FOOD Gas Crisis Hits Food as Giant Dutch Greenhouses Go Dark

[parsonswife]

Gas Crisis Hits Food as Giant Dutch Greenhouses Go Dark

Your Tomatoes May Cost More as Gas Prices Hit Dutch Greenhouses

www.bloombergquint.com

Gas Crisis Hits Food as Giant Dutch Greenhouses Go Dark Aine Quinn, Megan Durisin & Fred Pals 30 Sep 2021, 9:51 PM IST 01 Oct 2021, 1:54 PM IST 30 Sep 2021, 9:51 PM IST 01 Oct 2021, 1:54 PM IST (Bloomberg) -- Skyrocketing power prices are forcing the vast network of Dutch glasshouses -- the continent’s biggest -- to go dark or scale back, threatening to cut supplies at Europe’s fruit and vegetable
stalls and flower shops. Although small, the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of food by value, thanks in part to its high-yielding glasshouses that span some 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) -- about the size of Paris. They grow vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers and flowers including orchids, tulips and chrysanthemums -- making the country one of Europe’s key
key suppliers of fresh produce and a huge hub for the floral trade. In 2020, Dutch exports of greenhouse produce amounted to 9.2 billion euros ($10.7 billion).

But heating these sprawling glass structures uses up to 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year, or about 8.2% of the country’s overall consumption of the fuel. Europe’s soaring energy prices are having a “massive impact” on the sector, said Cindy van Rijswick, a senior analyst at Rabobank. That’s driving some producers to cut back on lighting, end the growing season early or plan to start later next spring. “These are drastic measures that reduce production and yield and have major economic consequences for the companies,” according to industry association Glastuinbouw Nederland. “We cannot rule out whether consumers will also pay more for their vegetables, flowers and plants.” Any fruit and vegetable shortages could further stoke food inflation. index of world prices hovering near a decade high. Grain harvests were hit by bad weather, shipping costs are soaring and worker shortages abound from farms to restaurants. The energy crunch could exacerbate those problems -- rippling through not just greenhouses, but also costs for fertilizers spread to boost crop yields.

Read more at: Gas Crisis Hits Food as Giant Dutch Greenhouses Go Dark
Copyright © BloombergQuint

 

[AlaskaSue]

Wow, I had no idea they had that much production under roofs!

 

[Pinecone]

That's gonna hurt.

 

[Cyclonemom]

The Great Reset has left the conspiracy theory realm and is well on its way to reality.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

And to think, I used to wonder what natural disaster we in this modern age would end up with to cause worldwide starvation. Answer, none. The Liberals/Marxists will see to it with the flick of a pen and idiotic evil laws.

 

[desertvet2]

Global starvation and armed conflict, with disease and deprivation.

Please prepare as best you can

 

[KFhunter]

wonder if the purple lights are pot grows....

 

[packyderms_wife]

Due to no paragraph breaks I don’t see this hitting fly over country any time soon.

 

[blueinterceptor]

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode. Entity thrives on conflict. Klingons and Enterprise crew fight to feed the entity

 

[WalknTrot]

Eat what grows in your area naturally and in season. It's only in the past few decades that people in the north ate "exotic" vegetables besides potatoes and pumpkins/winter squash (New World origin), turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, carrots and onions. Those vegetables store well over winter. Summers, there are peas, beans, tomatoes and greens in season. But THEY don't store well without energy expended in canning, freezing, drying, etc.

The huge expense in energy to grow fresh hothouse veggies in a cold climate is logically, pretty damned crazy. Iceland, maybe, if you have tons of free geothermal. That's about it.

 

[Melodi]

I was going to say, in a normal "religion" crisis like a drought or localized power issues, Europe could switch to Iceland with its VAST indoor growing industry using natural, volcanic, geothermal energy.

But with the shipping crises, getting those vegetables to Europe may be difficult or not fast enough to avoid spoilage.

Bedsides, the Icelanders remember when the EU (using the UK) charged them with "terrorism" offenses when they reacted to the 2008 Banking Crises by jailing the bankers and refusing to take EU orders on allowing "technocrats" to come in and run their banks.

So the EU cut them off at the start of a Dark Winter (for them and for real) housewives went back to buying sheep stomachs and stuffing them like the Great-Grandmothers and men started to hunt seals, rather than SUBMIT.

The Icelanders HAVE very long memories and now it is Europe's turn for a Dark Winter, I don't expect hope from that quarter this time.

 

[SSTemplar]

Next time you take a plane trip look for the green houses in the US. Especially east of the Mississippi. I was shocked.

 

[mecoastie]

Eat what grows in your area naturally and in season. It's only in the past few decades that people in the north ate "exotic" vegetables besides potatoes and pumpkins/winter squash (New World origin), turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, carrots and onions. Those vegetables store well over winter. Summers, there are peas, beans, tomatoes and greens in season. But THEY don't store well without energy expended in canning, freezing, drying, etc.

The huge expense in energy to grow fresh hothouse veggies in a cold climate is logically, pretty damned crazy. Iceland, maybe, if you have tons of free geothermal. That's about it.

The challenge is we have millions of people living in places where you cant grow much naturally. The whole Southwest would be toast.

 

[Millwright]

Oklahoma has huge buildings being built for dope grows.

Lotsa hoop houses are popping up too.

Food may be worth more...soon.

 

[CaryC]

From another article concerning this same event, they explain that the Netherlands are the 2nd largest exporter of food in the world, behind the US (first).

Turning off the lights and propane/natural gas for heat, will cause a ripple effect in the food supply and food chain.

Will it effect the US depends on whether or not you like ketchup.

Course the Hinds Corp may not care (John Kerry) and is something they are shooting for - the great reset.

 

[WalknTrot]

The challenge is we have millions of people living in places where you cant grow much naturally. The whole Southwest would be toast.

Yup. As it was before energy (and water) became cheap. For a lot of the Southwest, it will probably be the water that dries up long before the energy does.

 

[20Gauge]

The challenge is we have millions of people living in places where you cant grow much naturally. The whole Southwest would be toast.

Considering it takes about 5 acres to grown enough to feed a family of 4 if you are really good at growing things, I would say we have 10 times what we can easily support if we gave up energy.

 

[Melodi]

Yup. As it was before energy (and water) became cheap. For a lot of the Southwest, it will probably be the water that dries up long before the energy does.

Every wonder how the Anasazi became The Hopi - as in moving from their cliff dwellings that had their own wells, to down on the flatlands with deeper wells?

Well if anyone was wondering, this is pretty much what the Hopi say about their ancestors and current events would seem to agree.

 

[WalknTrot]

Every wonder how the Anasazi became The Hopi - as in moving from their cliff dwellings that had their own wells, to down on the flatlands with deeper wells?

Well if anyone was wondering, this is pretty much what the Hopi say about their ancestors and current events would seem to agree.

Nope..I have never wondered. I've visited down there. It's hardscrabble to put it mildly, and totally dependent on some kind of water source.

Most moderns aren't anywhere near up to it.

 

[mecoastie]

Considering it takes about 5 acres to grown enough to feed a family of 4 if you are really good at growing things, I would say we have 10 times what we can easily support if we gave up energy.

I think one of the bad things about all this hobby farmer/ homesteading stuff recently is it gives people the illusion that they can feed themselves fairly easily on small lots. Sure you raise chickens goats and hogs. But where does their feed come from. The feed store. Almost universally. Do you grow grains for your family? Almost universally no.

 

[CaryC]

Considering it takes about 5 acres to grown enough to feed a family of 4 if you are really good at growing things, I would say we have 10 times what we can easily support if we gave up energy.

You're talking the whole farmer thing right. Hogs, chickens, truck patch, etc....

I was just thinking most "truck patches" for a family to use for veggies weren't that big usually in the 1/4 to 1/2 acre. Which will be big enough to make your back ache all winter, with a full tummy.

But if you include hogs, chickens you will need space and corn for them. Summerthyme can answer better than I but would think that is a bit small for a milk cow. I don't know you might make it with a milk cow. Pasture, corn. You might have to buy hay for the winter.

Cows are costly and is the main reason over here in MS, people mostly raised hogs.

5 acres could do ya, and especially if you managed it right.

 

[WalknTrot]

I think one of the bad things about all this hobby farmer/ homesteading stuff recently is it gives people the illusion that they can feed themselves fairly easily on small lots. Sure you raise chickens goats and hogs. But where does their feed come from. The feed store. Almost universally. Do you grow grains for your family? Almost universally no.

That's a given, and people who do it, know it.
Probably better than anybody else.

 

[20Gauge]

You're talking the whole farmer thing right. Hogs, chickens, truck patch, etc....

I was just thinking most "truck patches" for a family to use for veggies weren't that big usually in the 1/4 to 1/2 acre. Which will be big enough to make your back ache all winter, with a full tummy.

But if you include hogs, chickens you will need space and corn for them. Summerthyme can answer better than I but would think that is a bit small for a milk cow. I don't know you might make it with a milk cow. Pasture, corn. You might have to buy hay for the winter.

Cows are costly and is the main reason over here in MS, people mostly raised hogs.

5 acres could do ya, and especially if you managed it right.

Yes the full blow thing.
Supply all your food and fertilizer needs. Other things like salt, metals, and such would have to be sourced elsewhere.

 

[20Gauge]

That's a given, and people who do it, know it.
Probably better than anybody else.

We have learned that the garden improves our lives but we would never be able feed ourselves.

 

[summerthyme]

I think one of the bad things about all this hobby farmer/ homesteading stuff recently is it gives people the illusion that they can feed themselves fairly easily on small lots. Sure you raise chickens goats and hogs. But where does their feed come from. The feed store. Almost universally. Do you grow grains for your family? Almost universally no.

Absolutely. And until more efficient ways to harvest and store feed came into common use, people culled animal numbers HARD in the fall, only keeping breeding stock for Spring babies, and only as many as could be fed well.

Summerthyme

 

[CaryC]

Absolutely. And until more efficient ways to harvest and store feed came into common use, people culled animal numbers HARD in the fall, only keeping breeding stock for Spring babies, and only as many as could be fed well.

Summerthyme

True. When cool days came, the hog was put down, and sausage was made.

 

[Freeholder]

Considering it takes about 5 acres to grown enough to feed a family of 4 if you are really good at growing things, I would say we have 10 times what we can easily support if we gave up energy.

This is actually not true. I can show you a landscape plan (for the deep south) which, once the system was mature, should produce enough food for a family of four on a 1/10 acre city lot. It's even more easily done on a half-acre lot. That's with only a few chickens on the smaller lot, and potentially chickens and either a small milk goat or a few meat rabbits on the half-acre lot. If you want to see the plans, get the book, Florida Survival Gardening by David the Good; the plans are in the back part of the book. I've re-drawn them, with yield calculations, and can reproduce the pounds of food grown in my zone 6b, just with different crops in some cases -- and that was using low-end yield figures. It's not a meat-heavy diet, but there is animal protein included, and if you can do some fishing and hunting, you can add to what you grow.

More land is helpful, of course, but if you know what you are doing, you CAN manage on less.

Kathleen

 

[20Gauge]

This is actually not true. I can show you a landscape plan (for the deep south) which, once the system was mature, should produce enough food for a family of four on a 1/10 acre city lot. It's even more easily done on a half-acre lot. That's with only a few chickens on the smaller lot, and potentially chickens and either a small milk goat or a few meat rabbits on the half-acre lot. If you want to see the plans, get the book, Florida Survival Gardening by David the Good; the plans are in the back part of the book. I've re-drawn them, with yield calculations, and can reproduce the pounds of food grown in my zone 6b, just with different crops in some cases -- and that was using low-end yield figures. It's not a meat-heavy diet, but there is animal protein included, and if you can do some fishing and hunting, you can add to what you grow.

More land is helpful, of course, but if you know what you are doing, you CAN manage on less.

Kathleen

I have seen them and agree they are very effective. The thing is they are on one end of the possibility spectrum. Also, they need more inputs due to the small size and is very veganish.....

5 acres is for the average group. I realize there are people who can do it all in 1/2000th of an acre, but I would rather go with the average.

 

[Freeholder]

I have seen them and agree they are very effective. The thing is they are on one end of the possibility spectrum. Also, they need more inputs due to the small size and is very veganish.....

5 acres is for the average group. I realize there are people who can do it all in 1/2000th of an acre, but I would rather go with the average.

I don't know about 1/2000th of an acre, LOL! That would be about 22 square feet! Not even with artificial lighting, hydroponics, and vertical growing -- unless you could go several hundred feet in the air!

And yes, five acres would certainly make things easier. But a lot of people don't *have* five acres; lots of people have urban or suburban lots. I hate to see them discouraged and made to think that they are SOL just because they don't have five acres.

Kathleen

 

[ShadowMan]

Considering it takes about 5 acres to grown enough to feed a family of 4 if you are really good at growing things, I would say we have 10 times what we can easily support if we gave up energy.

Sorry but that's not true and it's been proven over and over again as mentioned above in another post. There was a book put out by the "New Age Alchemists" back in the '70s that designed a system and produced more than enough food in a homestead combined greenhouse to feed a family of four on less than a 1/10th of an acre. They handled all wastes, recycled water and produced both wind and solar energy.

I visited a large greenhouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming back in the eighties that was passively solar heated and even in the middle of winter could grow an abundance of fruits and vegetables YEAR ROUND!!

There's a family in I think it's Pasadena, California that not only produces more than enough food, veggies, chickens, rabbits and fruits to feed their entire extended family but make a good living selling their excess on a small suburban lot in the middle of the L.A. basin. CHECK OUT: Urban Homestead

A Polish family friend that grew up under communism told of her parents and all their neighbors grew small family intensive gardens around their cold war apartments. She gathered grass to feed the rabbits they grew in their apartment basement to add extra meat to their table.

Look at Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Permaculture, intensive raised bed gardening, square foot gardening and Bio-French intensive gardening methods among others. All it takes is time, effort, sweat and willingness.

There is an intentional community in California's Central Valley that through intensive use of Permaculture techniques actually created an underground aquifer in a semi arid environment through extensive swale creation. All their homes are passive solar. All landscaping is non-decorative and food production oriented. They actually have signs that say "PLEASE PICK THE FRUIT!" They are energy independent and self-sufficient. It can be done, but requires a total redesign and rethinking of all of our current architectural, agricultural, landscape designs and support systems.

 

[fish hook]

We have learned that the garden improves our lives but we would never be able feed ourselves.

Even producing PART of your food would go a long way to keep you from hunger. Sweet potatoes and kale or collards will provide a lot of food and enough vitamins to keep you healthy.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Oklahoma has huge buildings being built for dope grows.

Lotsa hoop houses are popping up too.

Food may be worth more...soon.

This^^^ and per a YouTuber I follow, most of those dope grow houses going up are being built by the chinese!

 

[intothatgoodnight]

Every wonder how the Anasazi became The Hopi - as in moving from their cliff dwellings that had their own wells, to down on the flatlands with deeper wells?

Well if anyone was wondering, this is pretty much what the Hopi say about their ancestors and current events would seem to agree.

Correct.

Was chatting with a Hopi fellow, in his mid-30s, out in the Four Corners area - he mentioned all of this, plus told me which guided tour to take into the former Anasazi cliff "condo" areas - took his recommended tour, and one of the things pointed out by the guide were the fire pits that had been archeologically excavated, to reveal corn cobs that had increasingly shrunk in size, over a span of time, demonstrating the extended multi-decade droughts that dominated that area back in that time.


intothegoodnight

 

[mecoastie]

This is actually not true. I can show you a landscape plan (for the deep south) which, once the system was mature, should produce enough food for a family of four on a 1/10 acre city lot. It's even more easily done on a half-acre lot. That's with only a few chickens on the smaller lot, and potentially chickens and either a small milk goat or a few meat rabbits on the half-acre lot. If you want to see the plans, get the book, Florida Survival Gardening by David the Good; the plans are in the back part of the book. I've re-drawn them, with yield calculations, and can reproduce the pounds of food grown in my zone 6b, just with different crops in some cases -- and that was using low-end yield figures. It's not a meat-heavy diet, but there is animal protein included, and if you can do some fishing and hunting, you can add to what you grow.

More land is helpful, of course, but if you know what you are doing, you CAN manage on less.

Kathleen

You are not going to grow all your food for four and food for any animals on a tenth of an acre.

The family in California uses the money they get from selling their produce to buy the food they dont grow. It is not that they grow all their own food. They grow 90% of their produce. That doesnt include staples like flour etc. I would be more interested in seeing what percentage of their caloric intake they produce.

 

[ShadowMan]

R/T: 2:52

R/T: 7:56

 

[China Connection]

In general most soil is lacking in available minerals.

Most vegetables do not grow well without extra fertilizer. If you do not have stored minerals don't expect much growth from your vegetable patch.

In general loads of birds and animals want to eat your vegetables and fruit. No covers no crop....


If you are heavy handed with nitrogen fertilizers you will have pest troubles.


Most vegetables have a low protein content. Where you going to get your protein from.

 

[ShadowMan]

How much space do I need to grow my own grains?

Grain varieties suitable to the backyard

Upland Rice: Varieties, Growing Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest

Rice typically heads the first week of August and finishes by late September, depending on which variety you planted. You can expect to average ten pounds of rice per 100 square feet in a home garden

 

[mecoastie]

R/T: 2:52

R/T: 7:56

Again what percentage of their caloric intake does the Ark provide? I didnt see that in either video.

 

[mecoastie]

How much space do I need to grow my own grains?

Grain varieties suitable to the backyard

Upland Rice: Varieties, Growing Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest

So did these folks actually grow their own grain or are they just estimating out of Small Scale Grain Raising? 130 lbs of grain for 2 folks a year is not a lot. I am assuming they are raising animals and/or buying food not raised on the farm.

I dont want to beat a dead horse but if you are calculating out/ relying on the belief that you can 100% feed your family/ friends on a small lot or even a couple of acres you are deluding yourself and more importantly setting your family up to starve. What you can do is provide a lot of the produce that you consume but you are not going to provide all the calories.

 

[Freeholder]

You are not going to grow all your food for four and food for any animals on a tenth of an acre.

The family in California uses the money they get from selling their produce to buy the food they dont grow. It is not that they grow all their own food. They grow 90% of their produce. That doesnt include staples like flour etc. I would be more interested in seeing what percentage of their caloric intake they produce.

The garden plan I was talking about isn't from the family in California, and it does include caloric intake. It certainly wouldn't support many animals, but could feed a few chickens, between kitchen scraps, and surplus from the garden. I am on my tablet right now, but will see if I can copy the plans and the yield figures later today and post them on a separate thread in the gardening room.

Kathleen