Greece The Future

Lots of interesting initiatives coming out of Greece right now. It may be yet another destructive neoliberal experiment but it's also an experiment in doing things the right way.

This scheme involves direct selling with a twist. Many of us are part of Community Supported Agriculture agreements where we arrange directly with a farmer to get mixed boxes of food delivered weekly. Great things, check them out if you aren't already participating. You get less expensive food, get to know your farmer and usually it's organic.

In Greece, it seems, greens are a luxury and most people just want potatoes, onions and rice. Cheap and cheerful as I once heard. I guess most people realize that they can eat most of the weeds that grow near their houses.

Two interesting things that stood out.

1) The scheme is being encouraged by the local municipalities and local politicians. I guess these guys and gals haven't sold out yet and, likely, they don't live behind walls in mansions like the rest of the national politicians. In other words they have to look people in the eye and be accountable. All the more reason to focus on the local government as a vehicle for real change.

2) Potatoes sell for nothing. I never sell the potatoes I grow because you can barely make anything off them. Might as well eat them yourself. Next time you're in the grocery check out the price of potatoes. It's so inexpensive I can hardly believe it. Through the scheme in the article, these Greek farmers are getting very little. "The potatoes generally fetch 25-30 cents a kilo at direct sales, 5-10 cents more than cost and far cheaper than the 60-70 cents they typically sell for in supermarkets." But of course all these potatoes couldn't be grown without massive oil inputs. But we all know that one. Eating fossil fuels.