Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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

Ken, I've searched that SPIN farming thing and can't find anything about
the actual methods they're promoting. It looks like you have to order their
booklets to see their methods. Now I'm suspecting it's nothing more than
we've talked about here for months. Except I see no sign of the efficiency
of permanent beds and aisles to conserve amendments, mulch, and water. And
I can't find whether they give up constant tilling, in order to raise
organic matter levels. 

I don't remember where but someone studying Terra Preta noted it began with
the richest volcanic soil. And if it's so great for growing for generations
then why are those sites now abandoned? A lot of us have looked into Square
Foot gardening, Lasange gardening, Permaculture, American Intensive,
Biointensive, Biodynamic, no-till, and on and on. What comes out of it all
are some general principles and methods that work. But we just don't need
all the fancy names and don't need to obsess over the fine points. And we
have to adapt those methods and principles to our own soil, climate, and
needs. What so many of the recent forums and bloggers seem to miss is, the
Rodale publications have covered these principles and methods exhaustively
over decades - even Ruth Stouts mulch and no-till. 

Anyone, jump right in on this. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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

On 1/13/2008 at 5:11 AM Ken Hargesheimer wrote:

>Mark,
>   
>  You are 100% right.  Someone stumbled upon something, gave it a fancy
>name [Terra Petra], drew some incorrect conclusions and made themselves
>famous.  
>   
>  It is the same thing with SPIN farming, Square Foot gardening and
>Lasange gardening.  It is marketing gimmicks.  Maybe I should become
>famous with Pentagon Farming.  That just came to mind.  Fool people five
>ways?
>   
>  Ken H
>  
>activism98201@verizon.net wrote:
>  I've been having discussions with a proponent of biochar (Tera Preta)
>for some time now and am still struggling with the concept of it, of how
>it can do all the things that is claimed with regards to improving soil
>conditions.
>