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Would you rather plants with no problems or animals with no problems?

 
gardener
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If you like the "Would You Rather Game" check out this index of other questions. https://permies.com/t/238000/Permaculture-Edition

Would you rather be able to grow everything in your garden with no pest or disease issues whatsoever or raise livestock with no predator or disease issues ever?
 
Matt McSpadden
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While I love gardening, I like growing veggies more than I like eating them; so I would rather raise animals without any issues.
 
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When animals have problems, there is acute suffering going on; the animals are miserable, which makes being around the farm miserable, and its all bearing down on you as needing urgent attention. Plant problems, on the other hand, are just suggestions for longer-term shifts and improvements to one's permaculture strategies and methods. Solving plant problems is a fun, strategic undertaking.
 
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I gotta agree with Edward- when the animals are suffering, it's bad all around. When the plants are suffering, well, out they come and into the rabbits' bellies they go!! Then we start again.
 
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I would rather have animals with no problems.

It is easier to diagnose plant problems than animal problems and plant bills are less than animal vet bills.
 
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Not gonna disagree with what anyone has said. Animals, even though I do more plants than animals. Animals always seem to go awry more than plants do, what with them having brains and all. Plus I’d prefer not to have animal suffering. Aphids over chicken mites any day.
 
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We answered this one a couple years ago, when John literally threw a few flats - my entire garden - of seedlings I'd nurtured for a couple of months (and was hardening off, to plant) off the stanchion, to clear a spot for me to work on my sick goat.

Healthy animals, hands down. I can always start over, with the seedlings.
 
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Does that mean the animals still affordably eat if nothing grows?  If not then I will pick plants as it gives me the base for the rest.(yes I know cruel and heartless answer)
 
pollinator
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I would rather raise animals without pests or diseases. To me, the worst-case scenario with diseased plants is less upsetting and even potentially beneficial (if the plants are usable for compost) than the worst-case scenario with a diseased animal. One unhealthy animal might make a big impact on a homestead's future, let alone the whole herd or flock (if you were counting on that animal for future food or future babies, for instance).
 
pollinator
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Matt McSpadden wrote:If you like the "Would You Rather Game" check out this index of other questions. https://permies.com/t/238000/Permaculture-Edition

Would you rather be able to grow everything in your garden with no pest or disease issues whatsoever or raise livestock with no predator or disease issues ever?



Plants. all I do is fight things to grow food, it sometimes seems.

Sandy
 
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I do eat meat but I eat more plants than meat, so I choose no problems with plants.
 
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