"Organic farming" is not new and the "organic movement" has been continually growing. Chemical-free agriculture was, by default, the way that most land was farmed over the centuries. Farmers had no other tools with which to farm. It was the introduction of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides in the mid-1800's that brought about the demise of natural, chemical-free farming. At first, these inorganic synthetic products seemed to be a god-send for the farmers, promising what appeared to be an easier solution to many of their farming challenges. It took many years for people to recognize the damage these products caused, by which time irreparable harm had been done to the land, the soil, the water and our health.
Organic farming practices do not harm the land. Rather, they restore and improve it. No synthetic chemicals of any kind are used in organic agriculture. Tending the land without the use of these products helps protect it and the crops growing on it. Organic farming practices build the health of the soil, protect the increasingly valuable water resources and keep the land chemical-free, not just for the growing crops, but for the indigenous wild plants, wildlife – and us. The practice of organic agriculture protects animal habitats and strengthens eco-systems.
It is the land that puts forth the crops so organic farmers take care of the land and replenish what is lost. Organic farming methods ensure the long-term health and productivity of the land. Part and parcel of this is continually monitoring the soil’s fertility and nutrient level which is crucial to organic agriculture. Adding organic materials such as compost, leaf mold and manure improves the overall health of the soil building the levels of nutrients, moisture and air, thus encouraging healthier crops.
The organic farming movement took off back in the early 1900's and in 1920 Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher and founder of Anthroposophy, wrote about a new organic approach to agriculture. In the 1930's, Pennsylvanian J.I. Rodale began teaching the importance of similar practices and went on to found the Soil and Health Foundation that evolved into The Rodale Institute we know today. Around the same time, in the U.K., Lady Eve Balfour, the first president of the Soil Association, wrote The Living Soil in which she states: "...healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people." These are words that we proponents of organic farming still live by.
Organic farming is more than just healthy, non-harmful agriculture. It is a way of looking at the land, at the environment, at our health and our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It is a holistic philosophy that incorporates the continuing health of all life, from the microscopic life forms in the soil to the families who consume the foods. The environment, in general, benefits from organic agriculture.
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