What conversations would the first farmers have?

[Devil's advocate]

I often think, when I'm walking around the farm of what went before. I presume Grandad thought he was state of the art with his horse drawn finger mower & binder for the grain. That he could not beleive how easy it was to get to London on the train.

But if you go back 6,000 years they must have had some odd conversations.

Now sensibly they started on sheep & goats, but who thought it was a good idea to milk a cow, I'm guessing the cattle of the time were not especially docile.

Just imagine a Dad tutting at his son for messing around putting ediblegrass seeds into what must have been a recently burnt area & spending all summer weeding it.

I heard a statistic in the mid 80's that half the people who have ever lived are alive today. So we are a very new species living the way we do. Those early pioneers literraly sowing the seeds of civillsation. Another thing I find so odd is that it happened at the same time with different species in the Middle East, China, India & various parts of South America. They must have had some contact with each other?????

 

[capfits]

Plough or no till? ugh

 

[spin cycle]

which yak produces the best dung for burning

 

[bitwrx]

I often think, when I'm walking around the farm of what went before. I presume Grandad thought he was state of the art with his horse drawn finger mower & binder for the grain. That he could not beleive how easy it was to get to London on the train.

But if you go back 6,000 years they must have had some odd conversations.

Now sensibly they started on sheep & goats, but who thought it was a good idea to milk a cow, I'm guessing the cattle of the time were not especially docile.

Just imagine a Dad tutting at his son for messing around putting ediblegrass seeds into what must have been a recently burnt area & spending all summer weeding it.

I heard a statistic in the mid 80's that half the people who have ever lived are alive today. So we are a very new species living the way we do. Those early pioneers literraly sowing the seeds of civillsation. Another thing I find so odd is that it happened at the same time with different species in the Middle East, China, India & various parts of South America. They must have had some contact with each other?????

Can't much help with the first bit, but if you've some spare time, then "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond has some really interesting bits about how and why agriculture and civilisations developed where and when they did. Really good book. Bit long though.

 

[Nearly]

Neighbour in the next mud hut has crossed into my field and started digging out a bath

 

[redsloe]

Effing vegans!

 

[Purli R]

"what is the best pick up cart for the back of my Ox"?

 

[Daniel]

'Why did Dad listen to Mum and eat that forbidden fruit?'

 

[Yale]

I often wonder wonder what previous farmers would think of the fact I now farm something like 10 old holdings pretty well single handed.

Fossil fuels have replaced probably 30 labour units.

Progress?

 

[ARW]

Fighting your neighbours from the next valley that come to steal your cow, rape your wife and burn your huts.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I have no doubt whatsoever that the first farmers were women. It was/is the women that tend to stay in one place for any length of time, the men, in most nomadic or tribal societies are the ones that roam great distances when hunting.

The idea of staying in one place and rearing animals or growing something in the soil must have been revolutionary at the time. Think of the amount of energy saved. Ok, we will build shelters and keep animals or grow stuff. Instead of hunting or trapping and wandering vast distances we will spend a few hours a day hand hoeing and digging. Easy life. We can also fortify our settlement and think of ways to store food. Both survival strategies. Having the menfolk around more of the time would also deter foreigners from trying to rob or steal your women away.

They too, must have worried about fires, flood or disease. A freak weather event, a downpour, and all your crops are ruined. A lone predator could systematically kill your livestock with painful regularity and leave you with a carcass which would be rotten and full of flies within a few days.

 

[Devil's advocate]

I often wonder wonder what previous farmers would think of the fact I now farm something like 10 old holdings pretty well single handed.

Fossil fuels have replaced probably 30 labour units.

Progress?

Pretty much where I'm coming from thought wise. Plus your level of production will be the highest ever.

Is it sustainable? Answer is we won't live long enougth to know. But sadly I increasily think not.

 

[Goweresque]

Fighting your neighbours from the next valley that come to steal your cow, rape your wife and burn your huts.

Is that then, or now?

 

[Devil's advocate]

Effing vegans!

No need to worry about vegans

When you have proper worries like cannibals.

 

[Yale]

Pretty much where I'm coming from thought wise. Plus your level of production will be the highest ever.

Is it sustainable? Answer is we won't live long enougth to know. But sadly I increasily think not.

Yeah,it’s priorities,sustainable business or consumption of resources.

For me it’s the middle road of keeping the business viable but also resilient for the future.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

The weather of course!

 

[Lincs Lass]

The only horse we had and its dead in the stable ,,how we going to shift it

 

[deleted user 837354]

 

[deleted user 837354]

 

[Katarina]

It would undoubtedly be a conversation about the weather . Nothing else matters.