In 1998 a study was published by Chenseng Lu, et al. entitled, “Biological Monitoring Survey of Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure Among Preschool Children in the Seattle Metropolitan Area,” Environmental Health Perspectives 109, # 3 (March 2001). They found only one child out of the hundreds of children tested who showed no signs of pesticide metabolites in the urine. Further investigating found that the child’s family ate organically produced foods almost exclusively. A later Environmental Health Perspectives study published online by Chenseng Lu, et al. September 1, 2005, at
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2005/8418/abstract.html, involved putting children living on a diet of conventional foods on a trial diet of organically grown foods.
After only five days their urine showed no evidence of pesticide metabolites. The diet was then reversed and the metabolites returned. The study concluded that a diet of organically grown food provided “a protective mechanism” against pesticide exposure in a manner that “is dramatic and immediate.”
At the Sourcing USA Summit held in Austin, Texas in 2008, the rate of growth for world population was estimated to be increasing by another 78 million people annually. This would mean a conservatively estimated population of 8.3 billion people by 2030 and over 9 billion by 2050. In their annual report issued February, 2010, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that one billion twenty million people were suffering from chronic hunger. This helps underscore the importance of striving to grow and utilize safe and nutritious foods not only for the benefit of ourselves and our families right now, but to help all those who can learn to produce their own foods and help provide for future generations.
Growing the best possible fruits and vegetables has gained in popularity over the past few years. Efforts to provide safe and fresh food for the table using organic gardening and farming methods is receiving even more emphasis for a growing number of health conscious consumers and their families. As a result of the food safety scares in recent years, more and more people, previously content to purchase their food from the market, have opted to grow more if not all of what they eat.
Soil fertility guidelines proven by many years experience worldwide, for farmers, ranchers and gardeners or anyone interested in building a top-quality soil in which to grow top-quality plants.
Topics Include:
The Farming Dilemma
Cation-Anion Connection
Nutrient Action and Interaction
Calcium, Magnesium and Tillage
The Nuances of Nitrogen, Phosporous & Potassium
Using Manures
The Sulfur Connection
Sodium - What's the Problem
Micronurients and their Application
Using Plant Tissue Analysis
Nutrients and Soil Biology
How Accurate is Your Soil Analysis?