[Terrapreta] Pure Organics Vs. Biological Agriculture
Gerald Van Koeverden
vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca
Fri Sep 14 15:43:46 EDT 2007
Do you have some research to back up this statement in your section
on Brix in your web site?
"Production agriculture has found that it takes twice as many acres
of genetically modified cornstalks to get the same amount of weight
gain on cattle as compared to conventional non-GMO corn varieties."
Gerrit
On 14-Sep-07, at 12:53 PM, Jon C. Frank wrote:
> Sean,
>
> International Ag Labs provides soil testing, fertility
> recommendations, microbial inoculants, foliar sprays, and
> consultation to help farmers improve soil health and grow quality
> plants. We work with gardens (www.highbrixgardens.com), turf,
> market gardeners, international customers, and production
> agriculture of all types. Our work with production agriculture is
> to help transition farmers away from a mentality developed by the
> university system of GMO's, high rates of NPK, crop protection
> products (all the 'cides), with the result of poor soil and plant
> health. Grains from industrial agriculture are many times infected
> with mycotoxins that are frontal attacks on immune system health of
> animals and people.
>
> Our role is to teach people how do develop healthy soils that are
> biologically active and produce good yields. Our approach is to
> combine the best of organics with the best of commercial
> agriculture always with the end in mind: measurable quality.
>
> Do we recommend commercial fertilizers? Yes. Do we recommend
> organic inputs? Yes again.
>
> I have a question for you. Do you use salt on food when cooking or
> at the table? I am sure most people do. Why? It adds
> electrolytes which are needed both in the human body and in soil.
> Too much is bad. Too little is equally bad. Commercial
> fertilizers add electrolytes in the soil. They are not
> automatically used but rather used according the need as shown on
> the soil test. If the soil runs out of energy (electrolytes and
> available nutrients) plant growth stops and yields bottom out.
>
> Our goal is to set up the right environment for plants and the
> microbial communities to function at optimum health. This goal is
> not usually reached in one year.
>
> As far as recommending charcoal it cannot be done until there is a
> supply for people to economically utilize it. That infrastructure
> is far from being in place.
>
> Also FYI we never recommend or sell the damaging products such as
> anhydrous ammonia, potassium chloride (approved for organics but
> horrible for soil biology), or any type of pesticide or herbicide.
>
> I believe biochar or charcoal can play a role in the future as it
> becomes more available. In the meantime we have learned how to
> increase humus in the soil without charcoal or biochar. It
> involves getting calcium levels high enough to support increased
> microbial populations, increased fine root hairs, and increased
> exudates from healthier plants. Want to learn more? Then take
> our upcoming class called True Profits Come From The Soil January
> 28 and 29 2008 call 870-749-8112 (ask for Duane) for more information.
>
> Jon C. Frank
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [mailto:terrapreta-
> bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of Sean K. Barry
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 6:05 PM
> To: Jon C. Frank
> Cc: terrapreta
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow
>
> Hi Jon,
>
> Government subsidies that keep prices low is truly a problem for
> farmers. It is not a problem for consumers (yet?) and I think the
> fertilizer manufacturers and dealers actually eat it up. Clearly,
> corn growers are hooked on subsidies and fertilizer. Just ask any
> corn grower if he wants to try it this year without industrial
> fertilizer. Oh yes, but you do know the answer to this, don't
> you. Corn is "THE" cash crop. Ethanol has driven prices up. The
> subsidies support the ethanol manufacturers. And they turn around
> an "beg" for local farmers to grow and sell corn to the the
> distilleries. This is ramping up. You know it, too. You will
> sell fertilizer to the corn growers and/or scare the hell out of
> them by telling them that they will go bankrupt if they do not buy
> (and you would likely be right).
>
> I would like to ask if you would think about some things. If it is
> possible that charcoal in soil will help soil retain its plant
> nutrients, then this will eventually mean that you will sell LESS
> fertilizer to your customers who use charcoal amendments to their
> fields. This may at first seem like a threat to your business.
> Nonetheless, do you realize that you could possibly parley this
> into "providing your customers BETTER service"? What farmer would
> not be grateful, if you could show him a way that he will need less
> fertilizer from you next year than this year?! What farmer would
> not be very grateful that you have helped him IMPROVE the qulity of
> the soil on his land, rather than get him more "hooked"? What
> farmer would not be grateful that you could help them kick the
> subsidy and fertilizer habit?
>
> Is it possible that that ag chemical suppliers could embrace the
> Terra Preta phenomenon and use it to turn your industry in to one
> which does more help than harm? You might still make money (after
> fossil fuel prices have driven your costs through the roof), if you
> had a healthy business in charcoal manufacturing and remediation of
> soil and the atmosphere. Just think about it, ok?
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jon C. Frank
> To: Terrapreta
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 3:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow
>
> Peter> Corn is such a heavy feeder and we know what it will be
> eating and the soil poverty it will be leaving behind.
>
> Corn is excellent for building humus and biomas in the soil. The
> problem is not raising corn--it is how it is raised. The deeper
> problem is goverment policy that pushes the price low with
> subsidies. A hands off approach would be much better.
>
> Jon
> -----Original Message-----
> From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [mailto:terrapreta-
> bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of PurNrg at aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 4:36 PM
> To: sean.barry at juno.com; MMBTUPR at aol.com; lou.gold at gmail.com
> Cc: Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] You Are What You Grow
>
>
> In a message dated 9/11/07 2:04:04 PM, sean.barry at juno.com writes:
>
>
>> The use of industrially made, fossil-fuel based fertilizers is a
>> shameful gluttony that Industrial Agriculture has done for this
>> country.
>> It may be one of the worst things that we have ever done to the land.
>>
>>
>
>
> And the advent of growing millions of tons of extra corn to turn
> into ethanol isn't going to help matters one bit! Corn is such a
> heavy feeder and we know what it will be eating and the soil
> poverty it will be leaving behind. It's really like robbing Peter
> to pay Paul, but typical of 'addicted' behavior; no thought really
> of anything beyond the continued flow of the substance we love so
> much. We need an intervention! Anyone else read Asimov's
> Childhood's End? We can hope, because that's what it's apparently
> going to take to change our wicked ways!
>
> Sorry for wandering off topic :-/>.
>
> Peter :-)>
>
>
> **************************************
> See what's new at http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/
> terrapreta_bioenergylists.org
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
> http://info.bioenergylists.org
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/
> terrapreta_bioenergylists.org
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
> http://info.bioenergylists.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070914/509948db/attachment.html
More information about the Terrapreta
mailing list