Tag Archives: agriculture

Book Review of “Against the Grain. A Deep History of the Earliest States”

Posted on September 9, 2020 by

Preface.  Energyskeptic.com is ultimately about the rise and fall of civilizations, although I didn’t know that when I first started writing this as an energy and resource blog.  Our civilization too will fail as fossil fuels decline, and then we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse of Civilizations, Historically, Human Nature, Life Before Oil, Slavery | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Can you grow enough fruit and vegetables to be self-sufficient?

Posted on August 18, 2020 by

Preface. If you want to try to feed yourself, buy John Jeavons excellent book “How to Grow More Vegetables, Ninth Edition: (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture | Tagged | 4 Comments

Invasion of feral hogs yet another hazard for the future

Posted on April 8, 2020 by

Preface. The Decline category used to be Death By A Thousand Cuts. Feral hogs are yet another cut for anyone who survives peak oil. Not only will climate change be drastically cutting back food production, feral hogs will too, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Biodiversity Loss, BioInvasion, Disease | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Northeast apple production suffering from Climate Change

Posted on January 26, 2020 by

Preface. Although this article is only about one crop in one area, it portends a darker future for food production in the future, with each region having their own issues (i.e. drought in California). It’s only a matter of time … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Agriculture | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Northeast apple production suffering from Climate Change

Steam powered farm tractors

Posted on January 17, 2020 by

Preface. Steam engines weren’t very efficient, 10 to 20% at best, which is why they went away beginning around 1920 when oil-powered engines came along.  At the very best steam engines for transportation reached 10 to 20% efficiency. They were … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomass-powered Steam Engines | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

America loves the idea of family farms. That’s unfortunate. By Sarah Taber

Posted on November 13, 2019 by

Preface. As declining fossil fuels force more and more people back into being farmers, eventually 75 to 90% of the population, it would be much better for this to happen with family farms than gigantic mega-farms with workers who are … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

So you want to start a vertical farm?

Posted on July 26, 2019 by

Preface. Vertical farms sound even more impossible than rooftop farms, which at least can use free sunshine. And they use massive amounts of energy to heat, cool, ventilate, light, and so on, not a good direction to go given energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Agriculture | Tagged , | 6 Comments

France is trying to get rid of pesticides

Posted on July 14, 2019 by

Preface.  This article discusses how France is doing so far in their attempt to use less pesticides.  This is the direction we should be going in post fossils.  Many of the solutions are too high-tech to be used after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Pesticides | Tagged , | Comments Off on France is trying to get rid of pesticides

Vanishing open spaces: population growth and sprawl in America

Posted on May 27, 2019 by

Before the fossil fuel age began, about 80 to 90% of people farmed to make a living. Since the end of the oil age will send us back to the past, farmland and farmers will once again comprise the greatest … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Overpopulation, Soil | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Replacing diesel tractors with horses or oxen – what will that be like?

Posted on April 27, 2019 by

Preface.  Since fossil fuels are clearly finite, at some point increasing numbers of farmers with diesel vehicles and equipment will want to replace them with horses, which can do the work of six people.  Here’s what  energy expert Vaclav Smil … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Life Before Oil, Muscle Power, Peak Food, Vaclav Smil | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment