Serious Implications

Quote of the Day:

“Don’t be getting down on unions. We don’t get anything until the union gets it first. – Middle manager at a major U.S. corporation.

Happy Labor Day!

After travelling for most of the week for work, I’m looking forward to three days at home. If things go real well, I won’t get into a car at all. We can ride bikes to the grocery store and fill up the Burley. There’s fresh tomatoes, broccoli, and watermelon in the garden. From seed, sun, soil and rain to our plates, the most delicious produce of the year. It’s a good time for eating local in America.

The miracle of modern agricultural science and global marketing have teamed up to create tomatoes and other rubber-like fruits and vegetables that can rough-ride for months on boats, trains and trucks from the other side of the planet to our kitchens. This ingenious system of global agriculture “only” requires, on average, about 10 calories of energy (essentially all fossil fuels) to produce and transport 1 calorie of food energy to our dinner plates.

The tomatoes we pick behind our garage are left on the vine until they’re ripe and haven’t seen any chemical sprays or dusts. The bugs have eaten some, but not much, really, and the toads are eating the bugs. It’s been a fairly wet summer, and the old maple and cedar trees and shrubs in the neighborhood provide enough shade for old Bufos americana to be cool. Sing all night, Mr. and Mrs. Bufos, if you like.

If you want to get serious about eating locally-grown food that’s fresh and picked ripe, check out LocalHarvest.org. You can locate organic and or locally-grown food in your area of the U.S., also farms, co-ops, retaurants, and community supported agriculture groups. The Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine (between Waterville and Bangor) is dedicated to Maine-grown and produced food, clothing, energy systems, craftwork, and know-how geared to small-scale decentralized, sustainable systems. It’s scheduled September 22, 23, and 24. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association has a big role in the event but the emphasis is primarily on locally grown and produced food, tools, and services. I’ve been twice and the food concessions alone are worth the trip. You can buy a yurt or a sweater made from Maine sheep, made by a Maine weaver.

Being that it’s Labor Day Weekend, I hope to read some labor history. In Marquette, Michigan, there is a sign on the back of an old towntown building facing out to the harbor on Lake Superior. There’s an old pier where they used to load taconite (iron ore pellets) onto the big lake boats, right near The Vierlings restaurant and microbrewery (recommended). The sign says “Unions: the people who brought you weekends.” Amen to that.

Thanks to all those who faced the bullets, the dogs, and the billy-clubs, who stood up to the Power of Money, stood up to the bullying by company goons and corrupt officials. Thanks to the ones who suffered, felt fear but fought anyway, bled and died. Thanks to all that fought for human lives consisting of more than work. And thanks to the ones who stood up in Washington and in the state legislatures to make laws that forced companies to regard their workers as human beings, not equipment.

Thanks again, and let’s not forget.