Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

REMINERALIZE THE EARTH 
Joanna Campe, Publisher and Editor
http://www.ibiblio.org/london/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.sele
cted-writings

The concepts of remineralization and utilizing rock flours is not new, nor 
without substantial research precedence. As a brief historical overview,
the 
recent history of remineralization shows that it has been researched and 
explored by three different groups:

First, nutritional biochemist Julius Hensel pioneered remineralization in
the 
1880's with his book BREAD FROM STONES and a modest agriculture movement
cane 
into being. Since the late 1930's many scientists have done research on 
remineralization in Germany and Central Europe for agriculture and forests.

An example in forestry is a study which showed that in the case of new pine

seedlings remineralized with basalt rock dust, there were gains over the 
untreated area after the sixth year. After 24 years the wood volume of the 
treated area was four times higher than in the untreated area. It was only 
after 60 years that the advantage tapered off. 

Second, is a more recent development called agrogeology and this research
has 
been carried out mainly in Canada, Brazil, Tanzania, the Canary Islands,
and 
West Africa -- especially on laterite soils. Because of the intense
tropical 
rainfall, NPK fertilizers are washed out in only a few weeks and cannot be 
stored by the soils, and are especially harmful to the groundwater. Rock 
fertilizers not only give nutrients over longer periods to cultivated
plants, 
but also improve the ion-exchange-capacity of soils by forming new clay 
minerals during the weathering of the fertilizer.

Third, is the grass roots movement concerned with the premise of John
Hamaker 
in the book THE SURVIVAL OF CIVILIZATION that remineralization is not only
the 
key to restoring soils and forests, but in the larger context, absolutely
   
necessary and urgent to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
and 
stabilize the climate. 

This movement began with Hamaker's writing in the early 1970's and expanded
in 
the 1980's into a global network consisting of ecologically concerned 
individuals and organizations, farmers and gardeners, scientists and policy

makers. 

To facilitate networking and the flow of information and to promote 
remineralization as advocated by John Hamaker and Don Weaver, SOIL 
REMINERALIZATION, A NETWORK NEWSLETTER, began in 1986 and became
REMINERALIZE 
THE EARTH magazine in 1991. The magazine, published and edited by Joanna 
Campe, has networked to people all over the world and has collected 
research and a wealth of anedotal results of farmers and gardeners, and for

silviculture and foresters to substantiate the results of remineralization.

The most recent results of these efforts are two manuals which contain the
    
following listing of research reports.

1.The Importance and Effect of Rock Dust in Orchards and Gardens. Fritz
Leipold 

2.Remineralization Trials: Minplus and Bananas, A Cost Benefit Study. T.D. 
Edwards

3.Soil Rejuvenation with Crushed Basalt in Mauritius. D. Hotman de Villiers


4.Azomite Rock Dust as a Cure for Citrus Blight Disease. J.F.L. Childs 

5.Dusting Chickpea with Fine Rock Powder: Effects on Yield and Damage
Caused by 
Heilcoverpa Armigera. M.P. Pimbert and C.P. Srivastava

6.Pot Test Trial I of Basalt, Serpentine, Feldspar, Dolomite and Bentonite.
Dr. 
Gemot Graefe, Austrian Academy of Sciences

7.Pot Test Trial II of Basalt, Serpentine, Potassium, and Kaolin Clay. Dr.
Gemot 
Graefe, Austrian Academy of Sciences

8.Rock Fertilizers: A chance for West Africa's Food Production. Dr. Gunter 
Matheis

9.The Use of Ground Rocks in Laterite Systems: An Improvement to the Use of

Conventional Soluble Fertilizers. O.H. Leonardos, W.S. Fyfe and B.I.
Kronberg 

10.Silicate Dusts as Natural Fertilizers. Peter von Fragstein

11.Organic Extracts for the Treatment of Rock Powder Fertilizers in Bio. 
Agriculture. P. von Fragstein and H. Vogtmann 

12.The Weathering Properties of Silicate Rock Dust Under Laboratory
Conditions. 
P. von Fragstein, W. Pertl and H. Vogtmann (This report is in German with a

condensed English version)

13.Silicate Rock Powders: Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects. P. von 
Fragstein, W. Pertl and H. Vogtmann

14.Fertilizing With Rocks. Stephen Strauss

15.Agricultural Alchemy: Stones Into Bread. Ward Chesworth, Felipe 
Macias-Vazquez, D. Acquaye and E. Thompson

16.Late Cenozoic Geology and the Second Oldest Profession. Ward Chesworth 

17.Mulch Farming in the Canary Islands. E. Fernandez Caladas and M.K.
Tejedor 
Salquero

18.The Use of Rock Flour in Agriculture: A literature Survey on Granites, 
Feldspars, Micas and Basalts. Eliot Coleman

19.Bibliography of Rock Dust Studies (112 entries, all of them in German)

20.Preliminary Results for the Soil Remineralization Forestry Trials on 
Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Dr. Robert Bruck, Ph.D

21.An Interview with Dr. Robert Bruck, Ph.D, Director of the Environment
for 
North Carolina on the State of the Appalachian Forests and
Remineralization. 
Joanna Campe 

22.Soil Improvement: The Step Beyond Conservation, Men of the Trees 
Remineralization Trials. Barrie Oldfield

23.Information for the Application of Silicate Rock Dust for the
Amelioration of 
Forest Soils. U. Sauter and K. Foerst (This report is in German with a
summary 
in English)

24.The Effects of Basalt Dust Emissions on Spruce Trees at the Basalt
Quarry 
Albert, Huhnerberg in Comparison to Spruce Trees Outside the Range of
Emissions. 
Fritz Leipold

25.Applications of Diabase Rock Dust in Brixlegg Forest. Georg Abermann

26.Compensational Fertilization with Silicate Rock Dust for Buffering
Damaged 
Forest Soil. Ulrich Hahn (This report is in German with a condensed English

version)

27.Effect of Silicate Rock Dust in Forests. Ulrich Hahn

28.Possibilities for the Development of the Wood and Forestry Economy that 
include Remineralization in Germany. Edgar Gartner, Research Group
Productivity 
Development 

29.Forest Fertilization: A Bibliography with Abstracts on the Use of
Fertilizers 
and Soil Amendments in Forestry. Compiled by Donald P. White and Albert L.
Leaf

30.A Technique Called N-Viro: Soil Remineralization Using Sewage Sludge
Mixed 
with Cement Kiln Dust. T. Montgomery

31.Bio 2 Biological Activator Accelerates Wastewater Treatment. Meridian 
Environmental Group

If you have an interest in obtaining any of the above resource material, or
in a 
Membership / Subscription to REMINERALIZETHE EARTH, they may be contacted
at:

                                      REMINERALIZATION THE EARTH
                                      152 South Street
                                      Northampton, MA 01060-4021 USA
                                      Phone: (413)586-4429
                                      Fax: (413)586-6064
                                      E-mail: ReminEarth@aol.com
                                      mailto:ReminEarth@aol.com

                                      

Earth Regeneration Society 

The Earth Regeneration Society works to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide
(CO2) 
buildup.

If you are interested in learning how remineralization helps stimulate
plant and 
forest growth to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and what you can do to help,
write 
or call for free information packet.

                                        Earth Regeneration Society
                                        1442 A Walnut St. #57
                                        Berkeley, CA 94709
                                        Phone: (510) 849-0183
                                        Fax: (510) 849-4155



 Y. Rado, "The Wonders of Powdered Gravel", REMINERALIZE THE EARTH, 1994.

                                           THE FACTS: 

     Nearly all soils on earth are thousands of years old.  They
     are generally quite "sick" and depleted.  Finely ground stones
     and gravels, applied to such soils, can literally restore them 
     by supplying a broad range of minerals......minerals which 
     have been slowly lost through the ages, by erosion, leaching, 
     and farming.

     A soil which has an abundance of minerals really "comes
     to life."  Billions of microbes flourish, by feasting on the 
     mineral elements, and they, in turn, supply the plants, worms,
     and so forth, with the basic compounds needed for health.


The earth's soils haven't always been in such poor shape, as they are now.
Five 
thousand years ago, the situation was quite different. Back then, the soils
had 
an abundance of minerals. The result was an incredible richness of LIFE, 
everywhere. 

The trees in the forests of Europe grew so huge -- oak tree trunks were
often a 
hundred feet tall, to the first branch! Imagine an entire an entire forest
of 
such trees, or having much of the earth covered with them. Well, that's
exactly 
how it was. But now, after thousands of years of leaching, erosion,
farming, 
overgrazing, ....plus the more recent assaults with chemicals, the soils
are a 
mere shadow of what they once were. 

The symptoms of mineral depletion are everywhere, and getting worse each
year. 
The forests are actually dying in many areas. Crops are diseased, insipid, 
insect infested, and nutritionally "bankrupt." Soils are compacted, nearly 
lifeless, and easily eroded away. Plants and trees are stunted, sickly, 
sensitive to frosts and droughts. 

People and animals are in similar shape. You really ARE what you EAT!
Everything 
from susceptibility to AIDS or cancer, to "learning difficulties" can
usually be 
attributed, largely, to the condition of the SOIL. 

                                          How It Works: 

Powdered rocks and gravels are Nature's "fertilizer." Glaciers and
volcanoes are 
the primary methods She uses to produce the powder. But those methods are
very 
slow, and the job of re-mineralizing needs to be done right away. We need
to use 
efficient machines to grind gravel into powder, so that the soil life can
get to 
the minerals that are trapped in the rocks

When powdered gravel is applied to the soil, a marvelous thing happens. The

microbes in the soil (and in the guts of earthworms) "digest" the powder,
and 
extract whatever useful elements they find. The higher plants then extract
the 
mineral rich juices from those microbes, and pass them down the line to the

animals. 

Given an abundance of minerals (like zinc, copper, calcium, etc.), and
water, 
the soil microbes, earthworms, plants, and animals THRIVE because the
minerals 
are critical to every function of living things. The worms bore miles of 
tunnels, which aerate the soil. The microbes work extra hard to glue the
soil 
particles into spongy "crumbs." The plants develop huge root systems, which

resist drought. Insects are repelled by the healthy juices of the plants.
Foods 
become more flavorful and satisfying. Both yields and quality increase. The

plants become more heat and frost resistant. Diseases become rare events.
And so 
on. The minerals are truly the FOUNDATION of all life on earth! 

Plants need a balanced "diet" just like people do. Too much of a good thing
can 
be very harmful. That's a problem with compost, manures, and chemical 
fertilizers; they release to much of some nutrients (like Nitrogen and 
Phosphorous) and not enough of others (such as the many trace minerals).
And to 
make matters worse, they are very soluble in water, which means that the
plants 
are FORCED to absorb them, throwing the plants out of balance. Powdered
rock, on 
the other hand, is practically insoluble, and so it cannot cause an
imbalance, 
nor can it pollute the ground water or streams. It could make a World of 
difference. 


                                                                            
        

                                A BRIEF PERSPECTIVE
                On Soil Remineralization and the Climate 

"A BRIEF PERSPECTIVE On Soil Remineralization and the Climate",
REMINERALIZE THE 
EARTH, Spring, 1993. This information is condensed from the writings of
John 
Hamaker, Don Weaver, Larry Ephron and Joanna Campe.

Soil Remineralization: 

The soils of the entire world have become severely demineralized by erosion
over 
thousands of years. Plants require a continuous intake of minerals, just as
we 
do, and for very similar reasons -- calcium to build structural support,
iron to 
carry oxygen, and so on. Plants growing on mineral-depleted soil do not get

enough nourishment and so become smaller, less-abundant and less hardy,
more 
vulnerable to the insects, worms and fungi they are prey to. 

Remineralization causes a phenomenal growth of the microorganisms in the
soil. 
It increases the nutrient intake of plants. It counters the effects of soil

acidity, prevents soil erosion (just for that reason it would be worth
applying 
rock dust), increases the storage capacity of the soil, contributes to the 
building of precious humus complexes, has anti-fungal properties, and when
you 
spray it on plants it repels insects as well. The plants and trees become
highly 
resistant to insects, disease, frosts, and drought. Remineralization also 
enhances and speeds up the process of composting, so if you're composting
for 
your garden, consider putting on some rock dust. It can be even more
effective 
than just directly applying it to the land. 

For Forests: 

The results of long term experiments released in 1986 showed that in a
forest 
where pine seedlings were remineralized, after 24 years the wood volume was
four 
(4) times higher than in the untreated area. 

For Agriculture: 

The best source of soil minerals is simple crushed gravel dust. In 1976
John 
Hamaker spread gravel crusher screenings on part of his ten acres in
Michigan. 
The following year, in an area of sparse rainfall and dry summers, and with
no 
irrigation, his corn produced 65 bushels per acre, compared to yields of
under 
25 from other local farms. 

Moreover, when independent analyses were done, Hamaker's corn was found to 
contain 28% more protein, 47% more calcium, 57% more phosphorous, 60% more 
magnesium and 90% more potassium than the same type of corn grown with
chemical 
fertilizers nearby. 

Twenty years ago the USDA published studies which showed that cement kiln
dust 
(a less-satisfactory source of minerals) also produced better crops, but
they 
couldn't understand "what element" in the dust was responsible and dropped
the 
matter. 

Don Weaver grew 18-foot pole beans on remineralized soil (Jack and the 
Beanstalk?) and got two to four times the normal organically grown yield.
Alan 
LePage of Vermont grew a crop of carrots averaging 1-1/2 feet long. And
there 
was no insect damage to any of these crops. Hamaker estimates that on fully

remineralized soil, American agriculture could grow four times as much food
as 
it is capable of now -- or the same amount of food at about one-fourth the
cost 
-- and with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers. 

The Nutritional Aspect: 

When we eat food grown on depleted soil we too, like the plants, lose our 
natural resistance to disease. All the degenerative diseases have been on
the 
rise in America in recent decades. Dietary fat, cholesterol, salt and 
overly-refined foods seem to be major factors, but a serious deficiency of 
minerals in our food may be another. Mineral depletion of soils has been
found 
to be directly correlated with death rates. And deficiencies of only one of
a 
number of trace minerals -- copper, iron, selenium, etc. -- have been found
in 
laboratory studies to be associated with an increased risk of cancer. You
may 
want to grow more complete, nourishing food for yourself and your family. 

A Global Perspective On Climate: 

The problem of soil demineralization also has a global perspective. It is
known 
that the Earth's soil becomes demineralized during each interglacial
period, the 
relatively short 10,000-year warm period between each 90,000-year major Ice
Age. 
Consequent decline and death of the world's forests and other vegetation
which 
occurs cause great quantities of carbon dioxide to be given off. The level
of 
carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has been rising exponentially for
the 
past century. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap excess heat
from 
the sun, potentially affecting the world's climate. 

It is also well-known that when the glaciers advance and then recede during
each 
recurrent Ice Age, they grind down rocks in their path, and that their 
mineral-rich dust is blown far and wide over the surface of Earth, 
remineralizing its soil and causing plant life to thrive again. 

John Hamaker has supplied one missing piece of the cosmic puzzle to provide
an 
explanation, long sought, of the awesome 100,000-year cycle of major Ice
Ages. 
Hamaker points out that the greenhouse effect occurs primarily in the
tropics, 
which get the most sun, rather than in the polar regions which get very
little. 
When this happens, the temperature differential between the tropics and the

poles increases, resulting in fierce wind systems, hurricanes, tornadoes
and 
storms. 

The moisture picked up by these increasing storm systems also is
transported to 
the higher latitudes, where it gets deposited as snow and ice, eventually 
bringing on glaciation and the next Ice Age. This has been happening in
recent 
years, with record snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and a shortening
of the 
growing season, by weeks in some places, a pattern which is also
accelerating 
year by year. Hamaker estimates that within a few decades the growing
season may 
have decreased so much that millions of people will starve, in the rich
nations 
as well as the poorer. 


                                                                            
        

          Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to
                   Vineyard in Solano County, California 

Cannard, Bob, "Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to Vineyard
in 
Solano County, California", Distributed by EARTH REGENERATION SOCIETY, 4
July 
1992. 

"The four-acre vineyard had been heavily over-cultivated and heavily
degraded. 
The soil supported weeds about three inches tall that went to seed very
early in 
the season. 

We chiseled the ground, broke it up by mechanical compaction -- ripped it
up 
about 18 inches -- and we planted cover crop on the ground and fed the
whole 
vineyard, including the cover crop, by broadcasting application of about
500 
pounds of crushed basaltic rock and 200 pounds of crushed oyster shell
rock, 
which is a calcium resource. The rock was broadcast (spread) equally over
the 
four acres -- right on top of the soil maintenance crop as well as
underneath 
the grapevines -- using a small, standard tractor spreader about six feet
wide 
driven between the rows. 

We did this for three years. In the first year, the cover crop went up to
about 
2 feet, and in the third year it went up to about six feet, but it did not 
mature. It was not mowed or cultivated until the final crop was totally
mature 
in June, at which point it was mowed. It was so thick and lush and
vigorous. 

The grapevines, which had problems predominantly associated with
nutritional 
deficiencies, were manifesting a whole range of disorders, but mainly one
that 
is labeled as "utypa". The leaf surface was small, the fruit yield was low,
the 
cane diameter was very small; there was heavy predominance of fruit rot 
(botrydis and mildews on the fruit), even with a fungicide spraying
program. 

I was there a couple of days ago and the place is absolutely green and
lush. 
There is no evidence of "utypa" decline in the vineyard. It has an
excellent 
crop of firm, plump berries -- a really beautiful crop. It's a really
stunning 
turnaround. 

The vines are in rows, 6 x 10 foot spacing, and 12 years old. The ground
was not 
very well prepared when they were planted -- on well cropped, heavily
compacted 
soil. It was chiseled or ripped a little, but not very well to start with,
and 
then they subsequently went into annual clean cultivation -- year in and
year 
out for the first five years -- which caused it to collapse. The vines were

going to die. (Clean cultivation means that no weeds are allowed to
manifest and 
grow. They are killed as quickly as possible -- as soon as the soil dries
out 
enough to get a tractor in.)

The owners plant one crop a year of Chardonnay grapes, and they will
continue to 
apply smaller quantities of rock dust annually. We've declined 100 pounds
per 
year per acre. We're now at about 200 pounds per acre, and I think we'll 
continue in the same fashion. 

The object is to give the earth many, many small meals -- you don't want to
OD 
it by giving it to much all at once. If you place more raw crushed alkalis
than 
the system can absorb, it won't do any good and can actually be
deleterious. You 
want to use enough to feed the system, and giving it many light meals is
more 
effective."