Economics 101

From an economic perspective, the Church determined early in its colony planning to focus on agriculture. New Jerusalem’s climate, with its fertile soil (compatible with all forms of Earth plant life after some modification) and massive network of rivers, made it an ideal farming colony. Vast fields of crops and herds of animals spread over the planet, with the occasional hub for the residents to turn in crops and products as well as receive services. These hubs would eventually form the core of the cities that would later dot the world. The Church maintained complete control of interplanetary trade. Anything that went off world or came to New Jerusalem was handled directly by the Church. Raw materials were collected, processed, packaged, and mostly shipped back to Earth or the other colonies. What was left was used to provide food to the population. Metals and other geological resources were also shipped off-world, but a larger portion were used to produce machinery, parts, and other critical equipment. The materials shipped out were sold, and the funds were used to bankroll new colonist waves and the purchase of materials that could not be produced locally.

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