tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post8565022574355516470..comments2024-02-16T04:13:24.822-05:00Comments on The Tireless Agorist: The Homebrew Production ModelAgorist Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06881858776546654763noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-78551247637658668432012-05-03T09:47:15.016-04:002012-05-03T09:47:15.016-04:00We actually did compromise - get fruit at the farm...We actually did compromise - get fruit at the farmers market and veggies as Costco. We go through veggies much faster, and actually, much of it from Costco is pretty decent. They have delicious cherry tomatoes. But their fruit isn't so good, and we don't always eat it all before it goes bad.April Plummerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000526454256802504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-73921889219930825442012-05-03T09:44:15.692-04:002012-05-03T09:44:15.692-04:00As I mentioned in the reply to Open Source Freedom...As I mentioned in the reply to Open Source Freedom, this isn't an on-off switch; think of it as a slider, or a trend. As localization expands, fuel gets more expensive, and transportation costs increase do to deteriorating infrastructure, the difference in price between the two sources will continue to decrease. The price difference will make more sense to people the lower it gets, encouraging more local production, and around it goes in a feedback loop.<br /><br />And here's a question you can ask hubby that may make an impact on the farmer's market issue... would he buy gas that made his car's engine knock, retread tires, and oil that didn't lubricate as well to save a few bucks on car maintenance? Forget taste, is the food at Costco as healthy for the engine it's running as that at the farmer's market?<br /><br />Again, the price point is different for everyone, and they may not have reached your point yet, or you may find some items are worth the extra cost while others are not. For example, I'm not that picky about lettuce, but long-distance tomatoes are tasteless to me compared to local produce; if I only have a few bucks to spend at the roadside veggie stand, it's gonna go for tomatoes and melon and stuff like that, and I'll cope with the flat, tasteless lettuce as a backdrop in the salad. Other people have different preferences.Agorist Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881858776546654763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-67787740449360885712012-05-03T09:01:19.563-04:002012-05-03T09:01:19.563-04:00I meant to add that it does bolster my hope, to he...I meant to add that it does bolster my hope, to hear of these stories of dorm room productions and underground iPhone creators. :)April Plummerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000526454256802504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-8558507644939051422012-05-03T09:00:03.379-04:002012-05-03T09:00:03.379-04:00Very interesting stuff. I had no idea stuff like t...Very interesting stuff. I had no idea stuff like this was happening, especially at these levels. There does seem to be an underground world (the rabbit hole, perhaps? :) ) that I knew nothing about.<br /><br />I admit to enjoying a lot of our luxuries. I admit it would be hard to give them up to ONLY buy local or ONLY use that which we can make, grow, create ourselves. It's a great idea, but overwhelming and makes me want to throw my head back under the sand.<br /><br />I fairly recently read The Carnivore's Dilemma. My husband and I watched together a bunch of those documentaries. We both were disgusted and decided to buy local and organic as much as possible. To recycle and reuse and make an effort to be more green. <br /><br />A week later, my husband gave up.<br /><br />I still try, but I can only do so much. Just the other day, I mentioned I wanted to get our produce at the local farmer's market instead of Costco, now that the farmer's market is open again. We go through a TON of fruits and veggies. My husband said absolutely not - the food isn't as good at Costco, but we can get much much more for much much less, and he wasn't willing to spend $10 for a some lettuce that will be gone in a week. (or less...I eat salads at every lunch and dinner).April Plummerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000526454256802504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-5831833819974501252012-04-13T10:41:52.148-04:002012-04-13T10:41:52.148-04:00I agree. Unfortunately, the state still has a tend...I agree. Unfortunately, the state still has a tendency to get in the way. <br /><br />I'm a fan of coffee (and chocolate) too, and I agree that some products just can't be produced locally. That won't keep me from buying them.<br /><br />OTOH, where production can be localized, socialized costs and energy consumption are reduced, (non-mega-corp) profits stay in the community -- and the revenue stream can more likely avoid both taxation and regulation. ;)<br /><br />As for those "exotic, far-away" products, we might pay more for coffee absent the state, if we ignore the socialized costs we now pay through taxes. Those taxes support massive technical and bureaucratic infrastructures that distort what it really costs to produce any product and represent a tremendous "overhead burden" approaching 50% of every dollar you earn. <br /><br />Would coffee cost more, or less, if a pound bore the full cost of its production? My guess is that any increases in the transportation, resource or energy costs would be more than offset by the massive reduction in regulatory compliance costs and the increase in competition and innovation generated by the reduction of barriers to entry.<br /><br />I expect voluntary product certification along the lines of competing "Underwriter Laboratories" for food will be cheaper than the current USDA, FDA, EPA, HEW, DHS bureaucratic method by a large factor. Those who believe in the efficiency of government agencies are free to disagree.Agorist Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881858776546654763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-35816773533381841212012-04-13T10:00:00.807-04:002012-04-13T10:00:00.807-04:00You can get too carried away with this "local...You can get too carried away with this "local" thing. There's room for that and free trade across the globe. I live in rural Wyoming, far from cities. We produce coal, oil, gas and - decreasingly - beef. <br /><br />I enjoy Columbian coffee and a certain amount of fruits and vegetables, among other things... none of which can be produced here economically, if at all.<br /><br />The key isn't where it is produced, but freedom to produce and trade. As long as we are not aggressing on others, it shouldn't matter to any but willing participants.MamaLibertyhttp://www.thepriceofliberty.orgnoreply@blogger.com