My family farmed on land that their relatives flat out stole from Native Americans, so I don't know about share-cropping as it pertains to my people, but where my family farmed, mostly South Central Ohio and in Kentucky, any small house/s that were on the same property were first used by hands, who weren't charged rent, got paid a little and were fed thrice daily, then, they were for the kids and their spouses who chose to stay and continue farming. Then when the kids started having kids, and maw an paw got a little up in years, oldest son(usually)and his family moved to the "big house," and the elders moved into one of the smaller houses on the property. Some hands who had been with the family for years were basically allowed to live in the smaller houses for free for the rest of their lives. Everybody helped everybody else out. It was the depression. The families who farmed were a little better off because they could at least grow food.
The "urban-rural divide" has always been manufactured bullshit because right now and since forever in Appalachia there are areas that are third-world poor, and they were like that way before the arrival of opioids, which is the only reason they get the attention of ANYBODY.
As far as the "tiny house" thing goes, I don't get the snark about it. You bet your ass if I was 40 years younger and had taken a couple of acres of my family's woodlot, I'd be living in one, and not because I'm a trendy hippie motherfucker, but because peace and quiet and isolation would feel real good right about now.
Another form of sharecropping is "contract farming," used extensively for chickens and hogs. The processor who will buy the animals insists on a contract with the farmers that specifies exactly how the animals are to be fed and treated, and what kinds of improvements the farmers have to make (at their own expense) to make that possible. It never adds up and the farmers are always in debt. It's a marriage of old and new: the gig economy and old-fashioned serfdom.
My sister is annoyed that I can sing the "Green Acres" theme. I loved the fact the other citizens could hear the patriotic music when Oliver Douglas gave one of his speeches.
So those "Hank the Cowdog" audio books I like checking out at my local library give an accurate picture of cattle ranch life (aside from the talking animals)?
Apparently at least with the chickens, the farmers are forced to compete - like 12 or 15 farms are raising chickens, the top 10 get to sell them back to the processor, the others are SOL.
The smart farmers nowadays are the ones who diversify, so no single crop failure or animal disease can ruin them.
Remember when Princess Ivanka had all those helpful tips for making ends meet when you're an intern in your twenties? I don[t think that was the times, but same bullshit./
I mean. I think a lot of younger people are more eco-conscious for entirely different reasons than 'hippy bullshit'. There's always new age chrystal type idiots . . . But a lot of the modern green movement. minimalist movements, and small house movements, are about the logistics of reducing the substantial strain on and degradation to our biosphere.
Which provides services to the human race roughly equivalent to twice the world economy annually. Rather than because of some new age communing with nature.
Sadly, this doesn't mean every green idea is a good idea. But motivators are definitely more tangible and grounded today than they were in the 60s.
Anyways, on the article. I just have to ask why anyone would emtpy their savings into something they have no equity in? Like, there's a lot of 'freely entered contracts' that are actually insanely coercive, but I'm drawing a blank here. Since they obviously had some kind of nest egg to plow into developing the property. That should have meant they had other options.
I hate open floor plans.
That is fucking horrible.
My family farmed on land that their relatives flat out stole from Native Americans, so I don't know about share-cropping as it pertains to my people, but where my family farmed, mostly South Central Ohio and in Kentucky, any small house/s that were on the same property were first used by hands, who weren't charged rent, got paid a little and were fed thrice daily, then, they were for the kids and their spouses who chose to stay and continue farming. Then when the kids started having kids, and maw an paw got a little up in years, oldest son(usually)and his family moved to the "big house," and the elders moved into one of the smaller houses on the property. Some hands who had been with the family for years were basically allowed to live in the smaller houses for free for the rest of their lives. Everybody helped everybody else out. It was the depression. The families who farmed were a little better off because they could at least grow food.
The "urban-rural divide" has always been manufactured bullshit because right now and since forever in Appalachia there are areas that are third-world poor, and they were like that way before the arrival of opioids, which is the only reason they get the attention of ANYBODY.
As far as the "tiny house" thing goes, I don't get the snark about it. You bet your ass if I was 40 years younger and had taken a couple of acres of my family's woodlot, I'd be living in one, and not because I'm a trendy hippie motherfucker, but because peace and quiet and isolation would feel real good right about now.
Another form of sharecropping is "contract farming," used extensively for chickens and hogs. The processor who will buy the animals insists on a contract with the farmers that specifies exactly how the animals are to be fed and treated, and what kinds of improvements the farmers have to make (at their own expense) to make that possible. It never adds up and the farmers are always in debt. It's a marriage of old and new: the gig economy and old-fashioned serfdom.
Farming people == "artisinal, small batch organic soylent green"
Gotta learn to market!
The house would have to be big enough to comfortably shelve my 1,000 or so books.
I recognized it as a Thomas Cole painting, but thanks for the further information.
My sister is annoyed that I can sing the "Green Acres" theme. I loved the fact the other citizens could hear the patriotic music when Oliver Douglas gave one of his speeches.
So those "Hank the Cowdog" audio books I like checking out at my local library give an accurate picture of cattle ranch life (aside from the talking animals)?
Apparently at least with the chickens, the farmers are forced to compete - like 12 or 15 farms are raising chickens, the top 10 get to sell them back to the processor, the others are SOL.
The smart farmers nowadays are the ones who diversify, so no single crop failure or animal disease can ruin them.
It's my understand that Alger is weirder than that.
You can pay to clean mine.
And my tenured father retired at full salary in the 90s. Today's master classes wants nothing like intellectual freedom.
Remember when Princess Ivanka had all those helpful tips for making ends meet when you're an intern in your twenties? I don[t think that was the times, but same bullshit./
I hope for the rail. Although, HSR would be a big change for the valley.
Poor guy! That's so sad.
I mean. I think a lot of younger people are more eco-conscious for entirely different reasons than 'hippy bullshit'. There's always new age chrystal type idiots . . . But a lot of the modern green movement. minimalist movements, and small house movements, are about the logistics of reducing the substantial strain on and degradation to our biosphere.
Which provides services to the human race roughly equivalent to twice the world economy annually. Rather than because of some new age communing with nature.
Sadly, this doesn't mean every green idea is a good idea. But motivators are definitely more tangible and grounded today than they were in the 60s.
Anyways, on the article. I just have to ask why anyone would emtpy their savings into something they have no equity in? Like, there's a lot of 'freely entered contracts' that are actually insanely coercive, but I'm drawing a blank here. Since they obviously had some kind of nest egg to plow into developing the property. That should have meant they had other options.