Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Carrie Shepard <carrieshepard@yahoo.com>]

I've only been gardening seriously for the past 4 years, before that I was trying to learn in a real hit and miss fashion, but reading all sorts of gardening literature.

 

Seems to me that it's impossible to stay healthy on a vegetarian diet ( the numbers of ex-vegetarians continues to climb as 10 to 15 yrs seems to be the max before serious health crisis occur) from the stats I have seen on soil health.  From my readings, anyone eating stuff from overseas production is also getting healthy doses of chemicals and improper metals from hybrid vegetables and I've seen a number of ex-vegetarians with serious health issues from soy consumption.

 

I followed and fed my family an almost vegetarian diet for many years relying heavily on grains and legumes (the diet for a small planet advice) that I think really hurt my daughter's health -- along with the formula I fed her on the stupid advice of an MD who told me it was no big deal to not totally breastfeed and supplement with formula.  I ended up with major yeast problems, and my daughter at only 17 has had horrid eczema, breathing issues, and recently was told she's calcium deficient and also suffering from yeast overgrowth.

 

My garden soil tested at only 500 instead of the recommended 3000 for calcium through www.aglabs.com   and that's after I've added so many organic things, bunny manure, sheep manure, horse manure, compost, egg shells, leaves, etc... and I've never used any herbicides or pesticides.   If my soil is this deficient, and I know my soil is lots better than a lot in the country, then it just seems suicidal to continue to embrace vegetarianism.

 

Declining fertility rates and increased birth defects ought to clue people into this nutrition issue as well, I know there have been a number of highly publicized vegan related B-12 depletion birth defects reported.   I don't know about you folks, but I for one want to have lots of healthy grandchildren.  We're raising goats, chickens, and more.

 

Carrie

 

 

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