7gen Bloc

This cracks me up! I have been organic gardening since I was a child. My father taught me as a child that if we grow our own food we have to be very careful about what we put into the soil it grows in. I am 50 years old and organic gardening is still as important as ever. I've been composting for many years, long before it became trendy, and tilling the homemade compost into the soil for a rich yield each year. My husband and I compost all throughout the winter and snow season and just built a rain barrel system for our home in Klamath Falls Oregon, which is currently in a drought situation. We have a small but wonderful yard and are learning more and more about this new area we've moved to a couple of years ago from So California.
Love the blogs-and love the products! Keep up the good work!

Yes, I too have been gardening organically for years. I love it and I have been teaching my neighbors, my co-workers and friends how to grow their own wonderful food and help the earth get back where it belongs. There are people who have never grown anything in their lives and they are shocked when they can actually get tomatoes from the plants I give them. Share your gift. Teaching people to garden is one of the most satisfying things you can do for yourself and them!

Gardening was one of the original "community" activities. However, during the last few decades, we seem to have lost the ability (willingness?) to pass on information which has been shared by members of our species for millennium - that, as stated above, "Good soil is life itself."

Anyway, from someone that values organic products highly, but is attempting their first garden without that gift of passed know-how, I cherish your guide for "good dirt."

Thanks Inkslinger!

People seem to think "natural" is always more desirable. Cyanide is natural; I avoid eating huge amounts of it anyway. Also, the word "chemical" is pretty misused. In this case, does it mean "synthetic chemicals"? "Artificial chemicals"? "Toxic chemicals"? "Mineral chemicals"? Or something else? Water, nitrogen, and carbon are chemicals, after all.

USDA Organic standards don't include "more effective" or "harmless" or "free of toxins/diseases" (something to think about especially regarding slaughterhouse/factory farm waste) or "non-polluting."

If your soil has too much sand or clay, you can use amendments (along with other methods, such as mulching) to improve water retention/drainage. Same if it's too acidic or alkaline for what you want to grow. Of course, adapting your crops to your soil is always an option and often far superior to trying to force your land to grow an alien plant that just doesn't do well there.

You CAN harm animals and microorganisms, and burn plants, with organic fertilizers. Buy good fertilizers, and follow label instructions.

Some herbicides/pesticides are quite specific, and will not harm organisms other than the targets. Using an herbicide that kills only grasses, for example, will not harm your soil's ability to support earthworm life, bacteria life, vegetable life, etc.

Poisoning sentient life with "natural" substances is just as harmful as (and sometimes worse than) using synthetic poisons. Since killing wildlife is such a short-term "solution," prevention and long-term management are better than mass slaughter. That goes for everything from feral cats and house rodents to birds in the yard and cucumber beetles.

Composting is great, but the quality of your finished compost is limited by the quality of what you're composting.

Tilling compacted soil loosens it. I think that's the point... Alternatively, you can use cover crops and/or mulch. I do both, but after the soil is tilled by hand. Only mulching can take years to be as good as tilling once. I value mulch more for its other benefits, including the way it helps the soil as it decomposes (in this case I *do* only use biodegradable materials), reduces the need for commercial fertilizers, and its weed/wildlife control.

There's a lot of good information out there on food-growing methods and how they relate to the health of consumers, the effects on wildlife, and environmental impact. Anyone truly interested can Google and/or check out their local library. People just don't bother to look. Hopefully more will as their interest in gardening grows.