My father in-law makes some extra dough by converting modern power tools (Delta table saws, belt sanders, and lathes) to run of a central drive shaft so the Amish in our area can build furniture. Evidently it's "kosher" to use a centrally located diesel engine (with a battery to start it even!) to turn line shafts, belts, and pulleys to transmit power instead of wires. They even use pre-manufactured drawer guides and other hardware in their furniture (and air compressor powered sprayers to apply stain and varnish). Several Amish farms put telephones in their barns for emergency purposes (or drive to nearby store to use a phone booth to call relatives, etc.). So much for being "independent". ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harmon Seaver" <hseaver@cybershamanix.com> To: <cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 6:07 PM Subject: Re: Farm Out! (was Re: Retribution not enough)
Steve Furlong wrote:
Your theory about the ag schools and county agents and such may be right; I don't know enough to comment on them.
The best example I can give is the Amish. They *don't* send their sons to ag school (don't even educate them past 7th grade actually) and don't listen to the extension agents, and make money with small, totally old fashioned, organic farms. No tractors, horses to plow with -- and make enough that when each son gets married, they buy him a farm with cash. They don't do the factory farm trip, don't get look for gov't handouts (which is what *all* the big, agri-biz farms do), and compete very well.
-- Harmon Seaver, MLIS CyberShamanix Work 920-203-9633 Home 920-233-5820 hseaver@cybershamanix.com http://www.cybershamanix.com/resume.html