Thursday, November 20, 2008

It's easy to underestimate how useful and profitable the Common Wealth Farm concept can be, until more hardworking honest folks lose their jobs and their homes. To get a better idea of the benefit I see in the CWF (Common Wealth Farm) concept, just consider that:

1) There is a dollar value to cities in getting the homeless people off the streets and feeding themselves and occupied in productive work. What will cities or counties be willing to pay for this social service? What foundation would be willing to fund an expansion of this demonstration project?

2) An entrepreneur could buy several properties and pay his mortgage, taxes, and insurance by negotiating with a farmer to coordinate employing formerly homeless men and women to grow, harvest, and sell the crops. The "employees" would live on the farm, eat a portion of what they grow, and sell the rest to pay for other needs and earn a share in the profits.

3) Workers would only spend part-time hours cultivating crops; the balance of their workday could be spent in doing roadway maintenance for the county and noxious weed removal for the Forest Service, for example.

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