While the global food systems we depend on come under increasing strain, there’s a solution to the growing crisis that most Americans can find in their own backyards–or front lawns.
A confluence of crises—lockdowns and business closures, mandates and worker shortages, supply chain disruptions and inflation, sanctions and war—have compounded to trigger food shortages; and we have been warned that they may last longer than the food stored in our pantries. What to do?
Jim Gale, founder of Food Forest Abundance, pointed out in a recent interview with Del Bigtree that in the United States there are 40 million acres of lawn. Lawns are the most destructive monoculture on the planet, absorbing more resources and pesticides than any other crop, without providing any yield. If we were to turn 30% of that lawn into permaculture-based food gardens, says Gale, we could be food self-sufficient without relying on imports or chemicals.
Continue readingFiled under: Ellen Brown Articles/Commentary | Tagged: Dachas, economy, food shortages, gardening, lawns, permaculture, Russia | 11 Comments »




What Does the Fed’s Jerome Powell Have Up His Sleeve?
The Real Goal of Fed Policy: Breaking Inflation, the Middle Class or the Bubble Economy?
“There is no sense that inflation is coming down,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at a November 2 press conference, — this despite eight months of aggressive interest rate hikes and “quantitative tightening.” On November 30, the stock market rallied when he said smaller interest rate increases are likely ahead and could start in December. But rates will still be increased, not cut. “By any standard, inflation remains much too high,” Powell said. “We will stay the course until the job is done.”
The Fed is doubling down on what appears to be a failed policy, driving the economy to the brink of recession without bringing prices down appreciably. Inflation results from “too much money chasing too few goods,” and the Fed has control over only the money – the “demand” side of the equation. Energy and food are the key inflation drivers, and they are on the supply side. As noted by Bloomberg columnist Ramesh Ponnuru in the Washington Post in March:
So why is the Fed forging ahead? Some pundits think Chairman Powell has something else up his sleeve.
Continue reading →Filed under: Ellen Brown Articles/Commentary | Tagged: Bank of North Dakota, banks, Danielle DiMartino Booth, economy, Fed chair, Fed put, Federal Reserve, Inflation, Jerome Powell, NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, public banking, quantitative easing, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, supply chains, THE FED, Tom Luongo | 51 Comments »