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Re: [GWL]: Mantis??

Hi, all,
   Let me use this letter to introduce myself. I'm new to this list, but not new to garden writing--been in the game since the late 70s.
    Have a few considerations about the seemingly unending decline in interest in food gardening. The decline is far greater than might be caused by the change in age-mix demographics called "baby boomer."
    Food gardening is what investment gurus call a counter-cyclical activity. In my opinion, when economic times are good people increasingly choose to opt into the system--earn salaries, spend money, go out to dinner. When times are hard, people distrust the system, seek self-sufficient independence, go back to the land. The last big land-return was during the inflation of the 70s ending with the recession of the early 80s. It's been good times since then. Gooder and gooder. As the good times roll, more and more people come to adulthood without any reality on hard times; and popular culture and popular interests change.
    This economic boom ain't likely to continue longer. In fact, my analysis calls for the immediate onset of very hard times. Very. That's because we don't have any significant war nor excuse to spend money preparing for one. Despite the noises made by the current administration in Washington, there won't be any way to politically justify making huge military expenditures until some really credible enemy shows up. Without military spending the unsold inventories build up in industrial warehouses and the layoffs start and the profits decline to zip from overproduction and genuine competition. 
    My generation has thoroughly enjoyed (economically) a great war. It started in 1937 in Spain, switched opponents after 1945 an continued as a "cold" war until 1991. During the time of what future historians may call "the fifty-five years war of the late 20th century" there were no major economic down cycles. A few minor ones like the recessions and inflations of the 70s, but nothing major, nothing that couldn't be ameliorated by a little printing press rolling. And not even anything minor since the early 80s. Then in '91 we experienced an ongoing wind-down of war preparation much like that which occurred in the 20s. Initially this brought more spending money, lower taxes, a boom. But now it is over, folks.
    Look for your food gardening public to start to increase as soon as unemployment does. We are likely to soon find out that the FED can't control the economy under these conditions--it certainly couldn't in the 30s.

Best regards,
Steve Solomon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nellie Neal" <nelzgarden@hotmail.com>
To: <Gardenwriters@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: [GWL]: Mantis??


> 
> OK, now you're onto my topic du jour. Is anyone on this list a writer for 
> nationalgardening.com besides moi? The shutdowns, selloffs, and bankruptcies 
> do make me question one particular thing: everybody who's laid off seems to 
> be going freelance, which makes for a crowded pool with very little bait. 
> I've been party to closures of magazines, websites, and almanacs in biz for 
> years. Not that I'm the Jessica Fletcher of publications, but I just work 
> for a living. Who're we all going to write for? I've set up my own website, 
> just to be sure I can write what I want, and maybe someday it'll pay.
> 
> >From: Carol Wallace <gardenwriter@mindspring.com>
> >Reply-To: Gardenwriters@topica.com
> >To: Gardenwriters@topica.com
> >Subject: [GWL]: Mantis??
> >Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 18:06:12 -0400
> >
> >With all the businesses that are folding - has anyone heard anything about 
> >Mantis Tillers -  the
> >company, not the tiller itself. I just heard from one of the places where 
> >they advertise that
> >they are not answering phones or e-mail and haven't paid their bills. ..
> >Carol
> >--
> >Virtually Gardening
> >http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/virtually_gardening
> >CURRENT ARTICLE: "Where Have All the Gardeners Gone?"
> >http://suite101.com/article.cfm/virtually_gardening/75804
> >Enter the FIFTH ANNUAL TACKY YARD ART CONTEST! GET THE SCOOP AT
> >http://suite101.com/contest.cfm/75/402
> >
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> >
> >
> 
> 
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> Stretch your dollars.
> Make George do double duty with amazing deals from 
> TopOffers.
> http://click.topica.com/caaacgObUrGSSbVS9rNf/TopOffers
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> Pass the word to garden writers, editors publishers, horticultural businesses about our list.
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