I'm curious as to what folks think of the following statement (from a book on building cob houses I saw an extract of):
'I once heard a Chilean named Ana Stern give a speech on "The Difference Between Peasants and Farmers in Mexico." Peasants, she said, satisfy their own basic needs: they grow their food, build the houses they live in, often make their own clothes. Most peasants collect medicinal herbs, treat medical emergencies, supply their family entertainment. They have time - they feel joy. Their culture is integral, it makes sense. Farmers by contrast grow things to sell. With what they earn from their products, they buy their groceries, building materials, clothes, entertainment, and medical insurance. They must also buy into a system which demands that they drive to market, pay taxes, perhaps send their kids to agricultural college. Increasingly they must buy machinery, seeds, farm chemicals. Farmers have no time to directly enjoy satisfactions; they buy ready-made clothing and "convenience" foods.'