Interesting read.

It takes commitment to grow organically.docx

You may get more interest if you post something like this in the Organic subforum. Although you may have it right, that the chemical farmers need to hear this too. 

 

It's an interesting read, I agree. But even though I've posted technical, scientific articles for background information, I'm with our experienced friend Cooked, who has remarked that it doesn't need to be this complicated. 

 

I was introduced to practical organic farming in 1970 - 71 by a French farmer whose family had farmed organically for generations. They had never gone through the "better living through chemistry" phase, and organic farming was not an alternative to them, it was the way they knew how to farm, and it worked. 

I learned about soil building, green manuring and incorporating crop residues to build soil organic matter content economically; integrated small farm management with livestock, poultry,  field crops, orchards, vegetable gardens; using manures, composting, mulching, crop rotations, intercropping, minimal machinery, minimal tillage, no deep plowing, promoting and not damaging biological control, including using the farm poultry to forage for pests, encouraging birds, bees, etc.  

 

There were no imported manufactured fertilizers, organic or chemical, no talk of NPK or other laboratory science based inputs or analysis. 

 

What impressed me and made me a believer, was the health of the soil and health of the plants grown in the richness of organic soil; minimal plant pest and disease problems, quality of the food, size, appearance and above all the 'taste'!  I'll never forget my first day on the farm and my first taste of a truly organically grown custard apple. Orgasmic!  Quigong (ChiKung) through naturally energized food. As it should be!