Chemical VS Biological Farming

Today's system of industrial farming basis its soil nutrient requirements on water solubility with synthetic fertilizers. These harsh salt chemical fertilizers are the recommended fix for almost all grain, forage or any other crop production. Biological farming, as practiced here at Real Farm Foods, uses the benefits and science of the living soil, atmospheric nitrogen, mostly insoluble materials for growth, and things like humates, compost and other non toxic and valuable practices. The soil solution in healthy biological soils normally contains only small amounts of the needed nutrients required for plant production because biology requires very small amounts. For example, the soil solution may only hold the equivalent of about 1 pound of nitrogen per acre. And this in general would be plenty for healthy plant growth. In a typical industrial synthetic chemical application of nitrogen, which is the most dangerous and often over used chemical, they may apply one pound for each bushel of corn produced. Corn production can be upwards of 200 bushel per acre, so this is a lot of unnatural application of nitrogen jammed onto the soil.

In biological farming systems, where living soil exists, there will be living organisms providing nutrients for growing plants through geomicrobiological interactions in a very balanced environment. Regenerative agriculture relies heavily on the natural role of carbon dioxide(Co2) to be transferred from the atmosphere into soils and moved through the soil by microbes. By the way, this is one recognized toxin in our atmosphere that can be put back into balance best by a biological farmer.

The air that we breathe contains almost 80 percent nitrogen. Remember this is the most heavily used nutrient purchased in chemical form by farmers today which is causing the most harm. Soil microbes can and are supposed to use this nitrogen to help supply this needed nutrient to plants. Many times crop land is deemed sterile or having dead soil with little to no useful microbiological life because of the obscene over application of salt chemical nitrogen and heavy farming practices which create massive compaction in the soil. The application today of these dangerous toxins are intended to mainly feed the plants, as in GMO corn, rather than supplement the natural life in the soils. And the fact that toxicity to soil, water, as in downstream into what we use as drinking water as well as the destruction of aquatic life, and residual run off is simply ignored by industrial agriculture and their partners in crime USDA and EPA, as well as the chemical farmer. So the air gives us all the free nitrogen we need to grow almost anything and we waste it and instead throw all the good science out with the bath water and forget the real science of biological soil. I am puzzled how agriculture teachers and professors can teach toxic production with a good conscience.

One real danger in industrial farming today is this destruction of microbial life. Microbial release requires organic matter that causes the natural conditions for these things to work properly. There is nothing more important than organic matter. Most of today's industrial farms have less than 2% OM. Many of these soils historically would have contained as much as 15% or more. Here at Real Farm Foods our OM levels tested at about 1% before we implemented change 15 years ago. By utilizing biological methods with lots of natural composting type practices and putting carbon back onto our soils we are testing 7% to 10% OM. We never apply any chemical fertility and our University tested soil samples show very well balanced soils. This really confuses those guys.

The most common form of chemical nitrogen is called anhydrous ammonia. It is used in literally mountains of quantities. This toxin is known to dissolve stable soil organic matter like ice cream on the asphalt in 100% temperatures. The reduction of OM reduces biological activity and creates a chain reaction of imbalance of cations on clay and organic matter cation exchange sites in the soil. Industrial agriculture makes no attempt at improving soil organic matter. I was taught by university as a young farmer to simply disregard the OM line item on my soil tests they perform. You would think as much soil science knowledge they claim, and that they are suppose to help the farmer, such soil organic matter issues would be their top priority. I guess money really does change people's priorities from where it should be - promoting healthy, living soils which in turn promote healthy, delicious foods packed with dense nutrients.

~Cody Holmes