Our Soil, Ourselves

Before the first leaf of basil is pulled and even before it begins to germinate, the soil is where the process begins. Soil nurtures growth and is responsible for maintaining a healthy plant. Local author and organic gardener Carolyn Herriot’s explanation of soil in “The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Organic Food” can serve as a metaphor for a much broader theme. Herriot explains that the health of soil is determined by the essential balance of organisms living within it, from fungi to protozoa to bacteria.

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can upset this balance and diminish the quality of the soil. The result, what I call ‘simplified’ soil, is frequently used for growing our plants and vegetables. Due to this modern-day commodification of food, we are often times not even aware of what exactly we are consuming, and because of this our connection to the earth is weakening. By developing a basic understanding of the soil-food web and becoming aware of what is unnecessarily being put on and in our soil, we can grow healthier and stronger foods that better nourish us while gaining control over what we put into our bodies. Not only does this knowledge of the soil and its very specific process give us more power in our day to day lives, it can aid in re-establishing our connection to the earth and cementing our individual responsibility to it.

A recipe for your soil:

Lynda’s Black Magic Tea

4 Tbsp (60 ml) Liquid Fish Emulsion
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Seaweed Liquid Concentrate
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Blackstrap Molasses (feeds micro-organisms)
Whisk into 1 gallon (4.5 L) of water. Water in around roots of plants freely.

Thank you to Carolyn Herriot and Harbour Publishing for recipes and information from “The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Organic Food.” You can attend the book launch  on July 10^th, 2010 at 2:30 PM at the Organic Islands Festival in Victoria, BC.

Tags: education, Food, nature, Organic