Archive for the ‘Organic Living’ Category

14 Jun

US/EU Agreement Regarding Organics – Is This Really Good News for the Planet?

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Corporate Ecology, Creation Care, Ecology, Energy Conservation, Food, Free Markets, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , , , .

According to a variety of sources including, SustainableBusinessNews.com, A historic agreement has been signed an historic agreement which will strongly advance the world’s largest food markets.

EU’s Agriculture and Rural Development agency signed an equivalency agreement with the US Department of Agriculture to jointly promote strong organic programs, protect organic standards, enhance cooperation, and facilitate trade in organic products.

The arrangement will expand market access for organic producers and companies by reducing duplicative requirements and certification costs on both sides of the ocean while continuing to protect organic integrity.

“This monumental agreement will further create organic jobs in the growing and healthy U.S. organic sector, spark additional market growth, and be mutually beneficial to farmers both in the United States and European Union as well as to consumers who choose organic products,” says Christine Bushway, Executive Director and CEO of the U.S.-based Organic Trade Association. “Equivalence with the EU will be an historic game changer.”

As a result, as of June 1, 2012, certified organic products can move freely between the US and EU. The EU will recognize the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) as equivalent to the EU Organic Program and allow products produced and certified as meeting USDA NOP standards to be marketed as organic in the EU.

Likewise, the US will allow European products produced and certified under the EU Organic Program to be marketed as organic in the US.

However, the question in my mind has to do with what the impact might be of shipping  ”organic” produce and products across the ocean. I realize that being a “local-vore” is not always possible – especially during the winter, but trading heads of lettuce across the Atlantic just doesn’t seem good stewardship of our resources and environment.

30 May

Composting – Key to Good Soil and Human Health

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Crops, Food, Gardening, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , .

It has been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to much in the way of blogging. I’ve been completing my certification as an Indiana Master Naturalist and the weeks have really been jam-packed. However, the course was fantastic and helped me to organize so much of what I’ve been learning over the years, and what I hope to learn in the years to come.

The last time I wrote, I said my next blog would cover the subject of composting, and so hear it is.

Picking up on where I left off – soil scientist, Andre Voisin of the University of Missouri wrote, “The only means of determining whether a soil is truly healthy is the examine the health of the plants in the soil. Furthermore, the only way to determine the health of plants is to examine the health of animals, including humans, who eat the plants.” It’s fascinating to see the links between soil, plants and the health of those who consume them. Indeed, good soil is essential to human health.

The magic of “Miracle Grow” is not sufficient to add to soil the nutrients necessary to sustain human health as it ought. In addition, these artificial sources of nutrients often carry with them negative elements such as manganese which builds up in soils and cannot be removed except as they are picked up plants. In fact, Canada has a serious problem selling it’s durum wheat beyond its borders because of the high levels of manganese durum wheat has a proclivity to take up from the soil. Chemical fertilizers not only fail to provide the nutrients essential to good health, they can actually do harm. To quote Sir Albert Howard, who transformed much of subcontinental India farming – primarily through the use of composting, wrote, ”Artificial manures lead inevitably to artificial nutrition, artificial food, artificial animals, and finally to artificial men and women.”

Compost serves to improve soil health by adding organic matter, which improves the structure of soil. It also provides slow release fertility and numerous micro-organisms, encourages the activity of earthworms and encourages mycorrhizae (the fungus that allows plants to obtain otherwise unavailable mineral nutrients via the fungal hyphae, or threads, which extend the effective absorptive area of the root system).

The “Indore” method developed by Howard in the 1920s and 30s required heaps of at least 60 cubic feet – 4′x4′x4′. The heap was to face south, protected from the wind and be prepared in layers as follows:

  • Thin Layer Soil – 1/8 inch
  • 2 Inches Fresh Manure
  • 6 Inches Material (leaves, stalks, animal bedding, plant residue)
  • Keep Layering to a Height of 4 Feet

The heap was to be kept moist but not wet, turned after 2-3 weeks, again after 5-6 weeks and would be done in 3 months.

Modern compost follows the same basic heaping method (4′x4′x4′) but avoids the use of manure (unless you can be assured the animals have been raised organically). The composition of the heap ought to be of approximately 1/3 green to 2/3 brown. It would be turned regularly and remain moist. Some would recommend the addition of small amounts of wood ash, but lime should never be added as it will interfere to the composting process. Piles can and should heat up to 150 F. When the pile is finished it will cool and should be used quickly.

One of the things my wife and I have been doing recently is making up compost tea – not to drink of course. Rather we dig out an couple of good trowel-fulls of fresh compost from the heap and add it to a panty hose. We tie a knot and dunk the tea bag in a 5 gallon pail for 3-5 days. When it’s ready we use it to give our plants a nourishing drink.

Finally, I few things that ought to be avoided. Don’t add seed-bearing weeds to your heap, neither should you use walnut leaves at they are far too toxic.

Happy composting!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 Apr

The “Dirt” on Soil Nutrition

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Creation Care, Ecology, Food, Gardening, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , .

If you have ever purchased a bag of chemical fertilizer for your lawn or garden, you will probably have notice the package displays three numbers like 12-12-12 or some other combination. The three numbers refer to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium contained in the fertilizer. While these three are essential to plant growth and development, they are not the only nutrients required for plant health. In fact, plants need seventeen nutrients for growth and reproduction. Fourteen come from the soil, and three come from the air and water.

LIST OF ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

From the air and water:

  • Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

From the soil:

  • Phosphorus, Potassium, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Boron, Manganese, Nickel, Copper, Zinc, Molybedum, Chlorine

The first seven soil nutrients are used in larger amounts and are called the macronutrients. The latter seven are the micronutrients. These are rarely limiting in plant development and may not even be available to the plant unless the pH is below 6.0 (more acidic) but they can be readily identified in healthy plants.

The problem we face as we consume produce that has been feed a meager diet of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is that our bodies are denied there same essential nutrients and others that can only be absorbed by the plant first, and then our bodies ensuring proper health.

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

The solution is in composting. Good nutrition for both plant and human organisms begins in the soil.

In my next blog, I’ll talk more about composting, building a compost bin and how it improves the quality of your soil.

 

 

2 Apr

Planting New Parsnips

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Food, Gardening, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , .

Spring-harvested parsnips from my garden.

It’s that time of year again when I pick up a fresh packet of parsnip seeds and get them in the ground. I mention “fresh” because parsnip seeds don’t seem to do well if you’ve had them for more than a year. You may be thinking it’s a little too early to sow seeds, but in fact parsnips need a long growing season and so getting them in the ground early is important. Remember that they endure the entire winter without a problem so a little frost won’t be a problem.

Actually, I just harvested last year’s crop a few weeks ago and had some for lunch yesterday. Leaving them in the ground right through winter is not an issue. In fact, they taste better if you do. Once the ground is workable, I loosen the soil around them with a garden fork and pull them up.

Now, I read recently that parsnips is the least favorite of all vegetables in the United States. I find that hard to believe. Folks must not be preparing them properly. Some think they ought to be boiled, and if that’s the case I can understand why they are not their favorites. We always roast them in the oven as we do beets, turnips, brussel sprouts and a host of other vegetables. For one, they’re more nutritious if you roast them and the natural sugars work their way to the surface giving them an nearly “glazed” appearance and flavor. We simply chop them up, mix them in a large bowl along with olive oil and some of our favorite Mediterranean seasonings and then bake them in the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees. You can even mix root vegetables like onion, beets and turnip along with your parsnips for a root vegetable medley. Yum!!!

Parsnips are a member of the umbelliferae family of vegetables, related to carrots, fennel, celeriac and parsley root. This creamy white root vegetable is low in calories, fat and sodium, naturally cholesterol-free, and high in fiber and several vitamins and minerals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory, 1 cup of raw parsnips slices contains 100 calories and less than half a gram of fat. It also contains 1.6 grams of protein. The calorie content comes primarily for carbohydrates, at 24 grams. Carbohydrates, by the way, are the body’s preferred energy source, especially for the brain. A serving of parsnips also provides 6.5 grams of fiber. Fiber helps bad LDL cholesterol levels, improves digestive health and even lowers blood pressure. 
So get out there and get sowing parsnips, one of the smartest vegetables in the Midwest.

7 Mar

Earthbag Houses – “Dirt Cheap” Sustainable Housing

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Eco-Friendly Products, Energy Conservation, Forestry Conservation, Green Construction, Housing, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

The "Hobbit" not typical of their plans, but I just like it.

I would never have thought of this until my daughter sent me a link to a website featuring earthbag housing.

The website is called Earthbag Building and according to their contributors, building with earthbags (sometimes called sandbags) is both old and new. Sandbags have long been used, particularly by the military, for creating strong, protective barriers, or for flood control. The same reasons that make them useful for these applications carry over to creating housing. Since the walls are so substantial, they resist all kinds of severe weather (or even bullets) and also stand up to natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods. They can be erected simply and quickly with readily available components, for very little money.

Earthbag building fills a unique niche in the quest for sustainable architecture. The bags can be filled with local, natural materials, which lowers the embodied energy commonly associated with the manufacture and transportation of building materials.

Earthbags have the tremendous advantage of providing either thermal mass or insulation, depending on what the bags are filled with. When filled with soil they provide thermal mass, but when filled with lighter weight materials, such as crushed volcanic stone, perlite, vermiculite, or rice hulls, they provide insulation. The bags can even act as natural non-wicking, somewhat insulated foundations when they are filled with gravel.

Because the earthbags can be stacked in a wide variety of shapes, including domes, they have the potential to virtually eliminate the need for common tensile materials in the structure, especially the wood and steel often used for roofs. This not only saves more energy (and pollution), but also helps save our forests, which are increasingly necessary for sequestering carbon.

Another aspect of sustainability is found in the economy of this method. The fill material can be literally “dirt cheap,” especially if on-site soil is used. The earthbags themselves can often be purchased as misprints or recycled grain sacks, but even when new are not particularly expensive. For permanent housing the bags should be covered with some kind of plaster for protection, but this plaster can also be earthen and not particularly costly.

I have encounter adobe constructions as I’ve traveled overseas and in West Africa I’ve even found local using stick frameworks plastered with cow dung.

I guess you just never know what your house might be built with in the future.

28 Feb

Chipotle’s First TV Ad

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Creation Care, Crops, Eco-Friendly Products, Food, Gardening, Native Plants and Flowers, Organic Living, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Chipotle Ad - Click to View

I haven’t seen this advertisement on television yet, but the Soulsby Farm posted this to their blog recently (which by the way, is really worth following). Farm owners, Dan and Mindy, live in Hudson, OH. They believe in sustainable farming from organic heirloom seeds and are strongly against GMO’s. They grow everything organically and let our hens free range around the garden.

Last year they started a non-profit organization called Project Garden Share that helps connect individuals in need of food with people who grow gardens. You might want to check them out.

But back to the ad.

It’s a short animated commercial featuring Willie Nelson covering Coldplay. My son works for Chipolte and is also an avid photographer and filmmaker so this really caught my attention. However, the message itself is quite compelling. Rather than modifying food to suit the producers and retailers, we need to modify how that food is produced and marketed to meet the growing market demand. When we do we are being true to ourselves our creator and the care of all creation.

Oh, did I tell you their food is really good?

22 Feb

US and EU Sign Organic Products Trade Agreement – Good News?

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Crops, Ecology, Energy Conservation, Environmentalism, Food, Organic Living, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , .

According to a variety of sources including, SustainableBusinessNews.com, A historic agreement has been signed between the US and Europe which will strongly advance the world’s largest organic food markets.

EU’s Agriculture and Rural Development agency signed an equivalency agreement with the US Department of Agriculture to jointly promote strong organic programs, protect organic standards, enhance cooperation, and facilitate trade in organic products.

The arrangement will expand market access for organic producers and companies by reducing duplicative requirements and certification costs on both sides of the ocean while continuing to protect organic integrity.

“This monumental agreement will further create organic jobs in the growing and healthy U.S. organic sector, spark additional market growth, and be mutually beneficial to farmers both in the United States and European Union as well as to consumers
who choose organic products,” says Christine Bushway, Executive Director and CEO of the U.S.-based Organic Trade Association. “Equivalence with the EU will be an historic game changer.”

As a result, as of June 1, certified organic products can move freely between the US and EU. The EU will recognize the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) as equivalent to the EU Organic Program and allow products produced and certified as meeting USDA NOP standards to be marketed as organic in the EU. Likewise, the US will allow European products produced and certified under the EU Organic Program to be marketed as organic in the US.

But is this really good news for the planet?

Sure, it’s great to think that the market is increasing for produce and food products that do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides in their production, but one of the pillars of sustainable food production is that we consumer food produced close to home. Why? Not because we’re simply concerned that our money stays close to home, but because transporting products around the world leave a significant carbon footprint.

Just as an example, a single flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International to Paris/Orly International produces 3,848 lbs CO2..Double that trip and you have a net of nearly 4 tons of CO2. 

By comparison, here are the emissions for a transport truck: 0.46 KG per mile traveled (based on a 44,000lb truckload).

17 Feb

Major Grocery Stores Offer Organics

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Crops, Eco-Friendly Products, Food, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , , .

It’s great to see that a number of major grocery stores are beginning to offer organic products. Just a few years ago, finding organic products meant traveling to some out of the way food cooperative where the staff all wore crinkled natural cottons and had a variety of piercings in places that would make you cringe.

However, organics is becoming more and more mainstream and along with it, prices are becoming more and more competitive. In fact, I’ve been finding the some organics are either only marginally higher priced the convention products, or in fact the same price. On fresh produce, prices have even been less on certain occasions than their conventional counterparts.

So what does this mean?

Well, for one it means that these products are becoming more accessible and with that are gaining a larger part of the market. The law of economics tells us that that when demand increases, more producers enter the market. When more providers enter the market, there’s an increase in competition. When competition increases, consumers win because competition means a drop in prices.However, even more importantly is the fact that both consumers and the environment are being exposed to less chemical pesticides and fertilizers than ever before.

Now remember that not all labels are equal. Even if it says “organic” you need to look for the “USDA Certified Organic” label. And remember that there’s a significant difference between “organic” and “natural”. Many of the grocers are offering an increasing number of natural products as well. This is certainly not a negative, but it pays to know the difference. See my January Post on organic labeling for more information.

In the Midwest, I’ve been able to find organic products at Meijer, Target and of course the mega-grocer, Kroger’s.

3 Feb

Eco-Friendly Mulching

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Ecology, Gardening, Organic Living, Recycling. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Mulch blocks weeds, regulates soil temperature and moisture, fights erosion, and keeps my garden looking neat. “Mulch is the solution to so many gardening problems,” Joe Lamp’l states in Gardens that Make a Difference, a good layer of mulch will keep the soil temperatures in my garden as much as 10 degrees cooler this summer and help prevent disease in my plants.

But does it matter what kind of mulch you use?

Mulching options expand every year. This year I’m really trying to think through my options. The relatively low-priced shredded cypress—one of the most popular mulches on the market—is one to be avoided because of it s high environmental costs. According to University of Florida data, the timber industry grinds nearly 3 million more cubic feet of cypress than it replaces every year to produce mulch. Slow-growing cypress, which stores and filters water and provides a vital wildlife habitat, is difficult to replace.

Here are just a few options to consider depending on your location and application:

Eucalyptus 

Renewable eucalyptus grows rapidly on commercial plantations, and its pleasing scent deters fleas and other lawn and garden pests. Eucalyptus ages from golden yellow to reddish tones and may need to be replaced before the season’s end because it settles into the soil.

Melaleuca 

Exotic Australian melaleuca, or paperbark tea tree, has invaded more than half a million acres of Florida wetlands. Forestry Resources of Fort Myers, Florida, has joined environmental groups seeking to remove melaleuca and turn it into mulch. Termites do not favor melaleuca, the mulch will not significantly alter soil pH, and it holds its shape well. Known as FloriMulch, it appears to be available from an increasing number of Midwest supplies.

Cocoa 

Smell, shell-shaped cocoa hulls, available in larger garden centers, are the byproducts of commercial cocoa grinding. They contain 2.5 percent to 3 percent nitrogen, and their low acidity makes them ideal for roses. Snails and slugs are said to shy away from this mulch, but dog owners should beware. Cocoa hulls contain theobromine, the chemical that makes chocolate toxic for canines. Cocoa mulch may develop a layer of harmless mold that can be removed with water or raking.

Pine bark and needles 

Usually obtained as byproducts of other lumbering uses, pine bark chips retain their shape and color longer than shredded wood mulches, and pine needles nourish acid-loving plants. Pine bark chips tend to float away in heavy rain, making them unsuitable for sloped landscapes.

Recycled Rubber

Rubber mulch is an excellent way to safe-guard your children while playing on a playground. When used as recommended,  rubber mulch is a safe, cost effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional playground coverings. KinderMulch is manufactured in the Midwest  in Joliet, IL, from 100% recycled tires and is sold in a variety of sizes and textures.

Here are just a few benefits:

  • Rubber mulch produces a significant cushion and bounce effect when a child falls on it, much safer ground cover than wood mulch, sand, or pea gravel.
  • Rubber mulch does not need to be replaced every year.
  • Rubber mulch does not splinter or attract termites.
  • Rubber mulch will not grow mold or mildew.
  • Rubber mulch drains water much more efficiently than other ground covers
But rubber mulch is controversial, with many people worried, as you are, about the material’s possible harmful effects. I’ve seen several studies that have declared rubber mulch to be non-leaching, non-flammable and non-toxic to both plants and animals, but all were sponsored by the companies that process the mulch. A Washington State University study indicates that rubber can leach chemicals that contaminate water and hurt marine life. Rufus L. Chaney, an environmental chemist at the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service, says that his research shows that small amounts of zinc in rubber will leach into soil over time. If your soil is alkaline and starved for zinc, as many soils are in Western states, that could be a good thing. But if your soil is acidic and has an adequate amount of zinc, as is typical in the East, the zinc released by the tires could cause a chemical overload that kills shallow-rooted flowers, shrubs and vegetables. “Save rubber mulch for paths and playgrounds,” he says.

 

What’s abundant in your area?  

Look into local resources such as straw, peanut and pecan shells, corn husks, chemical-free sawdust or composted manures. If you use freshly chipped wood, add a nitrogen fertilizer to offset decaying wood’s tendency to tie up soil nitrogen. Many local landfills, municipalities and recycling centers provide free tree waste mulch – especially with the removal of emerald ash bore affected ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Although the free mulch is not colored like commercial mulch, the tend to look the same after a few months of rain and sun.

Mulching Tips 

1. Allow soil to warm up a bit in spring before applying new mulch.

2. When mulching trees, mulch out to the tree’s drip line but leave a few inches bare around the trunk. If mulch becomes hard and matted, fluff to allow air and moisture to get through.

3. Always check your mulch’s freshness. If it smells sour or rotten, it could harm your plants.

4. Overly thick mulch suffocates roots. Most mulches work best in 2- to 4-inch blankets.

 mulch

Peanut shells, cocoa hulls, and pine bark and needles make great mulch.

1 Feb

Green Bean Delivery – Organic Produce At Your Door

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Crops, Food, Organic Living. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Who would have ever thought that you could get certified organic produce and groceries delivered to your door set in the Midwest?Well that’s what Green Bean Deliver has done.

Green Bean is a network of Midwest farmers and organic producers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Delivery connects food producers with local communities through its year-round food delivery service. They offer the convenience of bringing the freshest local & organic produce and natural groceries right to your doorstep. We’ve found their products to be competitive with even conventional produce at the local grocery store, except Green Bean delivers it to our door in one of its a handy insulated green bins.

Each week you can go online to modify or even suspend your order (should you be out of town or on vacation). It’s great to see that organic is actually becoming marketable and profitable!

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