I guess you've seen Organic produce in the shops, but do you know what is involved in the production of all things Organic? And why should people grow in an organic way instead of conventional farming? The philosophy and application of the organic gardener is a contrast to that of the conventional gardener. Fundamentally the stark difference, and probably the one you will be most familiar with is the usage or non usage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Gardening organically means not using chemicals on the land and using processes that are natural and holistic whilst protecting the natural ecosystem. To achieve successful results from organic gardening different techniques are undertaken. and the principle approach is prevention rather than cure. The soil is one of if not the most important aspect of organic gardening as this is where the plants and produce grow from. The chemical gardener dare I say it, fails to recognise the importance of this, and perhaps unwittingly, disrespects the soil. Chemicals may provide a quick solution to fertilisation and pest control, however the long term usage of them has proven to be a detriment to the quality of the soil. This not only is an unsustainable practice, but it also has more far reaching consequences, imposing negative effects on society and most importantly the care of the earth. I could twitter on in more depth about these, but i'll just highlight a few of the negatives that chemical usage is responsible for, and perhaps touch on this subject again in the future. - Of the Chemical fertiliser used in conventional farming, approximately only 10-50% of it is retained by the plant, the remainder washes away into the water table, ending up in rivers and eventually the sea. This nitrogen rich chemical has negative effects on ecosystems, and creates an unnatural and unbalanced make up - Surplus chemicals escaping the plant can also have adverse affects on the health of animals and humans - This type of farming relies heavily on fossil fuels, which are evidently dwindling in numbers The organic approach towards fertilisation is by preparing and regenerating the soil so that it is already efficient enough to naturally fertilise the plants, and also fight off disease. By applying organic matter, compost and by obtaining a healthy ratio of Carbon and Nitrogen, you can create a cosy home for all the tiny micro-organisms to thrive. These little critters then do all the hard work for you, creating symbiotic relationships with one another, the organic matter and the plants roots. They do each other favours, help create nutrients, send the nutrients deeper into the soil, and become wonderfully productive at energy efficiency and waste reduction. The longer this process continues without any outside interference from humans, the stronger and more sustainable it will become.
This is what the natural world did for billions of years before we came along! Even our more primitive ancestors knew a great deal about this. Things were doing just fine. But... the industrial revolution kicked off a new age of modern man and with this all of the problems we have come to realise today began. As early as 1929 people started to realise how the natural world was a super productive machine. Over the decades more people came to realise the importance of this, however societies reliance on industrial agriculture increased. They began to see that our blind approaches towards land management were not working. To this day it is still such a non mainstream topic that it is going to take a lot longer to turn heads and change peoples understanding of it. The reason positive changes aren't occurring and why farmers aren't changing to organic approaches is all down to money. The economy is bad enough and farmers just cannot afford to change their practices. The whole chemical monoculture farming industry got itself in a pickle too long ago. Todays farmers fathers and grandfathers who started using chemicals were unaware of their long term destructive properties. If however the farmers now were to stop using them their soil would completely deteriorate. It would take a number of years regenerating their soil by practicing organic farming. Due to the way the economy works their business would more than likely go bust. They cannot do this, and this is understandable, for they have families to feed. A gradual shift towards organic growing would be the best option, and the creation of a reward system in the form of Carbon Credits would incentivise farmers to make the changes required to regenerate the land. Is there anything you could do to spread the message of this subject? Any comments and discussion would be very welcome, no matter what your understanding and confidence level is on this subject. Class dismissed :)
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As a gardener I get to see quite a range of gardens. I work for clients who's gardens range from small conventional plots to large sweeping meadows some with rivers and others with fantastic views of the countryside.. It's a broad spectrum and there are really some lovely gardens to work in. To be honest though it is a bit dreary at the moment, there's not a lot of life about, a majority of the plants, shrubs and trees are conserving their energy and are keeping it stored in their base until the spring arrives. When this time comes we will all gaze upon the vast awakening of life and all it's vibrant colours and smells. I began my trainee position in November and before I started I was curious as to what work I would be doing at this time of the year. I was quite surprised to find that there is a fair bit of work to get on with still. The winter provides a good time to prepare the garden so it is in it's best possible state cometh the heat and warmth. I have been doing a lot of pruning the last few months on fruit trees and bushes, preparing them so they are ready to sprout new growth in a quick and efficient manner. By pruning in such a way so the new buds grow outwards and upwards promotes a healthy shape for it to thrive. Allowing enough space for air to flow freely between the stems is important as this minimises the impact airborne diseases will have on it. It's a good organic technique, and echoes the sentiment of 'prevention rather than cure'. Weeding is probably the gardeners least favourable job, but is unfortunately necessary. I have been doing a fair bit of this recently. The organic approach is just hard graft to remove them, instead of spraying weed removal chemicals. Funnily enough though it can be quite rewarding to see how much you have cleared from a given space, and also quite meditative. Despite weeding's renowned negative connotations, in my opinion it certainly beats sitting at a desk with a headset glued to your head. The other day I was working at a property near Bath creating a support structure for some cultivated Blackberry. We used tree branches that were lying around and fashioned a fence for them to grow along. It's great to use left overs and find another purpose for them, instead of spending money on purchasing bamboo sticks. Here I am with the finished product. Over the coming months I will begin a whole new phase of gardening. I've got lots to learn, and plenty of work especially on the land we're turning into a Permaculture smallholding. I will keep you up to date with what I experience and acheive! At my last course meeting our tutor Sarah asked us to go home and think of one of the principles of permaculture and then using our creativity to bring in something that represented it. We could make it, bake it, write it, draw it or say it. I decided to have a little arty session one morning, so after brewing up some nice fresh coffee sat down and had a bit of a doodle, printed some pictures off and did some colouring in. I then wrapped it up with a few little ditties, perhaps dangling on the edge of cheese, however I found it quite rewarding to just sit down and connect with some creative flows. I chose the principle of Diversity. Diversity is found in nature and of course in human beings. In nature diversity naturally occurs, creating a super rich ecosystem that is amazingly productive. With humans we already know the wonderful things we have achieved in society through our diverse nature, but equally our diversity also represents negative connotations. Many within the circle of permaculture and outside it will argue that we are not as diverse as we could be, and that we can improve our approach to the efficient use of the world resources. What I have represented in my creation is how diversity can eventually lead to an abundance of life, ideas, thoughts and produce. I also have tackled the idea that diversity of opinions and religion should be celebrated, and that we should focus on this rather than the adversity of conflict and disrespect. That's why I've coloured in the Jew, Christian and Muslim to show that they each have vibrancy and can stand aside another despite fundamental differences. "We're creative, diverse and vibrant it's wonderful to see, ideas sprouting all across the land to progress society' Welcome along earthling to my new blog I have created to document my journey into the world of all things organic, sustainable and socially conscious.
Here's a little background.... I sold my soul to the devil long ago, working in the private sector for large corporations in the travel industry. In August 2015 I decided that enough was enough, and after being disillusioned with this lifestyle choice for far too long I took a plunge and applied for an opportunity to do something I had become interested in for a number of years,... Permaculture! It's perhaps not one of the most famous 'cultures and I assure you it is not to do with the culture of certain once popular hairstyles. Now, I could sit here at my desk and explain permaculture in one go, but it encompasses so many things on different levels, culturally, socially and environmentally it's something I hope you'll pick up if you choose to stick around for this journey I am now working for a small organic gardening company tending to peoples gardens in a truly organic fashion, no fertilisers or pesticides involved in this operation. I hope to learn more about the trade, and also become a professional at what I do. On top of this I am also contributing my time to develop a 1 acre piece of land into a permaculture smallholding with some inspiring people whom have crafted and enabled this opportunity. I have also just started a Permaculture Design Course in Bristol. This is with another 40 or so people all hoping to learn more about this concept with the aim of creating a design towards a piece of land incorporating the permaculture values of working with the flows of nature. Since 2007 I suppose you could say that I 'woke up' and found myself becoming more aware of social issues surrounding injustice, inequality and inefficiency in the way the world operates. This understanding I feel is becoming more prominent as time goes by and I am extremely proud to say that I am now in a position to contribute towards this movement whilst also sustaining a level of income. I understand it is extremely difficult for many people to take a leap into something they really wish to do, and with doing this it does mean sacrificing certain things. Others may not be in a position to sacrifice anything to pursue their dreams. This is something I completely understand, however because of all the social constraints that are in place with this current economic system, I believe that this is unfair and that there can be a better way of doing things. Hopefully my blog will show some inspiration towards how we can all live a productive life, a more sustainable life, and a cooperative life leading us to a better life. Call me a hippie, a dreamer or an idealist, I can take that, but if you say this you realist you, there's a lot of good stuff down this idealistic rabbit hole than you might think, so stick around because discussion and debate is probably one of the most productive things we can do. I'll be documenting my journal through writing, and also music, for I am a singer songwriter too, and I may also apply myself to the odd bit of random art... lets see where that one goes. I'll also perhaps now and then muse about some social issues that I feel are worth discussing. I wish you a great January of 2016, my where has the time gone Peace Adam |
AdamThe idea is to document my perspective as I embark upon a journey into the world of organic gardening and permaculture, through the medium of literature, music and art Archives
February 2017
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