THE BIG IDEA

Conventional Agriculture we will define as growing food, feed and fiber using high salt fertilizers and “cides” (pesticides, herbicides and fungicides)

The Problem - Three Steps Backward

Conventional Agriculture we will define as growing food, feed and fiber using mostly high salt (in fact saltier than salt!) fertilizers (N,P,K) and “cides” (pesticides, herbicides and fungicides).  All supported by University Research and produce a high volume of very good looking crops and millions of acres of fields that are “neat” and relatively weed free.  It has produced much quantity but unfortunately very little quality.

Unfortunately Conventional Agriculture produces 3 “unseen”, undesirable  side effects with VERY undesirable future consequences.   This deteriorating, unsustainable farming method is causing folks that closely observe their farms and pastures and to look elsewhere for answers to “How do I pass a viable farm to the next generation?”.

Step 1: The biggest problem is toxic salts and chemicals from the fertilizers and “cides” that leach into water tables or runoff into our streams and rivers.   This particular problem is further aggravated by suburban homeowners applying way too much of the same fertilizers and “cides” to their lawns.  This side effect impacts us all – our drinking water, all food we eat, recreation and fishing in lakes & streams and our natural environment.

Step 2:  The same fertilizers and “cides” harm the soils natural immune system made up of bacterial, fungi, protozoa and other “bugs”.  Once the soil biology is compromised by severely reduced populations the soils natural ability to cycle nutrients for plants no longer functions properly.  Some folks refer to this dilemma as the land becoming “addicted” to chemicals in order to grow a crop.  As each year passes the farm becomes less sustainable and more dependent on outside fertility inputs at an ever increasing expense.  This side effect decrease the farm owners ability to pass a viable producing farm to his next generation.

Step 3: The crops that are normally grown in Conventional Agriculture are NOT nutritious food or feed.  When soils are deplete of all the many minerals needed for a plant to express its full genetic potential you get a sorry excuse for food that “looks” good.  Conventional agriculture annually  extracts more minerals than it replaces therefore reducing the mineral “inventory” – this is referred to as “mining the soil”.  Crops are pushed to produce with N,P,K and end up being too full of nitrates and water – no nutrient dense minerals and carbohydrates to really nourish our bodies.   Subsequently our appetites misguided craving for sugar and salt is our body trying to “find” real nutrition – based on the needs of millions of years of our developing genetics.  Fast Food is loaded with our “misguided craving” – but no matter how much we eat we can never get “enough”.   Same applies to our livestock fed conventional grains that we then consume.  This side effect directly effects every one of us – we do not have access to nutrient dense food grown in balanced, mineralized soils that are REQUIRED for us to stay healthy.  A BRIX test is how you determine the nutrient density of vegetables and fruits – see our section on Nutrient Dense Foods.

The Answer - Three Steps Forward

Step 1: REMINERALIZE THE SOIL We have grown our foods (grains, veggies & forages) in the same soils and have not replenished all that we have harvested out of the soil.  We have “mined” out and hauled off more minerals & nutrients each year than we put back.  We now understand even with all 60+ mineral nutrients in the soil we need large amounts of the microbes and fungi (biology) to work symbiotically with a plant in order for that plant to express it’s full genetic potential.  Expressing it’s full genetic potential means that it will be nutrient dense food as forage for animals we consume or veggies, grains or fruits we eat.  We do not get this full, complete nutrition from any food today - organic or otherwise.  That’s why we all must take supplements from the health food store to try to fill the gaps.   It will be a long expensive process to reestablish a fertility and mineral balance our soils.   We expect this soil re-mineralization will be done small scale by local producers selling value added products first.

Step 2: PROMOTE SOIL BIOLOGY  “Conventional” agriculture (chemically driven since WW II) has damaged out soils by over tillage and use of harsh fertilizers.  The deep repeated tillage destroys the infrastructure the soil organisms build to create viable aerated, microbe rich, moisture holding soil to support optimum plant growth.  Our fertilizers are generally saltier than salt and chemically “burn” off what little humic matter (humus) there is in the soil.  Humas (decaying organic matter) is the foundation all soil organisms require to begin the process of preparing mineral end enzymatic nutrients for the plants they will be working with.  Most herbicides are very harmful to all the natural soil biology - so we need to look at other ways to manage weeds.   We can promote soil biology with appropriate “foods” to increase their populations and add microbe diversity of species via biological amendments or properly made compost teas.  This is already being done in large scale farming and beef operations.

Step 3: REMINERALIZE US HUMANS  Most of our human ailments are directly related to mineral deficiencies because we have “mined” our soils to death.  There are also many published reports directly correlating more violent human societies with corresponding mineral deficiencies.  Why is it that Purina Rat Chow is more nutritious for rats than ANY combination of foods we can purchase to feed our families at the store?  ALL “non locally produced” food is selected or Genetically Modified for low cost production, extended shelf life and/or ability to be shipped with little or no damage.  Nutrient content or “Density” are not a consideration.  For optimum human health we require nutrient dense food.    In order for us to express our full genetic potential (full, active, long, healthy, disease free lives) we must consume plants and animals that have expressed theirs.  Nutrient Density is tested in plants by taking a Brix reading - this is not a mystery and you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it - more on this later.  We can’t change how BIG farming and fast food restaurants feed us - but we CAN change how we feed ourselves!

Let’s connect the Steps!

SO to regain our true health we must:  Remineralize the soil, promote full and diverse populations of beneficial biology in our farmed soils, and remineralize our own mineral deficient bodies by eating nutrient dense foods grown on these soils.

Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants and Animals = Healthy Humans = A Healthy Society! 

Or put another way

For a truly healthy supportive Human Society we must be nourished properly to think and act appropriately, for that we need to be nourished properly with nutrient dense foods from plants and animals produced on biologically active and nutrient balanced soils. 

THAT’S THE BIG IDEA!