Wizard Farms (was Happy Birthday / Lupin Photo)

[serenadust]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" 
<catlady at w...> wrote:


> I always wonder about the wizarding economy, and for years I have 
> been asking whether there are wizard farmers or do most wizards 
buy 
> produce (and meat and so on) that was originally grown by Muggles? 
> If the latter, at what point does it enter the wizarding economy? 
I 
> can't imagine that Molly Weasley regularly shops in a Muggle 
> supermarket, but maybe the local greengrocer, the local butcher, 
> and the people at the local Farmer's Market (Fridays from 7 am to 
> noon) know her as that nice eccentric woman, she must be kind of 
> artist or something.


Well, in GoF Bagman mentions little Agatha Timms who put up half 
shares in her eel farm (and apparently lost them) betting on a week 
long World Cup match.  Do you think that Agatha sells her eels 
exclusively to the wizard market, or would she also sell to 
muggles?  I don't really know how popular eels are in the UK, but it 
doesn't seem likely you could make a living selling them exclusively 
to witches and wizards unless they are needed for a great many 
potions.  Surely they can't be eating that many, can they (shudders)?

Anyway, just by dropping little hints like that one, JKR seems to be 
indicating that wizards engage in many different kinds of commercial 
enterprise.  I just can't decide whether or not they keep strictly 
to their own world to sustain their markets, or if they need to deal 
with muggles, as well.

This has gotten much too on-topic to continue here, so any further 
thoughts should probably go to the main list.

Jo Serenadust