Vertical Farming's Unnoted Advantage?

I'm guessing maybe vertical farming has an advantage I've not considered in the past.  I've mostly been skeptical of it and still am.  But...

One of the problems of growing produce is labor.  While farm labor isn't well paid, the harvesting of vegetables typically requires hand labor, which I think usually turns into seasonal labor (depending on the crop).  But I saw the other day a picture of a worker in a vertical farm growing lettuce.  He was wearing a white uniform, and standing by a tray of lettuce at shoulder height. I don't know whether it's standard for vertical farms to have their growing trays on a rotating drive arrangement, so that the work is always at eye level, but it makes sense they would.  It's a slight additional expense and a complication for maintenance but still.

So consider the labor advantages of such a system:

• no back-breaking labor, no bad weather of heat or rain, etc., clean.
• the job is not seasonal, it's year round, meaning the workers can be permanent.
• while the vertical farming factory is located in or near a city, with its higher living costs, the much bigger labor pool and the much better working conditions might well counterbalance the costs.

Just some guesses, but I'll be interested to see if I'm right or wrong.

Time for Higher Real Estate Tax Rates

 Megan McArdle and this Post analysis both describe a booming real estate market in the suburbs, as the "professional" (AKA "upper middle class") take advantage of cheap money and flee the crowded cities. I can see that in my own neighborhood: in the last year or so there have been several townhouses change hands in my cluster.  These would likely be entry-level houses, currently selling in the $350K range.  By the old standards of 2.5 times yearly income that means household income of $140K--not likely. A two income family would, I'd assume, come close to $90-100 K (say two school teachers)

IMO the country needs some way to counter such trends. We don't need McMansions, we don't need everyone having their own private bathroom, we don't need 2.4 rooms per person,  2,700 square feet in a house, much less more than that.  I write this knowing my wife and I occupy a house with 2 baths, 2 half baths.  But it's less than 1500 square feet.  I didn't need that big of a house when I bought; we don't use the whole house now.

When I bought I found the biggest house I thought I could afford because I figured it was a good investment. I assume that parents would buy the biggest house they can afford in the best school district they can find for similar reasons: their kids are good investments; their house is a good investment, or so they think.

The only current way of countering ever more investment in housing is real estate taxes. 

A Vet, But No Hero

 Our illustrious president is alleged to have called people who served in the military "losers", etc.  It seems consistent with his public persona, although the Atlantic article didn't have named sources.

In reaction, some are calling military personnel "heroes".

I take exception: I'm a vet, but no damned hero.  I was drafted, I went, I served, I got out very happily--end of story for me.

Flak on Reopening USDA DC

USDA's DC area offices are working towards reopening, but catching flak from the employees according to this report.

Update on EU Agricultural Programs

 Been a long time since I posted on this subject. Here's a recent release--the study is critical of the EU programs:

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the EU's largest budget item, averaging EUR 54 billion annually. It is well known that over 80% of payments are going to only 20% of farmers, but to what extent these payments support policy goals is poorly understood, due to a lack of transparency and complex reporting.

"Our analysis shows that at least €24 billion per year goes to income support in the richest regions, while the poorest regions with the most farm jobs are being left further behind.

Rebanks and the American System--Corn Laws Redux

 James Rebanks had a best-selling book back in 2015--The Shepherd's Life, a memoir of raising sheep in northwestern England.  More recently, as described in his Twitter account, he's diversified his operation with pigs and cows, and put more emphasis on diversified farming and conservation.  And he has a new book, English Pastoral (currently only on sale in England).

It took me a little while, but my new book is now on sale (for pre orders)

It is about everything I care about and love and I hope you like it pic.twitter.com/kpg2u7JmZH

— James Rebanks (@herdyshepherd1) May 28, 2020

This week BBC America had a clip of him and his wife as they argued against the "American System" Their concern was the negotiations between the UK government and US over trade terms, as the UK leaves the EU.  If there are no trade barriers/tariffs on agricultural trade, they fear that UK agriculture will be overwhelmed.  (I sense a reprise of the repeal of the Corn Laws back in 1846.)  

Rebanks outlines the case for a protectionist stance towards agriculture in this March article. And it's based on his book tour (NYTimes piece) of Kentucky when selling his first book.

Am I Getting Conservative?

 I sometimes wonder.  It's too bad we didn't have blogs in the 60's and 70's so I could trace the changes in my opinions over the years.  As far as today's politicians go, I generally support the Klobuchars and Bidens of the world. 

I likely am more internationalist/globalist than they.  I remember the heyday of the UN, when it was still viewed by some as essential to world peace.  And I remember the decolonialization movement and our concern over getting adequate foreign aid to the third world.  Liberals mostly seem to have abandoned that focus, but the influence of my ancestral religion still runs strong--the "Great Mission" was to convert the world.

On some current issues:

• I believe in much higher taxes on everyone.  I still retain the bias of JKGalbraith's "The Affluent Society", which argued we underfunded public amenities in favor of private extravagance.  There's no need for 2-4,000 square foot homes. 
• I don't believe in reparations--I do believe in experimenting with social programs, including dispersed public housing (down with NIMBYs) and cash transfer programs. 
• I don't believe in defunding policy, though I would favor more social services, more rehabilitation programs in prison.
• I think there are many more important things people could focus on rather than taking down monuments and renaming landmarks, but different strokes as we used to say in the 60's.
• I do believe in nationalizing a lot of statistics and making reporting mandatory--crime and health come to mind. 

Violence

 Up to now I've been optimistic on the state of the nation's politics, saying today isn't as bad as many fear.

I may be in the process of changing my mind.  I remember the conflicts in the 60's and 70's between the Weathermen and the Black Panthers and the hard hats of some unions. There was violence then, lots of bombs.  But I don't remember the group conflicts then.  The groups on the left were anti-establishment, and often still adhered to the ethic of nonviolence--although a few were killed, the bombings weren't intended to kill. The Black Panthers and police/law enforcement had violent clashes in which people died.  But except for union hard hats disrupting anti-war demonstrations there was little left-right violence with the police caught in the middle.  

That seems to be what's changing.  And what's dangerous is the likelihood of escalation--paint guns and rocks and fists can move to knives and guns, first displayed, then used.  That sort of dynamic is inherent in people, and it's dangerous.

I'm worried.

No Longer the Party of Limited Government?

From Reason.com:

So under Trump's signature, before any true crisis hit, the annual price tag of government went up by $937 billion in less than four years—more than the $870 billion price hike Obama produced in an eight-year span that included a massive federal response to a financial meltdown.

The Slow Progress of Videophone/Videoconferencing

 I'm not sure whether "videophones" is a comprehensive enough term but I'll go with it. I'm referring to the idea of being able to see the person with whom you are talking over long distance.  ("Long distance" for the young means the rest of the US beyond roughly 20-40 miles from your position which incurred a charge per minute,)

I vaguely remember participating in a test in ASCS in the 1970's--I think an innovative deputy administrator for management sprang for it.  It didn't work--too expensive, too little advantage.  Again in the 1980's I think there was a trial, maybe five or six managers in DC and Kansas City had special phones with the idea it would replace our trips back and forth.  It didn't work--too new, too much of a change, too awkward. Again the 1990's there was a trial, but this time it was televised conference calls, with a TV camera covering a conference table with maybe 10-12 seats. Again this was for DC-KCMO conferencing.  It worked better, although the facility had to be reserved at each end.  It was competing against email by this time, not something that the 1970's trial had to face.  I don't remember whether it was still in operation at the time I left.

Up to this point the process was using special phone/camera equipment--really "videophones".  I don't know for sure whether the 1990s were using the internet to communicate, likely not. Fast forward through the 2000's and the development of Skype until you reach 2020 and the wide use of Zoom, and competing services. 

Apparently it works now because almost everyone has the equipment--computer/smartphone with camera and broadband access--to participate. So there's not much hassle to setting up a call. And with the pandemic video conferencing becomes the only way to go.  Email with cc's to everyone works in some situations, but when you want back and forth conversations among a group, conferencing is the only way.