Why Grampa Knew So Much

A lifetime with a couple of crops

People who spent a lifetime growing large quantities of a one or two crops may have had 30, 40, or 50 chances to watch those plants, each year judging which varieties did better and what influenced them. Even so, several human generations might pass before a given cause and effect might be repeated and also noticed.

Today we grow dozens of different plants in a single garden. We have that much more to watch and we change the mix frequently, so we may miss many cause-effect connections.

We also are probably never driven to learn in the way people were when what they grew was vital for seeing the family through winter.

So listen to me first, you can ignore me later!

- Marya Macunovich -