Soil Health and Organic Farming. We know that food is essential to our health, but what if the food we expect to be healthy - fruits and vegetables - isn’t?
We know that food is essential to our health, but what if the food we expect to be healthy - fruits and vegetables - isn’t? That’s the result when conventional farming methods (chemicals and pesticides) are used.
J.I. Rodale, considered to be the pioneer of the organic movement in North America, realized it couldn’t be possible for food to nourish our bodies if it wasn’t grown in nutrient-rich soils, so he created the Rodale Institute in 1947. According to Rodale Institute Chief Impact Officer Jeff Tkach, J.I. Rodale was considered the pioneer of the organic movement in North America, coining the word as it’s used today (in relation to agriculture and food), and followed the mission of “healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people.”
Organic practices that maintain soil include using compost formed from farm waste to feed the soil, rotating crops regularly so the soil can benefit from the different nutrients each kind of plant leaves behind, and planting cover crops - plants not meant to be harvested but rather just cover the soil and keeping it from eroding, controlling pests and diseases, and smothering weeds, among other benefits.
We can’t survive without food, and food can’t survive without proper soil, and as Jeff mentions, we only have about 60 seasons left to grow food using conventional practices.
Serenbe Farms has been a certified organic farm since the beginning, and there are a variety of ways to get their fresh, nutrient-rich produce. Serenbe Farmers Market is open Saturdays from March-October, or you can join the CSA and receive a weekly share of the Farm’s harvest. Visit serenbefarms.com for more information.