Sacred Cow by Diana Rodgers & Robb Wolf

Sacred Cow by Diana Rodgers & Robb Wolf

Author:Diana Rodgers & Robb Wolf [Rodgers, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781950665112
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
Published: 2020-07-13T16:00:00+00:00


HOW CAN WE REHABILITATE OUR LAND?

There are ways of improving soil quality with “green manure”—essentially, growing plants to plow them back into the soil so they can enrich the earth and serve as mulch. A cover crop, like clover, feeds the soil biology while also preventing erosion by wind and rain while the land is not being utilized for a cash crop. The resulting microbial activity from these crops also increases the availability of other vital minerals that crops need to thrive and provides habitat for beneficial insects. Cover crops are also being used in between rows of crops to prevent bare soil. Farmers can also graze livestock over cover crops.

Often, when farmers choose to plant cover crops, a portion of their land is temporarily taken out of production. It also costs money to buy the seeds. It may not be economically feasible for farmers to use this method in all regions.

Another proposed solution by those who advocate for “veganic” agriculture is the use of algae fertilizers. But when you analyze how algae is produced, you’ll find it actually requires more inputs and energy than many realize. Large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are needed to keep algae alive, and those inputs have to come from somewhere. These algae systems don’t scale easily, and it’s also important to consider that importing algae from off the farm is far from a closed-loop system. That poses an economical problem for most farmers, when compared to generating their own fertilizers by using animals on-site. And how will the algae get to the farm?

Farmers can spread compost on the soil to capture more carbon. In addition, no-till agriculture systems are another solution receiving a lot of attention. Instead of deeply plowing soil, farmers will slice a narrow slit with disc seeds or seedlings, thereby not stirring up the soil and releasing carbon. No-till can significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen farmers need to apply to their soil and reduce soil erosion, but it does often increase the amount of herbicides needed. Producers touting the term “no till” should be questioned about their chemical inputs and other off-farm inputs, as the impact on the soil biology can be devastating.

No matter the technique, the main idea we’re trying to get across is this: by far the best thing a farmer can do is increase soil biology, which is what’s necessary to make minerals bioavailable to plants. A better, faster, and more regenerative solution to those listed above is to incorporate animals. Animals can graze on some of these nutrient-dense “green manure” crops while producing healthy meat or milk. Think of ruminants as four-legged speed composters. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm told Diana in an interview that animals are like a flywheel compared to a compost pile. They break down the organic matter faster, especially in arid environments, without large amounts of water and without collection or redistribution. Their manure, urine, and saliva all contain bacteria that become part of the soil biome, so they increase the amount of nutrients available to plants.



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