I think your observations and conclusions are absolutely correct, and they mirror what Samuel Fromartz wrote in his recent book, Organic, Inc. He related the story about a "successful" CSA couple (Pennsylvania I think) who gross $35,000 the first year. Their net profit was $20,000. Twelve years latter, they netted $250,000 but their profit was only $22,000. I suspect there is something deeper here that I might not be able to articulate very well, but here goes Many of us "country, farm, back-to-nature, all natural, etc." types seem to have an inherent distrust of big business. Indeed, some of us have headed for the country life to rid ourselves of the corporate industrial urban life. Then we start making a little bit of money selling what we grow, and think, "Wow, I could make a living doing thisÂ" As our business grow, we run into just what you have: rising insurance costs, cut throat competition, the other guyÂs cheap labor costs, escalating gasoline prices, etc.  the list is endless. What many of us fail to connect is that this is just what big business faces too. Maybe, just maybe, big business is not the evil empire that so many of us have concluded it is. It, like us small business owners, are just trying to stay even. In the end, market growers might do better if it is treated as a sideline or hobby. Once it becomes our only source of income, I suspect we start doing things we might have found distasteful when we were younger and more romantic. Finally, I am reminded of that old quote: "If a man is not a socialists by the time he is twenty, he has no heart. If a man is not a capitalist by the time he is 40, he has no brains."

Our fence is 5 feet high and would be too hard to get over even if the kids dragged a chair over. We have a removable fence that also makes it hard to climb over. I am obsessive about pool safety. I work with kids with disabilities - several of whom are post near-drowning. The disabilities they have are catastrophic. I have 5 and 3 year old girls and would never be without my pool fence. I would be concerned about taking the net off, then the kids go inside to eat and are going to go back in after. Are you really going to put the net back on each and every time you get out of the pool, even when they are going back in the pool after lunch? What if the 3 year gets outside while you are fixing lunch. At least that is the scenario that plays out in my head. In Phoenix they used to air a public service announcement called 2 Seconds is Too Long. It is a good reminder that in 2 seconds a child can slip away into the backyard. OK, I will get off my soapbox now.

We went way over the top. We had a fence and a pool cover. Our boys are now teenagers so we have gone through 3 covers. We had the solid cover ( the type you can drive a car over ) unfortunately the horses thought they were solid and stepped on the cover whilst walking past. The cover is not warranted for that. After two of those we switched to the net type. I way preferred that type. You can see your water. The dirt does not accumulate on top. When it rains you have to pump the water off the solid covers. The dogs and horses stay off of the net. Why both? When we had parties and the kids were done playing the cover would go on, but the adults are still hanging, eating, and drinking around the pool. We had a two year old come to the hospital, where I worked, who had drowned. Growing up the neighbour's boy drowned. This was during the time we were deciding what to do. It was an easy decision to go with both safety guards. It is amazing how many adults can be around a pool and yet no one is watching the children. We also started having one adult sit by themselves, in turn, watching the kids play.

We have a Guardian fence around the pool. We did not want a fence at first, but have grown to love it. It lets us keep the kids out of the pool while still allowing them to play outside. It also gives a piece of mind knowing that even if one of our kids gets outside they won't be able to get in the pool. It does take away from some of the beauty of the pool but it is a sacrifice you make especially when you know people that have had unfortunate incidents. Swim lessons are great, but they are no replacement for safety devices. In my opinion the nets are fine during the winter, but I do not see myself taking down and putting up a net every day during the summer. The pool would end up uncovered most of the time which defeats the purpose. I have not read good things about the pool alarms either, false alarms, etc. The fence comes down easily if you want to take it down but we find ourselves leaving it up all the time.