What is the difference between an
agricultural field and a forest? When was the last time you needed to
irrigate, fertilize or use pesticides on your local woodlands?
We are told for agricultural fields, we
need consistent fertilization, irrigation, minerals additives,and, in
many cases, pesticides to curb unwanted weeds, bugs, and microbial
pathogens. Internationally, soil tests confirm massive losses in crop
root depth, calcium, nitrogen, water retention and nearly every other
agricultural necessity…all
due to our current agricultural practices. We see woodlands in the
middle of agricultural land, thriving … increasing fertility in the
same soil, with the same climate, mineral content, insects and
rainfall, and yet still flourish despite having 100-1000 times more
plant biomass than the surrounding agricultural fields.
So what have we
done to the soil that makes us spend billions of dollars in inorganic
additives for functions that natural systems do for free? Many of us
can remember the Lion King and the ‘Circle of Life.’ The
wildebeests eat the grass, the lions eat the wildebeests, and when
the lions die they become grass for the wildebeests. Well, that’s a
bit simplified, but what makes a dead lion become grass? Microbes and
scavengers eat at the flesh and bones. They both digest the animal …
much of the microbial waste is plant food and the scavenger waste is
more microbial food… which then becomes plant food. The same is
true in any system. Every natural thing that you see on the forest
floor, from tree limbs and leaves, to fruit, nuts and animal waste
all become food for the system to improve fertility on every
level. This is nature’s compost, created by the diversity and
abundance of life from the microbial level up. This system has
created 100 percent of the fertility that allowed our species to
thrive on this planet.
Learn how to complete the ‘Circle of
Life’ in your back yard or community garden in our CYL How To blog coming up.
Benjamin Friton
Co-Founder and Chief of Research & Development
