WHY ORGANIC?

In 1942, J.I. Rodale, considered the founder of the "organic" movement wrote articles for Fact Digest suggesting that chemical fertilizers were being overused, resulting in devitalized food. Sadly, this fact has proven true. Through careless handling of our soil, our food no longer carries the nutritive qualities that it once did.

Pesticides and chemical fertilizers became widely available after World War II, and most farmers embraced their use, believing that their yields would increase and that more crops could be grown on less land. The principal beneficiary of this logic has been the chemical manufacturer. This was also the era when antibiotics were first introduced; most large drug companies spent their research and development dollars pursuing stronger and more potent antibiotics and doctors prescribed them with abandon.

Today, the public is slowly becoming aware that antibiotics are not the ideal solution to all ills, since many strains of bacteria have become resistant; however, they are still included in animal feed grains. Animals often are raised for market, crowded together in unsanitary, inhumane conditions, never spending time outdoors. Their feed is primarily a mix for rapid growth, laced with antibiotics to curb the diseases these conditions foster, and when slaughtered the meat is irradiated. The government would have us believe that irradiation is making our meat and produce safer for us. Actually, it kills enzymes, vitamins and the healthfulness of food, and is a convenience for the processors, since it extends shelf life. If feedlots and industrial food processing operations were cleaned up and properly monitored, the public would be protected from disease.

The U.S. government regulations allow rendered animal products to be fed to cattle, sheep and other herbivores as a protein supplement. This practice has been associated with outbreaks of Mad Cow disease in Europe, and led to quarantining of a Texas herd, suspected of the same disease.

When Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 it prompted the public to take notice of the toll that pesticides were taking on our wildlife and the grassroots movement to ban DDT was born. The New York state pathologist's report in 2001, concerning the testing of birds believed to have died from West Nile Virus showed that the majority had died from pesticide poisoning.

By the 1990's J.I. Rodale defined the term "organic" as living in balance with the Earth, and he globally expanded his educational outreach through the Rodale Institute, which now operates in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

Simply defined, we must take care of the soil as caretakers of our planet. Close inspection of soil that has been chemically treated shows a distinct absence of life. Where are the earthworms? Did you realize that not all bugs are bad? A robust soil, which grows healthy plants is teeming with microbial activity.

An organically managed growing field, vegetable garden or flower bed is abundantly rewarding because the grower's role is not to master nature, but to become attuned to the natural cycles and become an ally. Agricultural pests, whether they are insects, diseases or weeds still need to be dealt with, but the strategy is vastly different from "spray and kill". Understanding diseases is of paramount importance; often, a simple solution such as wider plant spacing can prevent some diseases. Beneficial predators, such as ladybugs, can be purchased to prey on harmful insects. Hand picking of pests is always an option, and effective sprays can be made from plant materials.

Cover cropping, companion planting and rotation of crops are tools available to the organic grower. Mulch, in the form of grass clippings, hay or leaves discourages the spread of some diseases and can prevent weed growth. Compost is the organic gardener's best ally. It is made from items many households discard, such as spent plants, grass clippings, kitchen vegetable waste, coffee grounds, leaves, newspaper - in a ratio of approximately 3 parts nitrogen to 1 part carbon. (Leaves and newspaper are carbon.) Allowed to decay and age for a few moths, it returns to the earth that which came from the earth, and has been scientifically proven to help combat disease, encourage microbial activity, and improve the health of the soil.

Organic food is better for you and for the planet because it prohibits the following: the use of pesticides, growth hormones, sewage sludge, irradiation, antibiotics as routine use, inhumane treatment of animals and improper treatment of farm laborers. It promotes healthy soil and water for diverse and vigorous plant life, and open pasture space for healthy animals. Working with the soil and learning from the plants fosters a respect for the complexity and diversity of our own small part of the planet. Agriculture should produce thriving plant and animal products to ensure a healthy cycle of life.