No need for Sudafed – I’m not allergic. I love animules. Though, if I bring Maddie (my dog) she would be making new friends (and, adopting pets) straight away.

Univalves e Bivalves, eh? They sure do sound easy to entertain…

You’re absolutely right, using more land to produce more food is probably efficent. But that’s not my comment.

With less than 2 hectares (5 acres) of biologically productive land per human being on the planet, economy of land use is a high priority. If humans use every last bit of usable land to live on and produce food, there’s nowhere left for animals either. Life won’t be fun. The real problem is that there are far too many of us, but given that we’re here we can’t squander land.

Where you live, land pressure might be most visible as suburban sprawl. But if the entire planet lived like the average american we’d need about sixteen planets. Land needs to be used thoughtfully.

For instance, slash-and-burn is a perfectly sustainable subsistence farming technique for small groups in low population areas. It actually contributes to ecological diversity by opening up spaces in forests. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to feed everyone today.

The problem is that there are too many of us, not that we all live in big houses. Because most of us don’t.

For some crops, narrower row spacing can result in higher yields. Farm equipment has evolved over the years to accomodate this. For others, it can result in lower yields due to lowered pest resistance, spread of fungi and other diseases, and less access to sunlight. There are limits, epscially if you do not want to use chemical pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides that poison the food and pollute waterways. There are natural ways of managing weeds and pests, and they require room.

There are more benefits to preserving farmland and open space than yield per acre.

We aren’t running out of space to put people. We are running out of space to put people who wish to live in the ever-expanding suburbs, and who wish to widen roads, build strip malls and mega-car lots and have hundreds of shopping opportunities once they live there.

If land is in limited supply due to an increasing population, all the more reason to preserve and protect land that will feed people. Supporting family farmers helps.

Our choices are not simple.

Mine is high-anxiety – always, ALWAYS! I dearly love each of them, independently. But, my patience wears thin with the abundance of negative energy around the 2nd hour. They’re each brilliant, stellar people; but, that somehow gets sucked out of the room when more than 2 are assembled.

I sometimes feel guilty by saying this: but, I enjoy being 2K miles from home. I can pick-and-chose my visits (strictly off-holiday, now) and can always save face by blaming flight schedules or traffic.

RE: social duty and business responsibility…

Thank you, Kathleen, for making this stand. I agree that, as potential employers, we have a responsibility to our staff and community. After all, these are the reasons we will achieve any modicum of success.

My thought was that if some of the birds in the photos are tasty, probably some of the people are, too (different audiences, though). I liked Thanksgiving for the chance to be with my family; we’re low-pressure, and I’m pretty much the matriarch. Good heavens. Mostly because our genetic Circle-of-Life has a pretty short diameter. I like to think one of the things my family is thankful for is a guilt-free place to go on Thanksgiving. If you can make it, you’re very welcome; if you can’t, no problem, maybe next year. I don’t know why it can’t just be like that for more folks.

Kathleen – that’s exactly why I read your blog! Your practical, passionate commitment to doing things right. At all levels. And to educating the rest of us.

Hugs!