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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Albrecht mineral balance and other soils stuff

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  • From: "waldenfarm" <waldenfarm AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Albrecht mineral balance and other soils stuff
  • Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:42:04 -0400

There has never been endorsement for Albrecht and Reams' work from the agriculture-chemical co. complex. Very few have done research in the past around nutritional quality of food produced. It has only been about quantity and cosmetics since the recent introduction of chemicals in agriculture.

A balance of minerals in the soil has the smallest impact on quantity, after managing soil air, soil water and soil organic matter. But it has a huge effect on plant health and animal health (we're animals). If you have read all the "Albrecht Papers" maybe you'll remember his study of dental caries in WWII enlistees. Those from the southeast had the highest number of cavities, while those from the upper Midwest had the least. His conclusion goes back to the soil. Recent (geologically) glaciation in the upper MW remineralized the soil there. (Earthquakes & volcanoes do that, too.) In the SE we have mostly what are called ultisols, or "old" soils. See: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/orders/ultisols_map.html They don't have to be older in time, they're just more "weathered." That's from high rainfall leaching minerals and warmer & longer growing seasons, meaning more soil bio activity.

"Modern" agriculture has ignored this breakthrough work by Albrecht & Reams because you can't patent minerals and control the market. Today, agriculture is about buying the right thing to mask a symptom, just like our health/pharmaceutical system.

I've used a soil testing lab & consultant who adapted from Allbrecht since 1991. Through the years I've had several regular customers who have said things like, I can't believe your veggies taste better each year (in the early years as I balanced). And, I bought the same thing from another farmer and it just didn't taste as good as yours. And a young doctor who was a CSA member rode his bicycle to a meeting here. He went up Walden Ridge, 10 miles across, down the other side, up the Cumberland Plateau, turned around and went down, then back up Walden Ridge and 10 mi. to the farm. His comment was, "Your veggies give me energy, other food doesn't. It just fills my stomach."

Proof enough for me. If you need more, it's out there, but you have to search nutrition & health, not agriculture.

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm
SE TN

----- Original Message ----- From: "Etienne Goyer" <etienne.goyer AT outlands.ca>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Albrecht mineral balance and other soils stuff


I have checked soilmineral.com and I have read the Albrecht paper. I
think it really make sense. However, there does not seems to be much
endorsement for Albrecht's work to be found anywhere.

Other than soilmineral.com (which is really just full of anecdotes and
cite very few references), can anybody point me to credible documents
that expand on Albrecht mineral balance theory? Critic of Albrecht's
work would also be welcome





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