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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Marty Kraft <martyk@allspecies.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Move to Chem
  • Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 08:12:03 -0500

Zack

Thanks for the refocus to an earlier time frame. I guess this hoped for brief history of the chem ag story is going to be difficult to come by. I will put this in a file and add to it as i learn more. Maybe i can't use it on our current codes issue but have it for the future. History for the future, hmmmm?

I will also send this on to some environmental studies professors who may have students that would like to write a paper on the issue.

Marty


On May 12, 2010, at 4:42 PM, Zachary Domike wrote:

Hey Marty,
You might have to go further back and look at the international producers. Before WWI, the Germans had the highest tech in many ways, and fertilizers were promoted there, and in Britain, from the late 19th century.

Rudolf Steiner initiated Biodynamics in 1924 in reaction to the effects of industrial fertilizers, the weakening of the plants and the death of soil microbes from overstimulation, or 'fertilizer burn.' The war industries turned their chemical plants to artificial fertilizer production and the marketing was fostered by the war, as soldiers returned to the cities instead of returning to the farm.

From Wikipedia - "...fertilizer plants at Bramford, and Snape, Suffolk in the 1850s to create superphosphates, which were shipped around the world from the port at Ipswich. By 1871 there were about 80 factories making superphosphate."

..."the development of the Haber process from 1908 to 1912 made it possible to synthesize ammonia (commonly used in chemical and pyrotechnic warfare as well as some fertilizers), and in 1913 BASF started a new production plant in Oppau, adding fertilizers to its product range. BASF also acquired and began mining anhydrite for gypsum at the Kohnstein in 1917."

It was a good time to be proud to be of German heritage (as were my ancestors) but that was reversed during two World Wars. Historically, Bd is a compilation of the rural collection of 'old wive's tales' that formed the old ways of agriculture in the south of Germany and Austria - but they lost the wars, so have disappeared.

I think this explains why biodynamics (Bd) is underrepresented in the US. Of course, the wine industry is leading the way with Bd today with extensive prizes and recognition.

Woooooo!
Zack


From: Marty Kraft <martyk@allspecies.org>
Subject: [Livingontheland] Move to Chem

Hi

I am looking for a one page reference of how, after WW II,
the chemical companies took over agriculture schools and got
rid of the
biological/ecological people and shifted agriculture as it
was practiced. I want this to present to elected officials who
are very
busy and can't read the whole story even thought they
should. We are
working on code revision in KC.

Thanks

Marty



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