Good Soil Is Like A Kitchen

...You can make the most amazing anything!

So an internship is meant to be an educational experience. Since I've been working here it has been heavy on the labor and a little light on the education. But today...

We visited a real organic produce farm some 45 minutes away called Tree and Leaf. The farmer, Zack Lester, sells at a couple of the markets we attend so I've seen him around and trade with him regularly (flowers for food: it's the best!) Through a steady afternoon drizzle, he gave us a thorough tour of his greenhouses and veggie crops. He is a soil genius. I never realized how important and complicated soil balance is. It may seem like a no-brainer, but there are concrete chemical reasons for the appearance and texture of soil. This year is his first year on this land, and he is loving the soil with all of his might. Basically, soil needs an intricate balance of compounds in order to yield healthy, nutrient-rich plants. Growing the same crop year after year, eking out every last bit of a particular resource, will leave soil depleted. It then needs to be nurtured back to a rich balance by introducing purified mineral elements and by planting crops that are complementary to the previous crops. For example, he said that a row of lettuce should not be covered by another shift of lettuce or leafy crop, but perhaps a seed-heavy plant like beans. In some wondrous way I'm only beginning to grasp, strategizing upon the diverse four-fold rhythm of plant growth can renew soil. Wikipedia: on cover cropping.

Zack took a brief digression on the negative repercussions of Roundup, a heavy herbicide used to control weeds in commercial growing (and, in fact, in small doses at Wollam Gardens). On the issue of soil: Roundup used in large commercial quantities, with crops that are "Roundup ready" (genetically modified to withstand the herbicide) yields soil that is stripped and poisoned. And I think this just scratches the surface of the problem.

And now for a soapbox session. I have been quick to condemn non-organic methods, but I have never taken the time to research the facts about their long term negative effects. Now I am only beginning. The issue is deeper and more important than we think, when we stand in the grocery store and try to manage the $2 different between an organic tomato and a conventionally grown tomato, or even a non-food plant like a sunflower. It's deeper than preference or fad. Nourishment of the earth, our food, and our bodies is a virtue we need to promote and defend. End of soapbox. Thank you, Tree and Leaf Farm!

Love (and nutrient-rich food) to all!