Land: The Source of True Wealth

Every time the economy has conniptions, I get an overwhelming urge to get out into my garden, and grow some food. Yesterday I planted four different pea varieties and a couple of radishes, today I’m planning on getting in my spuds, and some more onions. My motives for growing food are simple. I’m interested in saving money, for sure, but there are deeper issues at stake. I’m keen to see my kids eat produce that’s as fresh as can be, that’s full of flavour (and therefore nutrition), grown without being tainted by poisonous chemicals. I want to eat in a way that enhances, rather than wrecks the land my food is grown on. Because when push comes to shove, the bottom line isn’t in any sense financial. Ultimately, life on planet earth is utterly dependant upon the land, and what it is able to produce. Simon Fairlie, a former editor of the UK’s Ecologist Magazine, says this: “Capitalism is a confidence trick, a dazzling edifice built on paper promises. It may stand longer than some of us anticipate, but when it crumbles, the land will remain.” So when the Dow Jones plumbs new depths and the All Ords becomes a sea of red, can you blame me for wanting to plant a seed into freshly prepared soil? Earth, my friends, is the source of true wealth. And real living.