Cows Save the Planet by Judith Schwartz

Author:Judith Schwartz [Schwartz, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781603584333
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2013-05-19T18:30:00+00:00

I was glad that prior to meeting Dan Kittredge I’d read up on this cadre of mid-twentieth-century thinkers. It gave me a context for his comments, since these people form a part of his intellectual heritage, a bank of knowledge and argument, ideas and writings that he frequently refers back to.

Dan and Linda, of the ginger-turmeric-sweet-potato farm, now wrap up their deal with a brief exchange about bolstering “active microbiology” in soil. Which serves as a segue for our subsequent conversation on soil and health. “Once you get a good living system in your soil, it will build the nutrition you need,” Dan begins, having joined me at the wooden table. “By living system I mean bacteria and fungi. There are presumed to be ten million species of soil bacteria, and three million species of soil fungi. Typical cropland has about five thousand species, and we need at least twenty-five thousand for the plants to function anywhere near their potential.”

The plants we grow need a wide range of microorganisms, Dan explains, and these in turn need access to a full complement of minerals. For example, of those multitudes of microorganisms, 80 percent are cobalt-dependent. “Cobalt is at the center of vitamin B12, which acts as an enzyme facilitator, central to the production of a whole number of proteins,” he says. “Most farmers are not addressing the need for cobalt, or other trace elements, and so from the outset [their plants are] facing diminished potential.”

Keeping soil mineralized doesn’t have to be costly, he says. “If you understand what your particular soil needs [are], you can generally address any deficiencies with rock dust and seawater. You could use inexpensive local raw materials. In this region, common rocks are granite and basalt. I would choose basalt, which has the broadest spectrum.” For those less inclined to DIY soil nutrition, there are mineral products, like those he sells, that are selected, processed, and put in formulas to suit different growing conditions.

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