Guest guest Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 The current issue of National Geographics has a cover story on the farming demise of the Great Plains. There are numerous photos and articles about the recent conversion of tilled farmland back into beautiful prairie grasses and about conversion from cattle back to buffalo. The area has been basically ruined by so-called modern farming technology. They interview plant geneticist WES JACKSON from the Land Institute in Salina, KS who explained how he is making intelligent prairie plants out of " weeds " without genetic engineering. They also discuss TED TURNER's ambitous plans to make the area one huge buffalo ranch (he already owns more land and more buffalo than any other American) and his new chain Ted's Montana Grill which serves bison meat. Historical photographs from the turn-of-the-century show the massive tillage of land that should have remained grass, how that contributed to the Dust Bowl and now the slow depopulation of the people now that farms are failing en masse. The historical photos from Kansas are heart-wrenching and worth a look. It's a shame to see all these hard-working descendants of European immigrants leaving the farm, but it may be better for the Standard American Diet in the long run. Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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