i like to live off of the land.
[{"role": "system", "content": "Agriculture is the cultivation and breeding of animals, plants and fungi for food, fiber, biofuel, medicinal plants and other products used to sustain and enhance life. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. The history of agriculture by humans dates back thousands of years, and its development has been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies; industrial agriculture based on large-scale monoculture farming has become the dominant agricultural method. Although generally understood to denote the practices of humans, other animals\u2014for example, fungus-growing ants\u2014have also been found to engage in agriculture. Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and technological developments have in many cases sharply increased yields from cultivation, but at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare, environmental damage (such as massive drainage of resources such as water and feed fed to the animals, global warming, rainforest destruction, leftover waste products that are littered), and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial additives and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "A fun fact about me, I'm part of the new agriculture movement. I live off the land, breed animals, grow my own plants to sustain me, and in general practice sustainable independence. Ever heard of it?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I've heard of the general sentiment. That sounds difficult. What goes into it?"}, {"role": "user", "content": "To be honest it's quite a lot of work and the start is very expensive. You have to be very dedicated to the lifestyle. There's animal husbandry, crop selection and then periodic moving of those crops to ensure you don't exhaust the soil, and a lot of research to ensure that I'm using the plants in the right way. In my spare time I do keep bees. I sell what I don't use at farmers markets, so I'm always busy."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I assume that you love what you do, though. Plus, in working at the farmers market, you help others to establish food security, so you must feel good about your work."}, {"role": "user", "content": "Yes, I do love it! Being independent and able to sustain myself are such important values for me. It's interesting that you touch on food security, I hadn't considered how I helped others, just how I was helping myself. Could you tell me more about what food security is?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Sure thing. Food security is the idea that people have enough access to food and a consistent amount of food to depend on so their families don't starve."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That's actually very sad. The independent agriculture lifestyle sounds like it'd very much benefit them but getting to it is actually incredibly costly. If there were government subsidies for new farmers I think the sustainable independent agriculture movement would really change their lives."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I'm hesitant, though, to recommend subsidies, as there's currently an organic farming movement which, in the long run, will cost us precious land and resources while people who need food will starve so people who don't need more food will get fancier food."}]