Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us>]

On 07/21/2010 05:15 PM, John D'hondt wrote:
> In my experience I think that pathogens are not at all a problem. We 
> have a septic tank overflowing into a small water purification area. I 
> have seen all kinds of animals drink from that water at different 
> places and not one sign of disease has been seen.
> Under good circumstances pathogens are eaten out of a living by an 
> overwhelming mass of non pathogens. The only way you can select for 
> pathogens is by using man made chemicals that often kill off the others. 

I wouldn't say "not at all a problem"--we do have to exercise great 
care, recycling our own manure. But I agree that reliance on the natural 
ecological balances--encouragement/proliferation of non-pathogens--is 
the key to placing limits on growth of pathogens.

Selection for pathogens by saturating environment with man-made chem's 
is not the *only* way they get free rein to grow. Anaerobic conditions 
specifically are a natural condition in which pathogens are more likely 
to proliferate--thus we need to be on guard against oxygen-deprived 
conditions when working with composts and decomposer organisms.


> And onfortunately that is the paradigm we have been fed with our 
> mother's milk. Don't try to kill bacteria for you will fail and don't 
> be too clean so as to keep plenty of non pathogen species on standby.

Excellent point. We're taught to be terrified of bacteria, and of course 
the way we are to "fight" this "war" is with purchased solutions. How 
ludicrous! Chlostridium botulinin for example is universal in the 
environment--there is no way of "killing it off"--our only protection 
from botulism is how we handle the foods we eat. (Using common sense, a 
commodity in increasingly limited supply.)


> We harvest plants like comfrey and bullrush there and maybe 10 more 
> species for animal food. Again never seen a problem and how could it? 
> Pathogens are not taken up by plants in a cold swamp to be transported 
> to an edible part. That simply does not happen.
> john 

Another good point, John, and a reassuring one for those who like the 
idea of recycling their own manure, but are still conditioned by fear of 
pathogens: There's always the option of "feeding" the compost to 
fertility plants like comfrey et al, then feeding the plants to 
livestock, or using them in mulches and composts to feed the soil.

~Harvey


--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

My book, THE MODERN HOMESTEAD POULTRY FLOCK, will be published next year by 
Chelsea Green Publishing.