[Iaato]

We get our gas regionally in Southcentral AK from the Cook Inlet. Our supplies are forecast to only last through about 2012 without more costly exploration. The AK fertilizer plant has been competing with the municipality of Anchorage during the last few winters for natural gas supplies. The Agrium fertilizer plant had to shut down a significant amount of time last winter to avoid usurping gas meant for heating homes in Anchorage. Yes, this is a sign we're getting close. We have more options up here in Anchorage, including tides, wind, and geothermal. But no one can move off the dime to get started. Lots of talk about windmills on Fire Island by proponents at Chugach Electric, but we can't seem to move off the dime on the project.

[MD]

It's expensive to move energy across Alaska. The distances are long, the environment tough, and you have to expend massive amounts of heat to keep it moving. There will be lots of stranded resource in the arctic.

edit: unless it gets warm, of course!

[billp]

Drawing (large)
Posted by J Orlin Grabbe: link

Edit: Converted [img] to [url].-FL

[lorenzo]

Coal. Air. Water. Sun.

Case closed.

[billp]

We speculate that the feds have messed with the wrong cats.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3349/275247

[Iaato]

One final comment on this story, which is an illustration of the peak oil finally impacting the awareness of the MSM. The Anchorage Daily News finally gets it, in today's editorial piece.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')Alaska is an energy-rich state with a serious energy supply problem, right here in the most populated area.
The abundant, cheap natural gas that has fueled Southcentral for decades has dried up. Gas costs are steadily rising, driving electricity and heating bills to painful levels. On the coldest winter days, gas suppliers struggle to make sure there's enough to keep everybody's heat on and electricity turbines spinning...."

[misterno]

"The fertilizers are necessary because the soil is totally played out from years of crop farming. "

Pheba

Referring to your above statement, is it really more expensive to buy land that has never been farmed?

I am really curious.

[threadbear]

Are you able to restore the land, on a rotational basis, by planting cabbages and letting them rot back into the soil?

[katkinkate]

My understanding of Pheba's described management system, and the little I've read of pasture farming, the soil fertility will be gradually improving over the years, but it can take a long time to correct severe soil degradation. Joel Salatin of Polyface farms (previously mentioned) is the 2nd or 3rd generation using his rotational grazing method. His grandfather began the rennovation of their farm and Joel is reaping the benefits of his family's generational effort.

Pheba's place probably still needs a nitrogen boost for optimal productivity. With no added nitrogen they may have to accept reduced productivity and reduced income.

[dust_farmer]

N.P.K.S fertilizer prices are raising eyebrows here in australia phebagirl and the early talk for the coming year cereal crop is that in the low rainfall country there is a move towards livestock as the economics don't stack up for cropping.
When you say the land was cropped out before mr pheba started grazing do you mean that the nutrients were depleated or was it a soil structure problem?

[dust_farmer]

double post

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('highlander', 'T')ake a look at this link. Especially pay attention to the plant composition. There is no substitute for nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium (or any other element in a plants composition.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/land ... app1a.html

If you don't have soil, you apply fertilizer. Decades of intensive farming have turned soil into an inert growing media. It is only capable of producing crops because you apply LOTS of nitrogen.

Bite the bullet and apply nitrogen, or thin your herd. Just keep spreading the manure around and in a few years, you should start getting real soil again!

[PhebaAndThePilgrim]

Good day from Pheba, from the farm:
I apologize for the delayed response time. There are times when days and days go by and I do not post on the internet.
Kat., you are correct. We are nitrogen deficient on our farm. Most of Missouri's farm land is similar to ours.
We are the typical 160 plot of ground that has been under some kind of agricultural use for 200 years. We are just north of the Ozarks. the glaciers that swept through here ten thousand years ago made it this far. We have a fairly flat square 160 acre plot of ground. We have 3 ponds, and one water runoff creek. The creek is dry most of the time, and erosion in the bed is a problem. There are 22 acres that were put in Missouri native Eastern gamma grass in 1992. The rest is either pasture or woods. We have one area of woods completely fenced off from cattle to allow natural plants and animals to thrive. Cattle are hard on wooded areas.
We have one 1/4 mile Ozark Hedge trees. The hedgerow was planted at least 150 years ago, maybe even before that. Our abstract goes way back, and shows that this farm has traded hands dozens and dozens of times. The last owner raised sheep and cattle for decades. My husband cropped farm heavily for years. He stopped crop farming in 1991.
Right now we maintain 30 to 35 head of producing mama cows. Without synthetic fertilizers we could probably support 15.
Our cattle do not produce enough nitrogen with their waste to support themselves. Besides, the problem is not just nitrogen. both Phosphate and potash are needed for the growth of the protein rich legumes that they need to raise calves.
Spreading manure from outside sources is risky. Manure carries diseases. We vaccinate our cattle carefully, but are still very careful. We artificially inseminate, and have not brought in an outside cow in years.
Books make it sound so easy. Just go natural, and use manure to fertilize the earth. Unfortunately, nature is not that simple or easy.
I have said this before, and will repeat it again; there is not enough manure on the planet to do what we are now doing with synthetic fertilizers. I reccomend doing research on the history of bat guano as a global fertilizer. An eye opening history that should shed some light on our dilemma.
Have a pleasant day,
Pheba.

[bobaloo]

Phebagirl, when I was farming in Missouri just north of you I had very good luck with Sweet Clover. One nice thing about sweet clover is that it's roots go very deep, down into the subsoil, and bring up lots of nutrients that aren't commonly available in the upper soil.

I'm sure your husband is familiar with it, just wanted to give it a recommendation. It likes alkaline soil, we had all limestone base so it did great, if your soil is acidic it won't do so well.

[Denny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobaloo', 'P')hebagirl, when I was farming in Missouri just north of you I had very good luck with Sweet Clover. One nice thing about sweet clover is that it's roots go very deep, down into the subsoil, and bring up lots of nutrients that aren't commonly available in the upper soil.

I'm sure your husband is familiar with it, just wanted to give it a recommendation. It likes alkaline soil, we had all limestone base so it did great, if your soil is acidic it won't do so well.

[PhebaAndThePilgrim]

Good day from Pheba, from the Farm:
Cattle farming is getting more difficult with each passing day. As the ethanol madness continues the cost of raising livestock becomes higher and higher.
We are not going to purchase any fertilizer this year. As I have previously stated, we do a low nitrogen fertilizer mix. We put nitrogen on the gamma grass, and potash and phosphate on the grass, which is a mix of fescue, clover and lespedeza, with a few other minor grasses mixed in, brome, etc.
Last year we paid 32 cents per pound for a mix of fertilizer. this year the cost is 61 cents per pound for the same mix. So my hubby just shook his head no, and said we would do something else. I suggested that we import manure, and he said no. the cost of transporting it would make it a bad ideal.
With corn between 4.50 to 5.00 per bushel we are having a difficult time raising calves for beef. The market value of young calves is falling. The market does not want calves under 800 pounds. They just can't justify putting much corn into them. They want them almost market ready.
We just can not afford to feed our calves to 800 pounds. We tried corn gluten last summer. My husband does not like it. There are two forms of corn gluten. (Gluten is a byproduct of ethanol production.) Wet, and dry. Wet begins to rot after two weeks, the dry is more expensive. The cattle love it, especially the wet. Also, transport costs are involved in purchasing corn gluten. We buy it by the pick-up load and haul it home ourself. It is a fine powder, and can be a mess to handle. Grinding it with a few bales of hay in the hammermill makes it easier to handle, and easier for the cattle to eat.
So, that's where we are here on the farm. Trying to get by, and wondering how we will raise this spring's calf crop. We are hoping for a better hay crop this year than last year. We may not have enough hay to make it through the winter. We may just squeak by. In past years we have had extra hay. Not this year. Last year's hay crop was dismal because of the horrible spring and summer weather. This year the grass will get no fertilizer. I will post later to let you know how things go on the farm.
I apologize for not posting all of the time. Things can get pretty busy here on the farm.
I am trying to start up a new at-home business; clothing alterations. I believe it will be a good craft to have as things unravel. If and when the cheap Made in China clothes stop showing up at the Wal-mart stores, clothing alterations may be a good business. What do you think?
Have a great day,
Pheba, from the farm.

[PhebaAndThePilgrim]

Good day from Pheba, from the farm:
My hubby has facts and figures comparing last years fertilizer cost to this years. He has it broke down by nitrogen/potash/phosphate. He is at work, and I don't dare attack the mountain of papers on the desk to find it. I will get it from him, and post it later.
Pheba.

[Ludi]

Pheba, I think sewing is a good skill to have. You might want to check out the clothing forums at Craftster

[retiredguy]

Folks who do alterations are becoming scarce. We have a friend of Turkish extraction who does quite well financially by filling this niche.