Free-Range Living

'Commercial Clout - ?'

'Itchy feet-----'

It's early February here on the organic ecomicro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands, and the sun is shining, quite warm really, tweaking that ol' 'seasonal itch' that presumably most growers must get. Those ol' pagans had it spot on in a way, with their sun worship - if the sun don't shine, not a lot else happens - life's still quite elemental really, in spite of all the current times techno wizardry. Is it either 50 or 70 million years when it's due to fizzle out - ? - which does seem a wee bit far away, but even so, a reminder maybe that life's not infinite - ?

'Coming to heel----'

Steady work clearing some of the growing ground for an hour or so in the sun was pleasant - the leeks pulled up with roots on and then re-planted all in a bunch (called 'heeling in') which will keep them fresh to pick for another couple of months or so, whilst handily freeing up the ground to facilitate shortly putting on a layer ofwoodash, and then a couple of layers of compost. The allotment-size growing area (approx 50 * 30 metres) is split into four sections in line with the four course (= four year) rotation needed for organic growing (potatoes,  roots (swedes, beetroot etc.), peas/beans, onions), with half i.e. two sections, getting the woodash/ compost treatment each year, the ash and compost just spread on the loam soil surface - no digging in. Seems to work ok and over the thirty or so years of growing non-chemically, the soil does seem to have become more disease resistant, with even persistant soil problems such as club root, beating a retreat - wonder whether it's been the biannual dose of alkaline woodash which has done the trick - ?

'A bit of bite----'

The few remaining 'pygmy' swedes - terrible year last year for them - onto the compost heap, giving a zero-waste growing system, officially known as 'permaculture', which means that a production facility is self-contained for on-going fertility; good seemingly for the ground, and good, too, for the pocket. Not quite a 100% system here as half the woodash comes from bought-in wood, but still at least semi self-sufficient in on-going fertility. at zero on-cost. Shouldn't be too hard on the swedes, as they are a dual purpose crop. If swede leaves are mixed with other greens such as second growth of spring greens, perpetual spinach and curly kale, they help provide greens right through the winter, and they add a real bit of zest and 'bite' to the greens.

'Down to size----'

The other winter activity, besides the usual wood sawing, has been to cut up and trim the sycamore spars which had grown a bit too big and which the 'man who can', with a big chainsaw, quickly cut down to size -it won't though, be too many years before they're back up there again. They've provided quite a bit of burnable wood for next year, when it'll have aged and dried out, and plentiful supplies of bean and pea sticks , the stacks of which give the place a sort of productive look. Unfortunately, sycamore sticks only last one season after which they become brittle and dead - very useful then as fire kindling, though.

'Flying the coup---'

The biggish flocks of wood pigeons are back on the adjacent fields again after the snow, feeding on the clover - good that they've got something to go at. The twenty-five or so strong flock of doves that was roosting in the holly trees between the veg growing ground and the paddock, only to be usurped by a small flock of starlings, is in residence no more - must have found more settled lodgings. The flock of starlings has gone too, but they do seem to change their roosts as a norm around here. Plenty of other birds around though, with quite a gang of sparrows, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, coal tits and robins, all permanent residents, with wagtails, chaffinches, greenfinches, starlings and long-tailed tits all making cameo appearances, especially when the weather's harsh. Great to have them around, and good to be able to give them a bit of a helping hand when the weather's against them and grub's in short supply.

'Ad hoc----?'

Crikey - something not in short supply -  how many ads on TV come on in the commercial breaks? Sometimes they seem virtually endless - can people take in that much stuff - ? What level of 'anti' reaction occurs due to their possible 'irritation' factor? Or how much are they used for other purposes - making a cuppa, or a phone call, or a 'comfort break' for instance?  On the news too, there seems to be a fair level of 'commercial copy', and the news that retail sales have fallen by 0.1% can appear to be pretty vital stuff, a bit of a minor tragedy in fact. Things do go up and down in reality, but it sometimes seems that the mindset has to be 'ever upwards', which some at least may regard as being a tad unrealistic. Sometimes, for instance, the short-term objective can be 'damage limitation' rather than further gain. Having had the 'good times' for awhile, bringing also 'affluenza' according to some, maybe the mindset has become unrealistically over-expectationary-? 

'Commercial clout----'

Commercial influences are probably bound to be pretty strong with the plethora of large, powerful commercial interests that exist these days. Just recently, for instance,  it's reported that the head of a large, global sports equipment firm has urged people to bye-pass the authority of that sport's governing bodies, and predicted their demise within ten years, leaving, presumably, such large powerful commercial concerns without regulation - a culture and society to be run then, according to this commercial individual, to just the tune of commercial power - known more, as recent times have shown, for its shorter-term, self-interested nature rather than any altruistic nature. What might happen, for instance, to individuals' employment rights in such a scenario? Could it be time for micro-small, power-bereft individuals to be getting somewhat afraid - ? Could democracy itself then be under pressure- ? And not probably the best news for independently- minded ('freeranger') people - ?
 
The same trend was also highlighted by a prominent large-firm accountant who argued that large firms' duty was to minimise tax liability, as quite a few have reportedly done. No 'paying their way' in society, then? Or feeling good about contributing to society? Society and things social still probably a wee bit 'non grata', maybe - one of the effects of a limited-dimensioned, power and money concentrated 'free-market' culture - ? And yet, who would be able to prosper without society - ?

 One large UK bank has apparently made a lot of money with its unit advising large concerns on tax avoidance, but its new Chief Executive has decreed it will be closed down, in his 'cleansing' mission to get his bank 'back on track' to operate more ethically. Maybe there's hope yet, as this top man has now also openly stated that the degree of self-interest and the ways of his big firm have not been accepable in society, and will now have to undergo reformative change.

Ah well, from the 'mega' back to 'miniscule' - time to get some wood in, chop some sticks and 'shut up shop'. To get by the front room fire this evening and watch 'How Britain Worked' by  'good-guy' individualist, Guy Martin, who pays due respect to all those grafters of yesteryear, their hard work laying the foundation of today's prosperity - ?