Organic farming

2009-04-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Organic farming is now showing up on the radar screen of industrial agriculture, after years of being ridiculed. Of course, this is inevitable now that organic sales in the U.S. are approaching $11 billion per year. But it is a mixed bag. On the one hand, we have been haranguing conventional farmers to get off the chemical bandwagon for years.

Now that the lure of organic premiums is making some of them give it a try, we should be glad, right? Well, on the other hand, organic markets are somewhat fragile, and can easily be overwhelmed, leaving us in the same low-price trap that conventional commodity production has been in for years.

There is, however, a deeper issue here than which chemicals are used or not used on an organic farm. If we can address this deeper issue, we can protect both the integrity of organic farming and our organic markets.

Maine leads the nation with more than 10 percent of the state's dairies, 50 of 420, now producing organic milk. The nation's two largest organic dairy producers are Organic Valley, based in La Farge, Wisconsin, and Horizon Organic Dairy, based in Boulder, Colorado. Both sell milk nationally, unlike Radiance, which refuses to sell even regionally. More about that later.

Now that organic farming is coming into vogue, a whole new breed of farmers is taking up organic production. They often approach organic production as just another specialty crop. The result is an increasing emphasis on farming by "input substitution." That means substituting conventional farming inputs with inputs that are approved for organic production, rather than using an array of cultural and biological practices to build soils, control pests and grow nutritious, productive crops--as had been the tradition in organic farming.

Another approach common among farmers who see organic production as a specialty crop is farming by "neglect." That means "organic farming" using neither any inputs nor any additional cultural or biological farming practices. The result, not surprisingly, is decreasing yields and increasing weed and pest pressures. These farmers usually give up "organic" production in a few years, convinced that it doesn't work.

Is organic farming by input substitution or by neglect really organic farming? Technically, yes, by today's working definitions, but not really, by the standards of traditional organic farmers.

As an aside, it is not surprising that studies comparing the nutritional value of organic and conventionally grown food are inconclusive. Clearly, that is because a lot of "organic" food is essentially "conventionally" grown--by input substitution or neglect methods.

It is not likely to be nutritionally different from conventional food because it is grown under conditions that mimic conventional production. I suspect, however, that if we were to test food grown on an organic farm that utilized generous amounts of green manure and compost in comparison with food from an NPK conventional farm, the organic food would be found to be superior in taste and nutritional value.

Some people think organic gardening in Oregon is a whole lot different than organic gardening any place else. Well that is just not true. People in Oregon face the same problems as people else where. Granted organic gardening in Oregon will not be the same as organic gardening in Florida, but the principles will be the same.

Aromatherapy & Massage

2009-04-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you lacked the ability to smell?

Sure, it would not seem as difficult as trying to navigate a room while blindfolded, or attempting to perform daily tasks without using your thumbs, but you would still be missing a lot. For one thing, your common sense of taste would go come out of the closet the window, too. For another, your brain is wired to interpret signals from your olfactory center to tell you what pleasures or hazards may be lurking in your surroundings.

In fact, you could say that much of what you know about the world, and how you relate to it, depends on your good sense of olfactory property. Olfaction is the only sense fully developed at birth in humans, and it plays an important role in an infant's ability to recognize and bond with his or her mother.

Even the "chemistry" felt between two adults is prompted by aroma. Scientists identified substances called pheromones in human consistency olfactory property that act as chemical messengers to the brain to stimulate, among other responses or behaviors, sexual attraction to a potential mate.

With at least 5 million odor-sensing cells lining the nasal bone passages, the nozzle seems to be well-equipped to observe smells on its own. Scientists speculate that, like other animals, human have a nasal sensory device known as a vomeronasal organ that helps them to find these subtle fragrance molecules. There's little doubt that certain odors give birth a direct impact on the way we think and feel. The odor of freshly baked bread, for example, May conjure up fond memories of home and hearth. Other scents, such as floral or spicy aromas, induce a romantic mood.

So recognized is this impression that many European and Asian facilities are investing in "indirect perfuming" to enhance productivity in the workplace and to promote recovery in hospitals.

Some of the nicest essential oils are, bergamot, rose, chamomile, frankincense, geranium, lilac, neroli, and sandalwood -- "mostly because they are non-irritating to skin and pleasing to lmost people." If you're just starting to use essential oils, try some of these...

Kirby recommends just about most of the more common oils such as , rosemary, peppermint, and ginger. Simply, choose whatever scents do the all but to relax and comfort, or energize, you. Just follow your olfactory organ.

The following manufacturers supply good quality aromatherapy grade oils that can be found in your local health food store: Earth Harmony; Aroma Vera; Tisserand; and Aura Cacia (to name a few).

Organic Essential Oils

Organic farming

Aromatherapy & Massage