Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Barbara Fischer" <cen12205@centurytel.net>]

I only know that the topsoil is still there.....good rich BLACK earth.  It
does not blow away.  The water table is very high, being only about 50'
down.  Wells bring up good water and it is unending.  We have produced
record yields of over 200 bushels of corn to an acre.  We rotate crops every
year between corn and soybeans.  Since we have a local farmer who farms it I
cannot give you details.  I only know what the results are and have always
been.  I guess I resent being in that group you all want to talk badly
about.  I don't think you have any idea of what real farming is all abouit.
I wish you would take me off this list before I say something worse.

Barbara
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:35 PM
Subject: [Livingontheland] "real" farming? was (no subject)


>
> We have no way of guessing what methods your family has used to farm since
> 1860. Why don't you tell us about soil and water conservation practices
> your family has employed since 1860? What is your soil organic matter
> content? We can go from there.
>
> I assure you we know what soil scientists and right-thinking growers have
> known for a very long time, that plowing and cultivating and drenching the
> land with anhydrous ammonia and superphosphate and not repleshishing the
> organic matter with cover crops and compost has destroyed a large part of
> the topsoil and its structure and fertility, and industrial agribusiness
is
> robbing the land's production for our children and grandchildren. That is
a
> crime against nature and the future, and we will be held accountable.
>
> I suggest you look into the methods of Joel Salatin, a well known
> fifth-generation farmer who farms sustainably and only sells locally. It
> would be very awkward to tell him he doesn't know what "real" farming is
> about.
>
> If you really want  to insist most of us don't know what we're talking
> about, then I suggest you answer specific issues about growing methods
> instead of flaming, which on any list is a mark of inability to reason
from
> evidence.
>
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 3/15/2007 at 2:14 PM Barbara Fischer wrote:
>
> >I am getting just a little bit tired of all the bashing of the previous
> >farmers.  My family has been farming the same farm in central Illinois
> >since 1860 and we haven't "ruined" it yet.  Most of you don't know what
> >you are talking about.  ...being a "little" garden plot farmer does not
> >make you knowledgeable about real farming.  Geezh!
> >
> >Barbara
> >  ----- Original Message ----- 
> >  From: Gloria Baikauskas
> >  To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing
> >  Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:48 AM
> >  Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] (no subject)
> >
> >
> >  From my reading I have read that there was really only the one group in
> >South America that did agriculture right.  The Kakopki....can't for the
> >life of me remember their name....though I know it is something in that
> >region of the alphabet.   I have been forgetting lots of things of late
> >because of personal stress unfortunately.    These were the ones who
> >planted around trees on mounds.  They then left....came back to tend the
> >plants and top the trees so they would get sun before harvest.
> >
> >  The terra preta folks apparently did something right since their soil
is
> >still fertile.  It was my understanding that they did not slash and
> >burn....but rather that they buried wood in clay pots in the ground and
> >covered it after starting it on fire to create charcoal.  Something about
> >the mixture made the terra preta.  I haven't read the article for a
> >while...so my memory is a bit fuzzy.   I know scientists have tried
> >repeatedly to reproduce it and have not exactly gotten it right....but
> >close.
> >
> >  The Amazon is infertile....but it was planted intentionally in rows.
It
> >only sustains the plants that grow within it which have adapted to the
> >soil and surroundings.   It may have at one time been a great farm.
Dunno.
> > They are still trying to figure that one out....and ripping it down to
> >try farming it, ranching it....and failing.
> >
> >  Yeah.....we did make quite a mess of the land in the US.  Twas those
> >brilliant folks in the 40s and 50s who didn't listen to the leaders in
> >their field on how to fix the problem....but who instead turned to the
new
> >guys with their saving grace chemicals.....with stupid planting ideas
like
> >monocropping.  Better to go back to the small farms again which did
> >produce....and to let the small farmers grow hemp again so if the food
> >crop fails they still have something that won't to pay the bills.
> >
> >  Gloria, Texas
> >
> >
>
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