Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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

Ok, that's the question then. It's the common belief that no-till means
using herbicides. Good for Beck. If farmers can't move from industrial
farming to sustainable farming and stay solvent at the same time, we're
sunk. Period. Of course the strategy of no-till, cover crops, and mulch
work together, and this is a necessary element in cutting costs and labor. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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

On 12/15/2007 at 7:38 AM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:

>I'm troubled by the response of the person who initially responded to
>this article.  I've read the article several times and didn't notice any
>reference to herbicides or chemical fertilizers, and yet the commentator
>seems to view organic and no-till as opposing practices.  Why is that?
>
>I've spent some time talking with Malcolm Beck, Texas' preeminent organic
>proponent, and these days he spends his time trying to move mainstream
>agriculture toward organic no-till.  He sees no-till as the only path that
>will allow a farmer to move from conventional farming to more sustainable
>practices while remaining financially viable.  This is from a man who has
>championed organic methods for more than 50 years.  So why would someone
>view no-till as contrary to organic?
>
>E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>www.hillcountrynatives.biz
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: TradingPostPaul 
>  To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
>  Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 8:07 PM
>  Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] NO-TILL FARMING OFFERS A QUICK FIX TO
>HELP WARD OFF HOST OF GLOBAL PROBLEMS
>
>
>
>  A little logic. The effects of tillage versus no-till are the same
>  regardless of herbicide use. The ill effects of herbicides and/or other
>  chemicals are bad whether till or no-till is practiced. Apples and
>oranges.
>
>
>  paul tradingpost@lobo.net