#america farmer lifestyle

[digitaltechpro]

American People and Lifestyle

America: A Diverse Nation Ranked as the third-largest country globally, with a population exceeding 325 million, the United States has evolved significantly from its indigenous roots through successive waves of immigration. This influx of diverse peoples from across the globe has transformed the nation into one of the most culturally heterogeneous places on Earth, often referred to as a “melting…

[jansen-dean]

My Grandpa Drue with his hound dogs

[rotzaprachim]

One of the most biting ironies of the “class in America” current discussion is how few people have really wrapped their head around the biting reality of the fact that actually making and growing things in the U.S. makes them much, much more expensive if you are paying your employees a living wage, even when you cut out the middle men, and there’s no easy workaround for this conundrum without fucking over the working class somewhere - the people who make and grow the food, or else the people who can’t afford to buy it. And all that being said, it is fucking insane how conservatives and trumpets hold up an idea of “small business” and “American made” and “small family farms” at the same time many of the most famous national cultural signals of people being “elitest” are when they support exactly that. So many of the most hated signs of “elitism” in America aren’t golf courses, private chefs, private jets, or the mar-a-lago. They’re the exact manners in which liberal and often but far from always middle class people work to support smaller farmers and producers. What is a bigger sign of American elitism than the soccer mom purchasing kale from a farmers’ market with a reusable bag. Than the farmer’s market? What about the urban coop? The Etsy small business seller? The made in America small scale brands that often do cost in the hundreds for a pair of jeans? The urban one off coffee shop that charges $11 the avocado toast with the avocados certifiably not supporting a cartel?

The point is not that these items are accessible - they are point blank, not. The point is that it is fucking insane that the party and people upholding “made in America” and “small family farmers” as the answer to fixing the economy also are so incredibly checked out of actual economics that they support billionaires with no intention of actually doing those things in order to punish the middle class liberals who are actually doing exactly that. And before someone says that the problem is capitalism as a structure - yeah it absolutely is, but that doesn’t stop the guy picking lettuce or running the combine harvester from needing to earn a living wage RIGHT now, or that these are often the lifestyle choices of the most relatively pro-left wing economic voters in the country, for which they have been ruthlessly punished as elitist for.

also like trump voters aren’t exclusively working class there’s plenty of rich people (the issue specifically is that voters for trump versus harris are not divided by class, and that working class people don't systemically chose harris OVER trump when ethnicity and location aren't taken into account, not that trump has disproportionate sway over the working class as a whole) and it says a lot that made in America and small business shit is stuff they make fun of for being the tastes of clueless liberals so let’s see how that works for you!

[elbiotipo]

Was watching some playthroughs of Manor Lords and it's so adictive to just WATCH playthroughs it's cutting on my productivity, I can't imagine how it will be to play it yet. Anyways.

Thinking about "cozy" farming sims and the like. Manor Lords isn't aimed at that kind of stuff at least not explictly, you ARE a feudal lord (you can even walk in first person as one) and those people ARE your serfs. I guess there will be some people who interpret it as that, and let's be honest, the game is so pretty and intuitive, it's just so relaxing to see the forests change seasons, the houses being built, the flowers swaying on the wind. Working like a serf all day, not so much. No doubt peasants in the Middle Ages and all over the world had their moments of rest and respite and joy, but it was (and still is) a hardworking, exploited existence like we are not usually used to.

I think Manor Lords really GETS what a subsistence farming economy was like, at least at the very beginning. and this is really important in my opinion because it was the lifestyle of no less than 90% of the world's population until very recently. And it wasn't like in Stardew Valley where one farmer had a variety of crops all growing in the same tiny farm. In Manor Lords you usually build a small hamlet or village, every home with its own little backyard plot with vegetables, chickens, but it is actual fields what truly feeds and clothes people. The distribution and managing of these fields, and how big they are, is something that changes from society to society, but it's not like there is a single household that is able to feed itself and is able to do everything that a human needs to eat, to get clothed, to be warm in winter and more. They need to have big open fields (or pastures) to do that, where the community puts most of its time and effort maintaining.

So when you think about subsistence farming, you shouldn't think about it as peasants (wherever in the world where they are, as they still exist, why do you think we Latin Americans talk so much about the campesino struggle) owning one small plot of land and feeding their household with it. You should think of them as communities where the main and sometimes only activity is farming, and they do not farm to sell it to a market (though campesino communities can and do produce excess they can sell) but to sustain themselves and their family. They do not especialize in a single crop or industry, nor they have the time or ability to. They plant whatever helps them feed and clothe their family, that is, subsist.

In Manor Lords, you can also "cheat" a bit and get goods by trade, or survive by gathering berries (EXCESSIVELY OP) or hunting. The first was impossible in very remote areas, and the second was impossible in high-density areas. Which means that you can't sustain a community by just gathering berries or having home gardens. Vegetables and fruit CAN and do supplement the diet of people and they make life infinitely more enjoyable (some places like tropical and subtropical America are very blessed in that respect and their crops are very diverse), and indeed most people have those, but it isn't enough to feed you every day. You have to farm to it. And it's a way of life tied to the land and the seasons. You gotta have enough food and firewood before winter (Manor Lords is tied to the European temperate seasons of course, but every region in the world has its own), you gotta prepare the fields, mill the grain and bake the bread, it's all work, work, work, neverending work. There is a reason why some have said agriculture is kind of a "trap" to humanity, it allows you to feed yourself and your family at the cost of being tied to your land forever, and this didn't change until very recently. And again, while of course it's also a life that has its moments of rest (harvest festivals! and all those church days in Europe, but again, every region has its own traditions), it's still work, work, and work more.

I think this is an interesting contrast with other "cozy farming sims" of which are there are a ton, with a single character being able to produce the whole spectrum of human food and a bit more. Manor Lords to me is very interesting because by having its resource and city building in such a small scale as individual families, it captures in a rather realistic (if not completely so) way how subsistence agriculture is, which is the way virtually most of our ancestors (no matter where you are from) lived. To me that's way more interesting than the combat system.

(yes, I've said I didn't play it yet, but I've watched and analyzed so much of it I might as well have 120 hours logged on it)

[dailyanarchistposts]

Ancient Ways: In Defense of Cultivation

“We cared for our corn in those days as we would care for a child; for we Indian people loved our gardens, just as a mother loves her children; and we thought that our growing corn liked to hear us sing, just as children like to hear their mother sing to them.” — Buffalo Bird Woman (Hidasta)

With a modern food system so tied to capitalism and the industrial production-oriented model, it’s hard for us to see how to feed ourselves outside of them. While it’s imperative that we look forward and adapt to our modern context to some degree, it’s by looking back to times before institutions reigned that we start to see our way out.

The erosion of traditional foodways began at different times for different cultures. A basic misconception (or perhaps miscommunication) about “primitivist” theory is that the dawn of food cultivation some 10,000 years ago represented the “fall from grace” of humanity, and that everything that has been developed since that point has been tainted with die impurity of “domestication” and “civilization”. But this simplistic analysis reflects the same reductionist logic that has led to the social diseases of modern life. What was likely a simple adaptation for survival in die face of massive climactic changes did in many, cases lead people down a slippery slope toward domination of nature, but in many cultures, this was simply not the case. Even today, many indigenous cultures thrive on horticultural, village-scale food systems. At the time of white settlement of North America, dozens of indian groups practiced such methods without the trappings of civilization. (See Native American Gardening By J, Bruchac and Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden: Agriculture of the Hidasta Indians as told to Gilbert L. Wilson, also available online at www.digital. library.upenn.edu/women/buffalo/garden/garden.html)

The fact that many native cultures have endured using traditional horticultural methods, while remaining free from the trappings of civilization (aside from that which was imposed upon them) is testament to the possibilities of egalitarian social relations coexisting with the cultivation of food.

Contrary to the fundamentalist viewpoints that see cultivation itself as inherently dominating, the simple act of collecting seeds and replanting them elsewhere to provide more food sources could actually be seen as a complementary development to a gathering-hunting lifestyle. The transportation of seeds through feces is the basis of much plant reproduction in the wild and in the garden, and may have been the inspiration for humyns to begin cultivating certain plants. Even the selection of certain seeds for desired traits is a way humyns have actually enhanced biodiversity by “opening up” a species to diverse, highly adaptable variations. Instead of viewing the original cultivators with suspicion and doubt, why not appreciate the sensitivity and creativity it required for them to adapt to conditions by entering into a more complex and interactive relationship with nature? Can we make a distinction between cultivation and domestication?

In her book Food in History, Reay Tannahill theorizes that at the beginning of the “Neolithic revolution,” nomadic foragers began camping beside meadows of wild grains waiting for the brief window of ripeness when they could catch the harvest before it fell to the ground. After returning to these places annually, they eventually realized that if duty left some of the grain on the stalk they could expect a heartier harvest the next year. The next logical step was to begin scattering the seeds on the ground, at which point foragers became farmers. Responding to anthropologists’ assumptions that a large labor force was then required to harvest and process grain, thus giving rise to civilization. Tannahill quotes an archaeological study from the mid 1960’s: “In a three week harvesting period, a family of six could have reaped enough wild wheat to provide them with just under a pound of grain per head per day for a whole year” (J.R. Harlan, 1967)

The development of what we know as agriculture was not an overnight phenomenon, but rather a several thousand year-long project. In some places in the world, the earliest stages of cultivation were never surpassed, and remain sustainable today. In many more places, the pressures of the global economy have corrupted these practices just in this last century. But in most of the world today, we are witnessing the full-blown colonization of native foodways, and a nearly complete dependence on western industrial practices. To trace this “biodevestation” directly back to cultivation itself, is to ignore the history of conquest and land displacement that pushed the food systems of subsistence cultures to the brink, where they now teeter on the edge of extinction.

The loss of native foodways in favor of cheap, overprocessed industrial USDA staples has uncoincidenially served as one of the many vehicles of colonialism. The disconnection of food traditions from indigenous cultures has paved the way for illnesses like diabetes, cementing their dependence on western medicine in yet another way. In the Global South, traditional cultures are losing control of their food supplies faster than ever before. Distinct and diverse peoples of the world have become a prime target for conquest by western food producers like Archer Daniels Midland and Caigill. These modern day conquistadors ride the tails of the “Green Revolution” in chemical agriculture of the 50s. After replacing traditional food practices with a cynical “development” agenda based on monocrops and cheap exports, the conquest continues as structural adjustment policies and the current biotechnology phenomenon.

The logic of biotech makes complete sense as planned obsolescence: the same corporations who pushed the Green Revolution and all its chemicals and hybrid seeds, now seek to milk more profits out of fee sterile soil and resistant insects (and displaced peoples) that have resulted. New seeds are developed to adapt to the conditions that were caused by the same companies’ products 50 years ago! Decades of chemical intensive methods have created resistant weeds, so genetically engineered seeds are designed to withstand higher doses of chemicals. Industrial agriculture depends on these methods. At this point, we either turn away from industrial methods, or we accept the fate of high-tech food.

[andreal831]

TVDU: Vikings in the Americas

I do a decent amount of research for my fic (which is more than the TVDU writers can say) so I thought I would share some.

For my story, You're On Your Own, Kid, it is based on the Mikaelson's human life. This is a period for TVDU that I find very problematic, specifically how whitewashed it is.

The Mikaelsons would have been one of the first Norsemen to come to the Americas as the first recorded instance of 'Vikings' coming to this area was about 980. Even then, they predominantly landed in areas like Greenland and would not have moved so far away from the coast as where Mystic Falls is supposed to be located. It wasn't until around 1,000 that they sailed further south and landed in what we today refer to as the United States. That being said, the writers have always found geography to be more of a guideline than a rule. Even Elijah mentioning wild horses he remembered from his childhood is inaccurate. During this period, horses were not native to North America and were not reintroduced until the 1400s.

But the problematic part is how whitewashed their village is. Everyone we see in the flashbacks is white, except for Ayana and they give no explanation of why she is the only woman of color in the village (where is the rest of her family?). Even the werewolves who were supposed to be native to the area (*cough* indigenous erasure*cough*) were shown to be white. The show later goes back and shows the Lebonair pack to be indigenous but doesn't explain how Ansel and his pack are white.

And yes, it would make sense for them to settle in an area where other Norsemen have settled, but that raises the question of who they were training to fight. Like most white colonizers, it was likely they were raiding and fighting the indigenous people of the land. We even see a scene where Klaus goes to show someone mercy and he looks as if he could have been an indigenous person.

Many Vikings who came to the 'New World' traded with indigenous people, but here we see Mikael keeping the land by force. To me, this is an unnecessary choice by the writers when Norsemen had a history of trading, they didn't have to be murderous colonizers.

We also see a lot of modern-day stereotypes/assumptions placed on the village. Like Rebekah not being able to hold a knife, when in fact the Norsemen actually valued their women and many of them learned to fight. While women were still viewed as inferior to men and it was very much a patriarchal society, the representation we see in TVDU is more of a European-centric view of women.

Additionally, Vikings were not all warriors. Most of them were farmers. Yes, they wielded swords when necessary and as a culture idolized their warriors, but for the large majority of the time, they spent their time farming or fishing. This is especially true before the religious conflicts between England.

When they did fight, much of their success was due to their navy (which would not be very helpful in land-locked Virginia). They also have such a fierce reputation because the English believed them to be 'barbaric' much like they described the natives when they colonized the Americas.

Elijah mentions that Mikael was a wealthy landowner when we first learn about his family. Land he likely stole from indigenous tribes. Additionally, who is farming all of this land? Vikings were known for taking slaves from lands they raided (we even see this is how Dahlia and Esther are taken), which here would be indigenous people. While Mikael is not a character that is glorified, the indigenous erasure is wildly problematic.

I know it is just a fun CW show, but a little research and sensitivity on these topics would have been appreciated. Throughout the show, we see the (white) Mikaelsons living quite lavish lifestyles but the show fails to acknowledge the people that got them there.

[elancholia]

(via) This paper (preprint) essentially argues that the Indo-European expansion into Europe was accompanied by zoonotic plagues which arose in the Steppe, to which the IEs were adjusted (gently, via "long-term continuous exposure") and the Early European Farmers (the neolithic inhabitants of Europe) were not. They analogize this to the plagues which afflicted the Americas after the arrival of Europeans, correlating it with "increased genetic turnover" (population replacement) in Europe.

(So, two instances of Indo-Europeans conquering a continent in the wake of apocalyptic plagues. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.)

Their method is to check for microbial DNA in samples of human remains. What they demonstrate, afaict, is:

a) Zoonotic diseases first appeared around the time of the IE migrations, being first detected in samples from 6,500 BP and peaking around 5,000 BP.

b) IEs are consistently more likely to be infected with zoonotic diseases than non-IEs. (This greater incidence of infection seems to persist throughout the period.) This "suggests that the cultural practices and living conditions of the former might have been more conducive to the emergence of novel zoonotic pathogens." (14)

So they don't directly demonstrate that EEFs were ultimately hit harder by these illnesses, they just say that it would make sense for IEs to have adapted to them. As far as I can tell, this is fair; they cite a paper which claims that increased disease pressure may have resulted in adaptations to multiple sclerosis in the Steppe and another which suggests a similar trend among Amerindians after the Columbian Exchange.

Things I don't know:

In a population being ravaged by epidemics, would you would expect the infection rate to remain lower than that of a (more) immune population, or would you expect the infection rates to equalize? Would you expect to see spikes in one population and a more consistent line in the other, or some other indicator of differential impact? I suppose you'd just need comparative evidence, presumably from the Americas.

As lifestyles equalized (until you're comparing an 80% IE and a 40% IE guy who live in adjacent villages in Italy 500 BC), why would the IE effect persist? Wouldn't you expect the correlation to fall over time?

Do pastoralists we can directly observe have higher rates of zoonotic disease than animal-having agriculturalists or animal-eating hunter-gatherers? That seems to have pretty direct bearing on their lifestyle hypothesis.

Is there a similar effect in other places where IEs migrated during the Bronze Age (say, India or Iran), or other places within Eurasia where agriculturalists came into contact with Steppe peoples? They have a couple of data points in Iran and Anatolia and a bunch in SE Asia (for some reason), but everything else is in Europe and central Asia/Siberia.

There's also an odd effect where the two major genetic contributors to the IE population have different effects, Caucasus hunter-gatherer descent being associated with all the zoonotic diseases and Eastern HG being associated mostly with black plague, which is sort of odd, if these are one population with similarly disease-fostering lifestyles.

[grfn-btbtas]

naive belief: without rural America, without her farmers, America would starve

consequence of naive belief: rural America and the farming lifestyle is intrinsically noble and beautiful because of the raw life it supports. cue Cop(e)land.

reality: rural America is an saddening pastiche of deeply impoverished areas, subsidized cornfields, subsidized fallow fields, nothing in particular you'd care to eat, labor rights abuses, the occasional industrial complex pumping out cancer and aids and plastic,

and also vast tracts of empty nothingness which are genuinely kinda based ngl,

relatively current belief: rural America must be fixed and made productive, fair and clean so i can listen to Aaron Copland guilt free.

[ladyimaginarium]

okay so i hate to be Like That™ but like. i kinda have to laugh at people who think it's just sooooo easy to do this cutesy witchy western cottagecore farm type beat. & that's not even getting into the historical & political context that a lot of y'all settlers in the americas (especially white queers) seem to either fail to grasp or straight up don't give a fuck about. but also from a personal perspective. lemme take y'all back through my family line.

these are my great great grandmother (who was born in 1860 & passed in 1934), great grandfather & great grandmother (who were born around 1894 & 1898 respectively) & my grandfather (on the right, born 1933, he passed when i was really small), my granduncle (he also passed when i was young when i was about 8-9) & their siblings respectively in my maternal line. my great grandfather worked his ass off to get & buy our family this relatively small plot of land (to the point where my specific family has our own street). he worked & farmed the land, & he taught his sons including my grandfather how to farm, hunt & fish. my grandfather like his brothers (& i'd imagine his sisters, too) barely had the chance to be a child because he had to work to support the family. i need y'all to understand that it was hard, backbreaking work. i can only imagine how difficult it was in my great(x2) grandmother's time. family friends & my mom would say my great grandfather was so damn tough he would straight up go into the woodstove & get wood while it was still hot with his bare hands. he died of a heart attack. my mom would talk about how hard my grandfather worked, how he worked for himself & how he'd lend out a helping hand for free to those in need & how at his funeral the church was PACKED to the brim with some people having to linger outside to pay their respects. that's how loved & respected he was.

as you can see, they're indigenous (although it wasn't ever really talked about aside from the occasional whispers, because remember, being indigenous, especially if you were back in the day — & make no mistake still is — was basically considered shameful & inferior to whiteness due to systematic racism & nobody was allowed to practice their culture and/or spirituality and/or religion and/or speak their traditional languages at risk of being imprisoned or sometimes even killed so i'd imagine that played a part on why it wasn't talked about so they assimilated, context matters). they had to work their asses off for what they had.

so when i see all these settler queers, especially queer white women or queer white men talk about how it'd be oh so nice to move away into a seemingly abandoned cottage in the middle of the forest or have a barn with their partners with conveniently abandoned lands i immediately have my eyebrows raised & im immediately sideeyeing you with wary suspicion. my ancestors were hunters, fishers & farmers because they Had to be or else they fuckin starved. & even then they didn't just give a shit only about themselves, they focused on helping others in their local communities because that's how it Works irl. i'm not saying you can't enjoy an aesthetic, hell, i love the pretty visuals & i intend to live out a similar life when i get older (you know, living on MY own traditional land) but if you can't do your own work that's required to sustain the lifestyle responsibly, if you think your queerness or your white/settler status somehow excludes you from this whole manifest destiny but its queer now bullshit, if you think there's no historical or political context behind this & you think it's completely apolitical or you don't respect the lands & the rightful stewards & guardians of those traditional lands (aka indigenous peoples) of the land you live on (because they're STOLEN land & this doesn't just apply to the americas, this applies to asia, africa & oceania & parts of europe too because let's be so ffr indigenous peoples are on every continent) then you're a fucking colonizer. tl;dr: for the love of creator just be aware of the political & historical context of your aesthetics before you start being obnoxious & listen to & center indigenous voices (& poc) in your aesthetics.

[vyuntspakhkite-l-darling]

Tired but can't sleep so I'm modern AUing my little guys. Keep reading for my insane (and probably unrealistic) rambles

Arsioly is born in a southern US state and has a southern accent and lots of misogyny and he plays a little too much Call of Duty and decides that the military would be fun even though he hates the country. He briefly struggles with what exactly to do because on one hand he's really curious as to what it'd be like to kill someone up close and personal but he also fucking loves planes and wants to do everything with planes he loves them a lot and so he decides to go with the air force so he can fly planes and jump out of them. Makes it through some of the training before getting discharged because he's a hothead and would either get into too many fights or do lots of insubordination. I mean I can just imagine this guy getting into an argument with his superior and getting super off topic and being like "by the way i hate america you all are shitty people for killing people and bad politics and i hate all you scumbags go kill yourself' and everyone's just like?? let's get this guy a drug test (he is not on drugs just unhinged). Once military is no longer an option he probably either becomes like a security guard personal security whatever and takes his job far too seriously. That or a chef or a linguist. Goes recreationally skydiving on the regular.

Visralion is a nurse. A correctional nurse specifically. He started out as whatever the regular one is (i don't know anything about nursing he just would definitely be one) and was like 'you know what actually? Jail. Literally me.' and followed that career path. I doubt he'd want any sort of serious relationship until he's in like his late 30s so he just fucks around and lives his best life.

I think Virava would like to have a simple life. She lives in Maine and tries desperately to make painting be her main job but she gets more money from doing furry commissions and selling tattoo designs.

Sibatol becomes a pole dancer and clutches onto that lifestyle until he finally decides he's too old for that. Bounces between jobs for a few years while going to the gym every to do his magical girl transformation but like reverse. He goes from a twink to a hunk, starts working in adult entertainment and rides that train for a while before he either loses interest or gets too old to even be considered a silver fox anymore, then he just becomes a house boyfriend for his working partner/partners.

Rasiel goes to jail. Every time.

Pio is Italian because he is, he's born into a family of very Catholic olive farmers and does that until he's old enough and is like 'um actually I would like to maybe not do this my whole life' and his family is like okay go to seminary then and he's like.... okay but what if I went to college i don't think i belong there actually haha not for any reason though. Not any reason just maybe not. So he goes to college and becomes a teacher and he really loves teaching about math and art.

[felinefallout]

ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢꜱ. ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴇʟɪɴᴇ ꜰᴀʟʟᴏᴜᴛ.

(My main blog is @kittieshauntedourfantasy.)

After humanity in North America was wiped out by “The Great Light”, felines had to explore and survive in the world without them. In order to do so, the cats created "Colonies" – groups with their own skills, demeanors, etc.

ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪꜱ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜᴛ.

ᴄᴏʟᴏɴɪᴇꜱ

The Curet Colony rejects the ways of humans and domestic cats, instead favoring the lifestyle of their primal ancestors. They value independence, strength, and pride.

The Exim Colony cats dedicate their lives to everything the humans left behind, such as their technology, theories, and laws. They value knowledge, pragmatism, and ambition.

The Dacia Colony is a nomadic Colony that travels for trade and thrill. They value teamwork, courage, and athleticism.

The Mitis Colony embraces the lifestyle of farmers and shepherds, tending to whatever plants and livestock remain. They value compassion, wisdom, and patience.

The Vagari Colony roams the empty lands, scavenging through whatever the humans left behind to survive. They value resourcefulness, frugality, and perception.

Some cats choose not to be in Colonies. They are called “Solusses” (“Solus” singular).

Some cats may have been driven out of their Colonies. They are called “Exuls” (“Exul” singular).

ᴅᴏꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛꜱ

These cats are my OCs, and I'd love to see them be admired and have my fanbase grow! Despite this, I feel that there is a list of things you should and shouldn't do.

DO:

Make headcanons! I'd love to see what you come up with for these characters.

Ship! Yes, there will be canon ships, but I'd love to have people make other pairings.

Make your own designs! I may draw my own designs for these guys, but you are more than welcome to create your own designs!

Make art, as long as you credit me for the characters/story! I'd love it if you tagged this blog so that I can see it!

Make OCs! I think it'd be fun for people to create their own Colony cats.

Make AUs! AUs are always very fun (at least in my opinion), and I'd love to see AUs for the Colonies and their cats!

DON'T:

Sexualize these characters! They're CATS. Zoophilia isn't cool.

Use these characters/this story without credit! None of this belongs to you, so don't act like it does! This should go without saying, but just in case!

Repost! You are allowed to reblog, and I encourage reblogging, but do NOT repost anything! Again, this isn't your work!

Of course, I may have forgotten some things, but I will edit this list from time to time!

This list was updated on: 12/31/2023

ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ/ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ

This story and blog will contain themes of:

Murder

Animal death

Injury

Blood

Gore

Fear

Like the dos and don'ts, I may be forgetting something! If so, I will update it.

This list was updated on: 12/30/2023

ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ

My main blog is @kittieshauntedourfantasy, but I will put some basics about myself here!

I am Courtney. I go by Court. I use she/they pronouns. I have autism, so I'm sorry if I come off as rude sometimes! Tone tags help me, but they are not at all required.

This post was last updated on: 1/22/2025

[marcusbutnotgarvey]

No Regrets for Our Youth was a peculiar movie at first because I felt the plot was not easy to discern at first. The confusing part about watching it especially for an older movie was the shifting around from scene to scene. It would go to a scene at the Yagihara household to Japanese students singing in a bar about fascism and then to them on the street singing in a drunken state. The balance to this all was that unlike an Ozu film, I felt that the actors were able to actually act and convey emotions into each of their scenes. For instance, while Yukie’s mother did not have too many lines throughout the film, I felt she was able to convey each line with emotion that was able to be picked up easily.

After continuing to watch, but not until towards the end, the plot start to come into view. Yukie’s commitment and the commitment of Noge to their ideals and what they believe was the right thing to do. Noge wanted to stand up to the militarism of Japan, fascists ideals and a looming war effort. Yukie wanted to be true to herself and follow the one she truly loved. Yukie was tied between marrying the guy with a stable life outcome and less risky, or marrying the man who had a strong desire for doing what was right even at the risk of his own life. Ultimately, she chose Noge with the more passionate and emblazoned secret lifestyle. The real intensity and enjoyment of the film came after Noge’s passing and Yukie going to see his parents.

Yukie stayed at Noge’s parents and began her new life there supporting them however she could. She did this to as a form of solidarity and respect to Noge who brought her the happiness that she craved. Casting aside the easy life of living with her parents, Yukie picked up farming tools and began to help her parents-in-law. Not only did she take on the physical burden of working as a farmer but also the harassment and beratement brought on by Noge’s choice to stand against militarism of Japan. Another important thing to focus on was the fact that Yukie was main protagonist in this film. During this period women employment was a significant movement in America and it is comparatively important to see women take a leading role in film during this time.

I believe this film is harmonious with the message that not only men are capable of great things but women also. Yukie, through her own commitment, patiently endured the harassment of the villagers and forged her own path standing up for Noge’s image. She also picked up the tools to work alongside her mother-in-law. This was important especially since her father-in-law did not help in the farm until the latter portion of the film signaling the just as important role women play in society. In all, this was a great film and provides a wonderful backdrop to the encouragement of women’s rights and the changing of the hearts and minds of the Japanese people after WW2.

[tsunflowers]

I don't want to talk about "a woman's touch" bc i think that's reductive and ultimately does a disservice to female authors. at the same time there's a certain sensitivity to leigh brackett's "the long tomorrow" that I don't often see in these kinds of post-apocalyptic novels where people are reduced to superstitious farmers leaving in fear of technology. but I guess it's silly to say I think ms beckett has a uniquely feminine approach when her protagonist len colter reminds me so much of ender from ender's game, without being the single specialest boy in the entire world. it's just that he has a quiet inner strength that keeps him going which I find appealing in a protagonist

in this vision of future America the most prosperous people are the "new mennonites" who didn't care for technology before bombs were dropped and adapted the most easily to a low-tech lifestyle. but they're fervently religious and disallow technology and scientific knowledge. our protagonist len and his reckless cousin esau escape this upbringing in hopes of reaching a city called "bartorstown" which is said to be just like a city from the pre-war days where they keep the old knowledge alive. of course when they finally reach it the city isn't the paradise they dreamed of and the beliefs they were raised with turn out to be harder to shake than they thought

I think it's a novel about how you have to believe in something to keep going in the world and people who can't have blind faith suffer. people of god and people of science are not that different after all. both can have their faith shattered and rekindled. it's a very human story in that way. it has all the things you expect from this kind of story with mob violence and preaching about how the nuclear bomb was sent by the devil and secret underground bunkers but it's very candid about also being about asking the question "why are people the way that they are?" I liked it a lot

[ajokeformur-ray]

Okay, not to make your page the hub of vegan discourse, but I would love to pitch into this. I study nutrition and culture so the discussions happening on your page have been right up my alley. I really liked the points made by previous anon about the ways veganism can negatively impact the environment and especially their point on racist veganism, and how it can result in demonization of cultural practices.

This is a concern I have pondered greatly. I’d like to share some thoughts I have around vegan politics and it’s intersection with BIPOC.

Veganism is not a white practice. It’s unfortunate that the face of veganisms is white, able-bodied influencers as veganism has historical roots in many religious and cultural practices. Buddhism & Jainism throughout India and West Asia, Rastafarians, some Indigenous cultures, etc., have strong roots of veganism and vegetarianism due to a spiritual and moral interest in animal welfare. In America, Black vegans are the largest growing demographic of vegans because to many, veganism is interconnected with racial sovereignty, health, and peace. This is, of course, ignored and made invisible by media. This is because it would make white vegans have to interrogate their horrible tactics, make anti-vegans have to interrogate their understanding of history, and it would lead to loss of profit.

Many white vegans that you see on social media have taken veganism and used it as a way to exclude, bully, and feel superior — they have appropriated this movement, they have made people hate us. Please be aware that when you apply these same principles to anti-veganism, it is also a racist movement. That’s why I think that social media turning veganism into trend has horrible outcomes for both those with cultural ties to consuming animal products and for those with cultural ties to not consuming animal products.

Spreading the idea that veganism is synonymous with health foods and wealth completely erases the experience of vegan Black and Indigenous people. ‘White’ veganism has ruined people’s perception of veganism. White, able-bodied people comparing meat and dairy industries to genocide, as anon said, is a direct extension of white supremacy — it is a complete ignorance and lack of understanding. They do not speak for all vegans. They are wrong.

It is not the fault of BIPOC vegan folks that social media centers whiteness for marketing and green capitalism. They do not express what it really means to be vegan. Environmental justice and racism are connected.

You’re spot on about agriculture. Cutting out animal products but ignoring the disaster of plant agriculture and the human rights failures seen in the farming industry is a mistake. This should not be ignored. Part of veganism should be (and is at it’s core) looking at history and examining why industries have this much power in the first place. Mass production of plant foods negatively impacts price, farmer welfare, and land. This is indisputable. Influential social media vegans ignore this, they don’t take a second to question working conditions and fight to pay farmers more.

However, I ask that you look at veganism for more than what it is represented online (as a diet one does for ‘clean eating’) and see it for what it is for those whom it is meaningful to them for spiritual, religious, and cultural reasons. I ask that you do this before saying that it is something solely negative and dangerous because this is only true for those appropriating this lifestyle without understanding it and taking caring of themselves. Veganism honors the ancestors of some people, just as consuming meat products may honor the ancestors of others. Please please understand this and let’s not generalize what is a negative or positive lifestyle, because it cannot be generalized.

Hey nonnie!!!!💖

You raise such an important facet of this very nuanced and detailed discussion and I don't want to derail anything you've said so I'll leave it as it is. There are things you've said here which I was unaware of, and it's making my lack of education in certain aspects very highlighted! So thank you for taking the time to bring this to my and others' attention.

You're absolutely right with your last paragraph too, and as I said to the first anon about this a few days ago, I am talking specifically about the mainstream portrayal of veganism when I label it a solely negative and dangerous practice. The ones you see on YouTube who die of malnutrition and everything that that entails because they take it to the most extreme of extremes. The ones who have a holier-than-thou attitude about it, the ones who actively hate on non-vegans etc etc. I also want to reiterate that when I started this discussion a few days ago, it was a throwaway casual thought with very throwaway tags and I didn't expect anyone to read or respond to it because it was such a throwaway post.

However, I'm so so impressed and honestly I'm admiring the level of detail and care you and other anons have put into contributing to a discussion I wasn't necessarily prepared to have after posting a very casual thought stream with nothing more than momentary irritation behind it. I'm enjoying this hosted discussion and you're so right about everything you've said. I know very little about veganism beyond the way it's portrayed online, and that lack of education is on me and something I will be looking into, as I recognise that I'm not educated enough on it to fully contribute to your points raised here and that's something I'd like to change. As I said, in calling it negative and dangerous, I was specifically referring to mainstream veganism which negatively impacts my own medical diet (which is what my initial post was about a few days ago) and does kill people quite regularly. So I apologise if I have caused any offence or upset with anything I've said in ignorance. That's on me and I'll do better in future if we discuss this again.💖

[downtoearthmarkets]

As a farmers market shopper, you are most likely familiar with the ‘Slow Food Movement’ that emphasizes the mindful consumption of unprocessed, seasonal foods that are locally grown and prepared using culturally traditional cooking techniques. It goes without saying that our farmers markets act as hubs for connecting people with all the ingredients they need to foster a healthy, slow food lifestyle and its thoughtful approach to eating. But did you know that this concept – and the larger ‘slow living’ umbrella that it is part of – has extended into many arenas of everyday life, including the purchasing of decorative, cut flowers? In fact, the very same principles that apply to the consumption of ‘slow foods’ also apply to the intentional choices we make when selecting fresh flowers to buy for ourselves and others. 

Adorning one’s living space with colorful, sweetly scented flowers or gifting someone with a beautiful fresh bouquet is one of life’s simple pleasures that is accessible to most everyone. But behind those innocent-looking blooms sometimes lies a little-known dark side. Just as with modern-day industrial overproduction of food, the large-scale production, shipping and packaging of commercially grown cut flowers exacts a huge environmental toll that most consumers are generally not aware of. To address these issues, the slow flower movement encourages the sustainable, responsible and mindful consumption of decorative flowers. Along those lines, here are some things to keep in mind the next time you are looking to replace the desiccated, wilted stems in your hallway flower vase (hint: head directly to your local farmers market this summer). 

Seasonal flowers When you purchase fresh flowers in the dead of winter here in the northeast, such as buying a dozen red roses for your Valentine in mid-February, it’s a safe assumption that those blooms were not grown anywhere nearby. In fact, the majority of cut flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in far-flung warmer climates that allow for year-round production, such as California and South America. Happily, the arrival of summer to this region brings with it an influx of fresh produce into our farmstalls along with displays of fresh flowers, from sweet posies of wildflowers to sturdy bunches of sunflowers. Unlike industrially grown flowers, farmers market flowers are only available when the growing conditions allow for their production in harmony with nature’s rhythms. Whereas commercial growers routinely spray their crops with copious amounts of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to ensure a constant yield, the seasonally appropriate production of local flowers requires fewer inputs and synthetic applications. 

Refrigeration and transportation After industrially grown flowers are harvested from fields and greenhouses, they are stored in chilled warehouses to preserve their freshness before being transported via refrigerated trucks to the airport where they are then flown to their various destinations via cargo planes. Upon arrival, they are transferred back into refrigerated trucks and driven to retailers and other commercial distribution centers. The long-haul transportation and extended refrigeration of these flowers before they reach their point-of-sale requires an enormous expenditure of energy that balloons the size of their carbon footprint. Alternatively, the farmers market flowers that you see have been grown locally and have made only a short trip from the field to the marketplace. They’ll be fresher by the time you get them home and your purchase helps support a small farm or flower vendor versus a large faceless corporation. 

Native flowers The range of exotic blooms you’ll find at a commercial florist or supermarket are typically not indigenous to the northeast, having been grown in different countries and warmer states. Amongst the cheerful posies of fresh flowers populating the farmstalls, you’ll find a preponderance of native plant varieties that have been growing in this area for thousands of years. These native flowers are uniquely adapted to thrive in the specific growing conditions of this region and have co-evolved alongside our local pollinators and wildlife forming a beneficial symbiosis and helping to promote biodiversity. For instance, Rudbeckia (aka black-eyed-susan or coneflower) is an herbaceous perennial native to North America that is prized for its showy golden yellow flowers that are being sold in our farmers markets right now. The nectar and pollen its flowers produce feeds native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators and it is also a larval host plant for Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) caterpillars. Sticking within the yellow flower theme, all 52 varieties of sunflowers (Helianthus) are indigenous to North America while their seeds have formed a staple part of the American Indian diet for thousands of years. 

Packaging Unlike the bouquets sold by commercial florists and retailers that are often heavily packaged in plastic cellophane, when you purchase a bouquet in the farmers market, it may come wrapped in kraft paper or simply bundled up, ready to be tucked into your shopping tote. Whereas plastic film is hard to recycle and adding to our planet’s ongoing plastic pollution problem, paper is biodegradable and can be tossed in the compost along with your cut flowers once they have reached the end of their useful life. 

And there you have it! We wish you a very happy summer season of ‘slow food’ AND ‘slow flower’ shopping in our Down to Earth farmers markets.

[adalidda]

Sorghum: Unlocking Global Potential for Developing Countries

Sorghum, one of the world’s most drought-resistant crops, holds untapped potential for farmers' cooperatives and agribusiness firms in developing countries. Its resilience in the face of climate change, combined with its broad applicability across industries, positions it as a valuable export commodity. Sorghum, particularly white and red varieties, is increasingly sought after in global markets, spanning the food, beverage, and cosmetic sectors.

Global Market Trends and Demand

The global demand for sorghum has surged, driven by key factors:

Gluten-Free Movement: The gluten-free food market has expanded rapidly due to rising awareness of celiac disease and gluten sensitivities, as well as lifestyle trends. Sorghum, being naturally gluten-free, has become a staple ingredient for food manufacturers targeting this niche.

Health and Wellness Trends: Consumers globally are gravitating toward natural and whole-grain products. Sorghum’s nutritional profile, rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants, positions it as a premium option in health-focused food, beverages, and cosmetics.

Sustainability: With its low water requirements and adaptability to arid conditions, sorghum is an environmentally sustainable crop. As concerns about water scarcity grow, particularly in Europe and North America, the appeal of sorghum in environmentally conscious markets continues to rise.

Applications of Sorghum in Key Industries

1. Food Industry

The food industry remains a dominant driver of sorghum’s export potential:

Flour Production: Sorghum flour is a primary ingredient in gluten-free baked goods such as bread, cookies, and pasta. In India, for instance, partnerships between cooperatives and exporters have resulted in a 30% increase in exports of sorghum flour to the U.S. within three years.

Whole Grain Uses: European and North American markets have embraced ancient grains like sorghum. Companies in Mali have successfully marketed their high-quality whole grain sorghum as a healthier alternative to rice and quinoa, achieving a foothold in upscale food chains in France and Germany.

Popped Sorghum: As a niche healthy snack, popped sorghum has gained popularity. A cooperative in Uganda expanded exports of popped sorghum to the Middle East, meeting demand for innovative, gluten-free snack options.

Animal Feed: In Brazil, agribusinesses exporting sorghum-based animal feed to China have adopted traceability technologies, increasing market trust and boosting exports by 20% over two years.

2. Beverage Industry

Sorghum plays a vital role in both traditional and modern beverage production:

Beer Brewing: Beyond Africa, the global interest in traditional sorghum beers has surged. In South Africa, breweries exporting sorghum-based beers to the United Kingdom have tapped into craft beer enthusiasts’ demand for unique and exotic flavors.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Nigerian firms have seen success exporting malted sorghum drinks to markets in the Middle East, where they are marketed as halal-certified, nutritious beverages.

Sorghum Syrup: In the U.S., the growing popularity of craft cocktails and natural sweeteners has driven demand for sorghum syrup. Exporters in Burkina Faso have capitalized on this trend, securing long-term supply agreements with craft beverage companies.

3. Cosmetic Industry

Sorghum’s unique properties make it a sought-after ingredient in cosmetics:

Moisturizers and Anti-Aging Products: South Korean beauty brands have increasingly sourced sorghum extract from Ethiopia for its hydrating and anti-aging benefits, fostering trade relationships that have doubled Ethiopian exports in this segment.

Hair Care: In India, sorghum-based hair care products have gained traction in the natural hair care movement, with exports expanding to North America, where demand for eco-friendly, nutrient-rich products is growing.

Natural Colorants: Red sorghum has become an attractive natural colorant for European cosmetic manufacturers adhering to stringent regulations on synthetic dyes. Firms in Tanzania have successfully entered this market, emphasizing their organic farming practices.

Successful Sorghum Exports

Mali’s Whole Grain Sorghum in Europe: Through partnerships with international fair-trade organizations, Malian cooperatives export whole grain sorghum to health-conscious consumers in France and Belgium, emphasizing ethical sourcing and sustainable practices.

Ugandan Popped Sorghum in the Middle East: Small-scale Ugandan producers entered the Middle Eastern market by marketing popped sorghum as a versatile snack and cereal ingredient, meeting the region’s demand for innovative, gluten-free products.

Burkina Faso’s Sorghum Syrup in U.S. Craft Beverages: Burkina Faso has become a key supplier of sorghum syrup to the U.S. craft beverage industry, leveraging government incentives to establish export channels and ensure competitive pricing.

Challenges and Strategies for Success

While sorghum offers immense potential for developing countries, several challenges must be addressed to fully unlock its global market potential. Below, we delve deeper into these challenges and outline actionable strategies for success:

1. Quality Control and Standardization

Challenge: Meeting international quality standards is a significant hurdle for many developing countries. Inconsistent quality, contamination, and lack of adherence to global food safety regulations can hinder market access and reduce competitiveness.

Strategies:

Establish Testing Labs: Developing countries can follow Kenya’s model, where cooperatives have set up testing labs to ensure export-bound sorghum meets international standards. These labs can test for aflatoxins, moisture content, and other quality parameters.

Certification Programs: Obtaining certifications such as ISO, HACCP, or organic certifications can enhance credibility. For example, Ethiopian sorghum exporters have successfully entered the South Korean cosmetic market by adhering to stringent quality and organic certification requirements.

Farmer Training: Providing training to farmers on best practices for cultivation, harvesting, and post-harvest handling can improve quality. In Mali, farmer cooperatives have partnered with NGOs to offer workshops on sustainable farming techniques, resulting in higher-quality sorghum for export.

2. Market Access and Trade Barriers

Challenge: Navigating complex global trade regulations, tariffs, and non-tariff barriers can be daunting for small-scale producers and agribusinesses in developing countries.

Strategies:

Leverage Trade Agreements: Developing countries should actively participate in regional and international trade agreements to reduce tariffs and gain preferential access to key markets. For instance, African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can benefit from reduced intra-African trade barriers, facilitating sorghum exports within the continent.

Partnerships with Export Agencies: Collaborating with national export promotion agencies can help businesses understand market requirements and navigate regulatory hurdles. Nigerian exporters, for example, have partnered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to access European and Middle Eastern markets.

Market Intelligence: Investing in market research to identify demand trends, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements in target markets is crucial. Ugandan exporters successfully entered the Middle Eastern market by tailoring their popped sorghum products to meet the region’s demand for gluten-free snacks.

3. Supply Chain Management and Infrastructure

Challenge: Inefficient supply chains, poor storage facilities, and inadequate transportation infrastructure can lead to post-harvest losses, reduced product quality, and higher costs.

Strategies:

Invest in Storage Infrastructure: Climate-controlled storage facilities can significantly reduce post-harvest losses and maintain product quality. Nigerian exporters have invested in modern storage systems, enabling them to meet the demands of international buyers consistently.

Improve Logistics: Developing efficient transportation networks, including cold chains for perishable sorghum products like syrup, is essential. Public-private partnerships can play a key role in upgrading infrastructure. For example, Burkina Faso’s government has collaborated with private firms to improve road networks, facilitating the export of sorghum syrup to the U.S.

Digital Solutions: Implementing digital tools for supply chain tracking and traceability can enhance transparency and build trust with buyers. Brazilian exporters have adopted blockchain technology to track sorghum-based animal feed shipments to China, boosting market confidence and increasing exports.

4. Access to Finance and Investment

Challenge: Limited access to financing for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses can restrict their ability to invest in quality improvement, infrastructure, and market expansion.

Strategies:

Microfinance and Cooperative Models: Encouraging the formation of farmer cooperatives and providing access to microfinance can empower smallholders. In Mali, cooperatives have pooled resources to invest in quality testing and marketing, enabling them to export whole grain sorghum to Europe.

Public and Private Investment: Governments and development agencies can provide grants, low-interest loans, or guarantees to support sorghum value chains. For instance, the Ethiopian government has partnered with international donors to fund sorghum processing facilities, boosting exports to the cosmetic industry.

Crowdfunding and Impact Investing: Exploring alternative financing models, such as crowdfunding or impact investing, can attract capital from socially conscious investors. Ugandan producers of popped sorghum have used crowdfunding platforms to raise funds for expanding production and entering new markets.

5. Climate Change and Sustainability

Challenge: While sorghum is drought-resistant, climate change poses risks such as unpredictable weather patterns, pests, and diseases, which can affect yields and quality.

Strategies:

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Promoting climate-smart farming practices, such as crop rotation, intercropping, and drought-resistant seed varieties, can enhance resilience. In Burkina Faso, farmers have adopted these techniques to stabilize sorghum production despite erratic rainfall.

Research and Development: Investing in R&D to develop high-yielding, pest-resistant sorghum varieties can improve productivity. International research institutions like ICRISAT have partnered with African countries to introduce improved sorghum varieties tailored to local conditions.

Sustainable Certification: Obtaining sustainability certifications, such as Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance, can appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Malian cooperatives have successfully marketed their sorghum as sustainably produced, gaining access to premium markets in Europe.

6. Value Addition and Diversification

Challenge: Relying solely on raw sorghum exports limits profitability. Developing value-added products can increase revenue but require investment in processing and innovation.

Strategies:

Local Processing Facilities: Establishing local processing units for products like sorghum flour, syrup, or popped sorghum can create higher-value exports. In Uganda, small-scale processing units have enabled farmers to export value-added products to the Middle East.

Product Innovation: Encouraging innovation in sorghum-based products, such as gluten-free snacks, beverages, or cosmetics, can open new markets. South African breweries have capitalized on the global craft beer trend by exporting traditional sorghum beers to the UK.

Branding and Marketing: Developing strong brands that emphasize sorghum’s health benefits, sustainability, and cultural heritage can differentiate products in competitive markets. Nigerian malted sorghum drinks have gained traction in the Middle East by highlighting their halal certification and nutritional value.

Conclusion

The global demand for sorghum is growing, offering developing countries a unique opportunity to capitalize on this resilient and versatile crop. By embracing innovation, improving quality standards, and leveraging global market trends, agribusiness firms and farmers’ cooperatives can unlock new export possibilities. The success stories from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and other countries highlight the transformative potential of sorghum in driving economic growth and improving livelihoods. As a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, sorghum is set to play an increasingly vital role in the global market.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and learned something new and useful from it. If you did, please share it with your friends and colleagues who might be interested in Agriculture and Agribusiness.

Mr. Kosona Chriv

Group Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Solina / Sahel Agri-Sol Group (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania)

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Deko Group (Nigeria, Cambodia)

Senior Advisor

Adalidda (India, Cambodia)

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Photo: Sorghum grains (AI-generated Image)