Sustainable Agriculture And Organic Farming: What’s In It For Us?

Sustainable Agriculture And Organic Farming: What’s In It For Us?

Recently, organic farming has been a growing industry in the whole globe. And with the onset of sustainable agriculture along with its message of making agricultural lands much more productive and sustained, so is the issue of organic farming has been given much obeisance. Basically, organic farming can be considered a spread of sustainable agriculture wherein the farmer uses organic materials and biologically natural methods in farming. Although it may come as a traditional method for some, it has been proven to be effective and also much more valuable than artificially enhanced crops and products. Furthermore, with the growing compulsion for sustainable agriculture, more and aggrandized people see the value of organic farming in their lives.

Organic Farming vs. Conventional Methods

The practice of organic farming is definitely much better and more softhearted for the environment. Mainly for organic farming does not call any pesticides, insecticides and even synthetic fertilizers, you are sure that the products coming produced by it are 100 percent natural, organic and safe. It may come seeing a surprise for most people but actually the conventional way of farming does make use of these pesticides and affected materials to kill any negative substances that may hinder the full growth of their crops. This in turn can make the soil become less productive over the years since it has always been contaminated with chemicals.

However, with organic farming, farmers make sure that their land receives the adequate nutritional supplement and further the natural way of tending to it. Clearly, it is true that organic farming is much safer for the environment and of course, to nation, since the materials and ingredients being used are purely natural and organic.

Organic Foods And Conventional Products: On Safety

The issue thus may rise with the competition between organic food and common products. It is true that organic food may cost a bit more than conventional products however there is no evidence to suggest that organic entree does taste better than conventional ones. It has only been proven that organic diet is conspicuously safer to the body, and not necessarily fitter tasting than the rest of the products.

Moreover, its safeness for the body is also complemented with its nutritional value. Being organic entree is made from all natural methods and farming, it is thus apparent that it is much more nutritious. The products are proven much fresher and known to retain undergone only minor processes; thus, you can be assured that naturally, organic food is safe and nutritious to eat.

Sustainability of Organic Farming

However the question halcyon remains of how sustainable the method of organic farming will be. Since organic farming requires more effort and a lot more time to be able to return raw materials, it is then true that it yields lesser products than conventional methods.

On the altered hand, since the conventional methods knock off use of pesticides and other chemicals which hasten the process of growth in the plants; naturally, it would result to a much higher yield in the future. However, with the natural agent of organic farming, it only entails the farmer to go on the natural process of farming which is probably the reason why organic foods are a lot more expensive than typical crops and products.

In the end, the appropriate challenge remains whether the practice of organic farming and sustainable agriculture can be depended on especially in the issue of food shortage all over the globe. Perhaps, further research must still be implemented to finally conclude if organic farming can be a viable root of food in the future.

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Organic Gardening Compost: Saves You Money and Helps Save the

Organic Gardening Compost: Saves You Money and Helps Save the Earth

Synthetic fertilizers are out and organic gardening compost is the in thing with farmers who are trying out the holistic way in planting.

Organic Gardening
With organic gardening, farmers are going back to the most basic way of growing plants and trees and that is by being one with nature. The latter phrase meaning that they no longer use artificial fertilizers and the commercially available pesticides, but instead rely on the natural environment to be able to grow produce.

Organic Gardening Compost
Compost is the mixture of decaying plants, animal manure or other organic materials that is being used as a fertilizer. While nature can work on compost by itself, men can speed up the process by using the equation air plus water, carbon, then nitrogen is equal to compost.

Composting in Simpler Terms
Don’t be overwhelmed by the word equation stated above. This is not really a complex thing. This can actually be done in a simple and step-by-step ways.

Hot Compost
While others opt to burn fallen leaves, such is wealth for gardeners as this is the start of their composting process. The first thing they have to do is to bag those leaves. Clipped grass from mowed surfaces can also be put in the bag.

To bring in oxygen and a quantity of water enough to dampen the leaves systematically, put several holes near the bag’s top and at its bottom. The holes will also let the carbon dioxide out and excess water as well. Pour in about two shovelful of garden soil into the bag where the leaves are, then shake it to mix the contents. Or if not possible, just roll the bag thoroughly.

Mixing should be done on a schedule after every other week. Check on the leaves and pour water to moisten those if they’ve dried out. In about two to three months, alas, your compost is ready. The contents of the bag that look like dark and flaky stuff are your compost.

To use that dark and flaky stuff as a fertilizer for your plants, put an inch thick layer on the soil’s top layer. That will then be absorbed by the plants. It actually acts as fertilizer and at the same time pesticide and can even prevent weeds from growing. It also contributes in conserving water as your plants won’t need as much.

To be able to come up with the same output at lesser time, you can also try shredding the leaves first before sacking it all up.

Cold Compost
The difference between cold and hot compost is that the first is easier to do than the latter which takes more effort.

Cold compost can be done by simply gathering wastes from your own backyard, may it be leaves, grass clippings and weeds, then piling them up. Allow a period of six to twenty-four months for earthworms and other microorganisms break the stuff down. While waiting, you can add up materials to your pile. In this scenario, the stuff at the bottom decomposes first.

But aside from the long wait, this type of compost is not as effective as the hot compost. It cannot kill weeds and pathogens. Also, before using such, you should screen out for undecomposed materials from the pile.

Whatever you may choose between the two, you’re still on the winning side by using organic gardening compost because not only you are saving up money but more so, you are helping out conserve and clean our environment.

Elements of Organic Gardening

Organic gardening in the truest sense means gardening without the use of any chemical substances, may they be in the form of fertilizers, pesticides, growth enhancers, etc. Some people think that if they use only small amounts of chemical fertilizers they still are producing organic. But they are wrong. Lets tackle some of the misconceptions and issues that surround organic gardens.

Dont get us wrong, organic gardens dont mean just leaving them to nature. It does need fertilization and pest management as well. However, you will use materials, techniques or approaches that are truly organic.

When it comes to fertilizers, for example, organic gardens obviously need fertilizers that are either plant or animal in origin and not petroleum or chemical based as most synthetic fertilizers are made of. So this means, organic gardens will have to rely on composts, animal manures, etc to provide added nutrients to the soil that the plants needs for growth. Its a good thing really, natural based fertilizers is less damaging to the soil in the long run that synthetic ones.

One of the many tips an expert organic grower will give you is that importance of maintaining a healthy soil. Some studies have found out that soils that are not treated with any chemical or synthetic fertilizers or herbicides grow plants that attract less pests. There are several ways to protect your soil. Covering it with vegetation or mulch will protect the soil surface from unnecessary damage from excess sun exposure and erosion from winds and rains. Remember that the top layers of the soil contain the living organisms that plants needs.

At times, organic gardens are also beleaguered by pests and you need to provide some sort of support or else your plants can easily be destroyed by aphids, worms, etc. There a number of effective alternatives for commercial chemical fertilizers. Some are readily available in your own kitchen which makes them really convenient.

Garlic and peppers for instance can be utilized as a spray against common pests. Extracts from the neem tree is also a great weapon against leaf eating, stem boring, or flower devouring pests. Also, you should note that spiders, ladybugs, and lacewings are three of the many insects that are on your side. These insets are natural predators of aphids, worms, larvae, and other pests so treat them nicely.

Another way to manage the pests in your garden is by thinking ahead. When you planted your plants, you could also place along side them plants that are natural repellants of insects such as marigolds which are very effective against nematodes.

Everything about an organic garden should revolve around nature.

Sometimes, it is nice to view organic way of gardening as a means where we can contribute to the protection of nature by helping minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are harmful to the environment. May it be a flower garden, your lawn and shrubs, a vegetable patch, or even a fruit and herbs garden, as long as you incorporate organic techniques you are helping build a better future for the next generation.

These are only a few elements that you will have to internalize when start your own organic garden. Just remember that organic gardening is a technique where emphasis is on the interaction of living organisms.