Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

"LivingOnTheLand" covers it pretty well, but since there a lot of other back-to-the-land forums, I'd like for you/us to continue to emphasize soil building and crop growing.  You already do an excellent job of emphasizing market gardening, but I believe that we could do more to encourage that first step - how to feed one's own family.

 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz

----- Original Message -----

From: TradingPostPaul

To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 7:59 AM

Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Slightly off-topic: DR woodsplitters

I consider woodlot management implied in the subject, living on the land.
My description goes on to say, We include sustainable food growing from
home garden to market garden, fruits, nuts, berries, fungi, and vegetables,
in addition to food animals. In nature, I don't think you can separate the
soil from the vegetation, the grasses, the trees, and the animals that all
work in symbiosis. It's not like importing ornamental trees for strictly
esthetic reasons, but we've had posts about clearing brush for shade-loving
perennials, using trees for shade in the heat or for windbreaks.
Woodsplitters can be used for fencing too.

If I need to change the wording I can do that too.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 3/1/2007 at 11:43 PM Dawn M. Ripley wrote:

>Thanks for the encouragement, Paul, but according to the list home at
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland, Living on the
>Land is mostly about soil building:
>
>>Intensive, organic soil building is basic to growing much more in less
>>space with better nutrition, more profitable growing through less bought
>>inputs, less need for water, fewer losses from pests and disease, and
>less
>>vulnerability to fossil fuel problems now or in the future. What ways
>this
>>can best be pursued in different soils and climates leaves a lot of room
>>for discussion. We deal with the widespread problems of loss of soil
>>minerals, humus, nutritional content of produce, and loss of topsoil
>>itself, as well as the cost-price squeeze faced by real organic growers,
>>the shrinking supply of affordable land for growing and irrigation water,

>>and the need to increase the supply of nutritious food while making
>>healthy food more affordable in general. Our generation cannot continue
>to
>>plunder the soil capital of future generations.
>
>
>We've discussed things related to the homestead, of course, but I didn't
>think it was the list's primary purpose, hence the disclaimer.
>
>I'm planning to burn the wood I split in my glass-enclosed, woodburning
>fireplace.
>
>Dawn
>
>