Indefensible Food Wealth !

[GillyBee]

We had our petrol stolen twice in the fuel crises of the earlie noughties. Little ****s cut the fuel line under the car to do it leaving us with a big bill and a pool of petrol under the car
I was surprised we didnt get hit again last year - but now live in a slightly nicer area. The favourite round here at present is nicking catalytic converters to ship abroad. That mob will be equally happy to hit food stocks if things get tight. as seems likely.

[diamond lil]

Jansman you had the same kind of upbringing as I had. We're very lucky to have had those days.

[izzy_mack]

As small time farmers (bit bigger than a smallholding but only just) we only just scratch a living most years so when we get sheep rustled it hurts. And we have on a few occasions. In the circumstances envisaged I suspect we'd be lucky if it's only a few that vanish. I have a veg and fruit garden but it's beside a road and visible so don't expect that to last long either. I read a book called "forest farming" by Robert Hart and somebody else some years ago and I'm surrounded by woodland some of which I think I'm the only one that walks in as it's pretty rough with few paths. So maybe that's the way to go. Certainly expect to join the villains in this scenario and poach fish and maybe accept a piece of venison if offered

[Arzosah]

Certainly expect to join the villains in this scenario and poach fish and maybe accept a piece of venison if offered

I live in a small town, so I'm not speaking from experience, more from an awareness of history and a sense of the concentration of wealth that exists today, especially in the UK.

Frankly, if the wealth concentration continues, poaching in all its forms are an individualised re-distribution of wealth! I'm not advocating law breaking, or doing it (Asda delivery this afternoon for me, people ) but whether it's challenging the oligarchs today, or supporting Robin Hood against the Sherriff of Nottingham 800 years ago, it's the same difference which is not something I ever expected to write


ETA - not what you'd call tightly argued but there we are my brain is 95% focussed on the Asda shop, and how wet I'll get when I bring it in from the doorstep

[izzy_mack]

Frankly, if the wealth concentration continues, poaching in all its forms are an individualised re-distribution of wealth! I'm not advocating law breaking, or doing it (Asda delivery this afternoon for me, people ) but whether it's challenging the oligarchs today, or supporting Robin Hood against the Sherriff of Nottingham 800 years ago, it's the same difference which is not something I ever expected to write

Me neither. I'm a boringly honest sort. Taught my kids that money doesn't matter but debt does. If you owe someone and don't pay them that's the same as stealing. But if I need to feed my family or indeed myself I'll take the poaching life though I like to think I would still draw the line at robbing my neighbours. Indeed I hope that as I live in a rural setting with few people we would help each other out, if I caught more fish than I needed I would like to think I'd give them to someone and vice versa. Maybe that's just a pipe dream.

[diamond lil]

We had some lovely venison stew last week

[Arzosah]

I'm a boringly honest sort. Taught my kids that money doesn't matter but debt does. If you owe someone and don't pay them that's the same as stealing.

That's a really good way of putting it!

But if I need to feed my family or indeed myself I'll take the poaching life though I like to think I would still draw the line at robbing my neighbours. Indeed I hope that as I live in a rural setting with few people we would help each other out, if I caught more fish than I needed I would like to think I'd give them to someone and vice versa. Maybe that's just a pipe dream.

I think it would take a little while to spread out from the people who already do it, but after a while I think it would be the norm.

[Zedsdead]

The farms nearest to my house have had lots of animals taken. One farm had a whole flock taken, that’s some planning and logistics.

[jansman]

Diamond lil will get this: if things get dire,people will steal what they recognise.What they know how to deal with. Unless you know how to do it,and deal with the results,poaching will not be on the radar for most. 40 +years ago,I dealt with customers who knew how to skin a rabbit ( we charged an extra 50pence for doing it) but most of our rabbit customers did their own. We NEVER got asked to dress pheasants,ever. Move into the nineties,and we had customers who were given a brace of pheasants,and came to us to dress them. They expected it for nothing When I charged them ten quid ,they got arsey. I would tell them that if I were a mechanic,carpenter,electrician,I would charge for labour on top of materials- which I hadn’t even supplied!

Most people don’t know how,nor do they want to,kill and deal with dead animals. I won’t judge anyone for that,as it IS a specialised job.I have had for two weeks a former chef working with me. He came in as a mature butchery apprentice. At the weekend he walked. He couldn’t hack it,and I understood,as it ain’t for everyone.It was the carcasses that did him. We have become sanitised from real things as a society,and as I mentioned ,back in the day ,people knew what is not known now. What concerns me is that in a crunch,people will ATTEMPT to hunt or trap,and animal welfare will suffer. I know that statement from a fishing,hunting butcher is something of a paradox,but my trade and sports are governed by welfare for the animals involved. As it should be.

[jansman]

I have just remembered!!! When I was 19 I joined the Royal Marines. We did survival training,and were ‘taught ‘ how to empty,skin and butcher a sheep. Half the platoon spewed their guts up .I actually told the guy teaching us he was doing the hard way!