What is Organic Gardening? Why should I do it?

Organic Gardening means this: - to grow ones food without the aid of chemically derived fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides, pesticides, or any other manner of poisons. - To grow ones food and herbs a more natural way. - To use natural, time tested methods (and some new innovations) to beat pests and increase crop yields. Organic gardening takes a bit more work at first. Organic vegetables don't look as cardboard-cut-out shiny or colored as the chemically produced vegetables in the grocery store. Some of them aren't as big (though some of them are WAY bigger), and some of your leafy greens may have holes in them at first as you perfect your methods. But there are some distinct advantages to growing your food Organically: - Vitamin and mineral content has been proven to be much higher in Organic produce, thus one needs to eat less to get the same amount of nutrients available in regular produce - Reduction of carcinogenic compounds, frequently found in chemical fertilizers and pesticides - Protection of our reservoirs, lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans --- runoff from non-organic farms regularly pollute these precious resources. - Protection of your children and pets, who otherwise would inadvertantly ingest and play in the chemicals sprayed in your yard gardens. - and.....perhaps the most obvious one.......Organic food TASTES BETTER!!! Take the time to discuss organic gardening or farming with a co-worker, a friend, neighbor, or stranger. You don't have to seek fancy certification to improve your food.....just take the time to learn about organic growing methods, and learn as you go (grow). You don't have to tell people about all the things wrong with non-organic farming.......just stick to the basics, that speak to people's values. Organic growing a) is cheaper, b) is better for your health c) tastes better, d) protects our waterways (and thus helps our grandchildren and their children), and e) boosts the economy (by preventing costly diseases and their treatment by tax-payer dollars) Get creative and list your favorite reasons below. Talk about how you've promoted organic growing. Give each other ideas on how to spread the message of organic farming / gardening in each others communities in a way that empowers (rather than shames) people. Lets grow a movement. Lets start at home. -- Christopher Hawkins

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  • Has anyone seen the movie King Corn. It really answers Chiristopher's question. See it if you can. Katherine
  • About 20 years ago I had Chronic Fatigue/Post Viral Syndrome. I became hyper-sensitive to many chemical substances.
    Eating organic was part of the solution. Coming from a long line of farmers it was second nature to me to grow my own food.
    I also had a young family and didn't want to pollute their precious growing bodies with toxic substances.
    I was lucky to be taught in High School, way back in the 1970s, that our planet was in trouble unless we trod lightly-and that meant me. I've tried to follow that creed ever since. I remember my teacher showing us a diagram of a clock with the time at about 10 minutes to midnight and that was the earth clocks time running out.
    I feel very sad that so many people chose to ignore this or were deceived by governments and media ridiculing those brave enough to speak out and warn about pollution and global warming.
    I'm glad that people are waking up and maybe it's not too late.
    I truly believe that organic gardening is a big part of the solution in so many ways.
    One of the really important ones for me is that I know it puts us back in sync with the earth and learning how to love and care for it.
  • My Whole Family is ADHD if I can keep them off cemicals in our food no-one knows that they are ADHD as there health and behaviour is so much improved that it is undetectable to the untrained eye, the more Orgainic our food is, the better my family do. It is impossible to take cemicals out of our lives completely but I try as much as I can. My kids love to eat, unlike kids keeped on Ritalen and they are much happier than kids on medications! My Sons favourite fruit is apples and he can not have them as they set him off so badly that he is dangerous, but cooked or Organic Apples and he has no reaction at all. If any-one else has ADHD kids and want to know more I would be happy to help out !!! Just give me an e-mail from my page and let me know what you would like to know.
  • Good discussion topic Christopher. Like Tiffany, it's the chemicals that scare me. I would rather eat a strawberry with a bird peck or slug hole than one that is too poison for wildlife to eat. Also its a sense that we belong in and with nature and not against it.
    Another point is that I have a hormone dependent cancer and these chemicals have hormone mimicing properties and I sincerely believe that they are contributing to the progress of cancer growth.
    Katherine
  • My favourite reason for growing organic vegetables is that my kids love raw veges - yes even broccoli and the like - and they detest cooked ones. If I was to serve them raw veges from the shop I would be in fear of the chemical residues on them. I think the use of chemicals is even more scary if you don't cook them.

    I also love having a garden that is teeming with life (good and bad) and the challenge of organic gardening which is to work with Mother Nature and not against her. I have the idea that what you grow is not all yours, the earth helped you grow it so some of it belongs to nature and if it's holey you have shared a wee bit with another creature who will then feed another creature and who cares as long as you have enough? I think gardening would be a lot less enjoyable if I were to fixate on having perfect fruit and veges.
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