Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Kathy" <Vanokat@mrtc.com>]

> National Reasons to Grow a Vegetable Garden
>
> Patriotic Americans Grow Their Own Food
>
> March 19, 2010
> Elise Cooke
>
> Patriotism takes many forms. Those who love this great nation of ours can 
> do something positive for the United States of America, and yes, even the 
> world, by growing some of their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Here are 
> a few reasons why it's time for Victory Gardens to make a comeback in 
> backyards all over our great country.
>
> Victory Gardens Lower U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil
>
> Commercial farmers get hit coming and going when oil prices shoot up. Not 
> only does farm equipment run on diesel power, but much of the fertilizer 
> used on large farming operations are petroleum-based products. By eating 
> locally, less food needs to be trucked in refrigerated containers to 
> grocery stores, saving gasoline. Vegetable gardeners also take fewer 
> gas-guzzling car trips to supermarkets. Finally, backyard gardeners can 
> make enough of their own fertilizer by composting yard waste, lawn 
> clippings and vegetable kitchen scraps. Bonus: By composting, gardeners 
> also reduce the amount of waste going to the nation's landfills. (They 
> might even see a reduction in their garbage bills, which is a good 
> personal reason to fulfill one's patriotic duty!)
>
> Vegetable Gardens Lower the Trade Imbalance
>
> The national deficit and debt get more mentions in newspapers than the 
> nation's trade imbalance, but the United States loses over half a trillion 
> dollars every year to other countries because more is paid to imports than 
> is received from exports. More food is very much in demand worldwide. The 
> less commercial farms have to feed the local populace, the more they can 
> export goods in the world market.
>
> Patriotic Americans Help Secure the U.S. Food Supply
>
> In 2005, the United States became a net food importer for the first time 
> in its history. This means that Americans now consume more than the 
> nation's farmers produce. It's easy to assume that a simple garden plot 
> out by the swing set won't do much to secure the nation's food supply, but 
> historically, that's exactly what it did. In both World War I and World 
> War II, Victory Gardens grew upwards of 40% of the country's domestic 
> produce consumption, which freed up more food for our armed forces in the 
> war effort.
>
> Home Vegetable Gardens Enhance Seed Sustainability
>
> Commercial farms only cultivate a very limited range of seed varieties. 
> This is because only a very few characteristics in produce lend themselves 
> well to the needs of mass production, such as long shelf life, sturdiness, 
> appealing color and so forth. The lack of genetic diversity in crops makes 
> them susceptible to being wiped out by some kind of virulent pest. Recall 
> the great Potato Famine in Ireland, circa 1850's, when a blight arrived 
> and ruined the main food source for millions of Irish citizens. This kind 
> of tragedy could still happen in modern times. Backyard gardeners maintain 
> genetic diversity in seed supplies by growing non-commercial produce. They 
> provide a market for more variety.
>
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