Here’s some interesting comments from the Canadian Fertilizer Association:
http://www.cfi.ca/whatwedo/faqs/
Aren’t organic foods better, because they’re grown without fertilizer?
Actually, most organic growers use fertilizer too. It’s made from different ingredients though, such as livestock manure or sewage sludge. However, these natural fertilizers are not available in sufficient quantities to meet the demands of today’s high-yield farming, nor do they provide nutrients in the fine-tuned combinations possible with commercial fertilizers. For example, using enough manure to provide an adequate supply of nitrogen would mean adding four to five times more potassium and phosphorus than a crop needs. So it’s easy to over- or under-fertilize in this type of farming.
As well, organic crop yields are only one-third to one-half as high as those from farms using conventional fertilizers. So we’d need to turn millions more acres of land over to farming, and still end up with less food.
As for the notion that organically grown foods are better for you, there is simply no proof. Even leaders of groups such as the Organic Trade Association and knowledgeable organic growers themselves don’t make these claims — they know there isn’t any evidence to back it up.
So, according to this lobby group (see http://www.cfi.ca/whoweare/
- organic growers use shit and sewer sludge
- organic fertilizers don’t provide sufficient nutrients
- organic yields are 1/3rd smaller
- organic foods are no better for you than those grown with chemicals
Now, I confess I’m not growing large acres of food here. But I think the pictures in this blog are showing that an organic food (Better World Plant Food) can keep pace with the most popular chemical fertilizer (Miracle Gro). And in the case of the strawberries, seems to be superior.
Why wouldn’t this organic fertilizer work on a larger scale? Oh wait... it’s already happening: Matchbox Seed & Garden is using it on their 4 acres. You can see their results at The Big Carrot and at Evergreen Brickworks.
For those of you interested in NPKs, the Miracle-Gro I am using is 24-8-16. The Better World is 3-3-3. Yet the growth rate seems to be equal. I'm not going to debate NPK values tonight, because I don't know enough about them at this time. Besides, as The Lazy Gardener, I don't really care to know. I just want to see the damn plants grow with as little effort on my part, and my brain, as possible.
Here’s today’s pictures to show what I’m talking about:
Plus, I know I won’t end up with e-coli from factory-farmed bean sprouts or the like.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0611/1224298736466.html
There. I’m putting my soap box away for the night.
http://www.cfi.ca/whatwedo/faqs/
Aren’t organic foods better, because they’re grown without fertilizer?
Actually, most organic growers use fertilizer too. It’s made from different ingredients though, such as livestock manure or sewage sludge. However, these natural fertilizers are not available in sufficient quantities to meet the demands of today’s high-yield farming, nor do they provide nutrients in the fine-tuned combinations possible with commercial fertilizers. For example, using enough manure to provide an adequate supply of nitrogen would mean adding four to five times more potassium and phosphorus than a crop needs. So it’s easy to over- or under-fertilize in this type of farming.
As well, organic crop yields are only one-third to one-half as high as those from farms using conventional fertilizers. So we’d need to turn millions more acres of land over to farming, and still end up with less food.
As for the notion that organically grown foods are better for you, there is simply no proof. Even leaders of groups such as the Organic Trade Association and knowledgeable organic growers themselves don’t make these claims — they know there isn’t any evidence to back it up.
So, according to this lobby group (see http://www.cfi.ca/whoweare/
- organic growers use shit and sewer sludge
- organic fertilizers don’t provide sufficient nutrients
- organic yields are 1/3rd smaller
- organic foods are no better for you than those grown with chemicals
Now, I confess I’m not growing large acres of food here. But I think the pictures in this blog are showing that an organic food (Better World Plant Food) can keep pace with the most popular chemical fertilizer (Miracle Gro). And in the case of the strawberries, seems to be superior.
Why wouldn’t this organic fertilizer work on a larger scale? Oh wait... it’s already happening: Matchbox Seed & Garden is using it on their 4 acres. You can see their results at The Big Carrot and at Evergreen Brickworks.
For those of you interested in NPKs, the Miracle-Gro I am using is 24-8-16. The Better World is 3-3-3. Yet the growth rate seems to be equal. I'm not going to debate NPK values tonight, because I don't know enough about them at this time. Besides, as The Lazy Gardener, I don't really care to know. I just want to see the damn plants grow with as little effort on my part, and my brain, as possible.
Here’s today’s pictures to show what I’m talking about:
Lookin’ pretty good to me!
I’d say the lettuce is ready to harvest. L-R: water, Miracle-Gro, Better World.
I’m also of the opinion that if I can grow at least a little of my own food in my own backyard/ back deck, I’m doing my little bit for the environment. Which runs counter to the CFA's statement: “...organic crop yields are only one-third to one-half as high as those from farms using conventional fertilizers. So we’d need to turn millions more acres of land over to farming, and still end up with less food.”
Plus, I know I won’t end up with e-coli from factory-farmed bean sprouts or the like.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0611/1224298736466.html
There. I’m putting my soap box away for the night.
Thanks to Neil Ghosh for this photo.
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