Blog 164 Soil – Our Life’s Blood

In recent years, more people, including adults under 50, are developing chronic diseases, such as autoimmune disorders (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), cancers, neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular illness, such as congestive heart failure and heart arrythmias.  Many factors contribute to this increase, such as contaminated air and water, inappropriate medications and shots, faulty nutrition, such as lots of fast or processed foods and minimal fresh vegetables and fruit, and electromagnetic radiation, including that from cell phone and computer lap tops.  However, something that sometimes gets overlooked is the quality of the soil.  Soil quality has been deteriorating steadily over the past two centuries or more.  This degeneration is partly due to modern, industrialized agriculture and animal husbandry, designed to feed many people as cheaply as possible.  These industries hold little or no respect or concern for soil quality, the environment in general, or the health and dignity of Earth’s creatures.  The soil is not given time to rest and regenerate, chemical fertilizers are loaded on, and commercial composts may contain human and animal sewage, as well as traces of pharmaceuticals.  The end result tends to be insufficient Potassium, Magnesium and some other helpful trace minerals, minimal pre and probiotic bacteria, excessive Sodium, Phosphorous and substances such as pesticides (Round-up, Gramoxone) that are toxic to humans and animals, especially when consumed, inhaled or in contact with skin for an extended time.  

Whatever toxic feed commercial farm animals eat eventually affects us when we eat the animals.  Toxic pesticide residue in the air affects our lungs.  Residues of some pesticides, such as arsenic, used a century or more ago, remain in the soil, often converted to another inorganic form, but still potentially harmful to humans.  Some pesticides, like DDT, which we have used in the past in the U.S, are still being used in parts of South America, Africa and Asia.  Although DDT has been helpful in controlling some diseases, such as malaria, it harmed animals, some plants, and sometimes humans.  One of its many environmental consequences was very thin, fragile eggshells of certain birds, such as the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle.  As a result, some birds became endangered or almost went extinct.  

Organic, and better still, Biodynamic farming tends to help improve the health and quality of plants, animals, and humans.  These methods, when used consistently, over time, can improve soil quality.  One relatively simple method that we can use in our own gardens is making our own compost from plant-based table scraps, paper without ink, and toxin-free mowed grass.  Another good method is the use of high quality, well-diluted kelp and algae applied to the soil.  Beneficial microbes, such as rhizobia and mycorrhizae can greatly help plant roots access nutrients.  A fungi called Trichoderma can help protect plant roots from harmful pathogens.  Chitosan, derived from crustacean shells and also insect exoskeletons, helps strengthen plant cell walls, reduces water loss, and supports the plant’s immune system in combating fungal diseases.  Unlike conventional fertilizers, which result in dependency of plants on a commercial substance, and in gradual degradation of the soil, the above components in this paragraph help strengthen plants, and do not result in polluted ground waters. Instead of disrupting beneficial microbial communities, they strengthen them.  So let’s hope we can gradually repair the severe damage the soil has suffered.  Even garden by garden, we can help the Earth and all its inhabitants, teach others, and improve our health.  

This blog’s offer:  wishing you a happy Halloween this and every year.  And in order for this and future Halloweens to be happy, we might consider replacing some of the weird, violent ideation and imagery with beautiful spiders, delicate webs, pollinator bats, colorful, nourishing pumpkins, and loving communication with those with whom we were close and who now have crossed over into a freer life.