are local community responses, such as raising food by traditional low energy methods. At the same time, societal complexity (i.e. economic globalization and international governance) will be decreasing dramatically in an age of energy scarcity.

History shows a direct correlation between harnessable enegy and societal complexity. As it turns out, centralized power and empire and conquest are the dubious luxuries of societies with a hefty energy profit. Both of these trends suggest to me that the future is bright for small organic farming, permaculture, local food, self-reliant homesteading, etc. Any low-energy method of food production/distribution will be in high demand in this kind of future.

Like you, I don’t think we’re headed back to 18th century tech. There is plenty of renewable energy to keep the lights on (as long as they’re LEDs or CFs). It will just be a return to more normal historic levels of energy. We are living in an anomolous age of cheap abundant energy. This is slowly drawing to a close. Ironically, the sooner the better for the serfs!

Peace, Ryan

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