Striving...

Deep vs. Shallow Organic, and Why Gardeners Need to Know the Difference

Eliot Coleman is an organic farmer, author, and agricultural innovator. He farms, year-round, in Maine, thanks to systems he's developed for taking advantage of certain plants' ability to grow even in the most frigid temperatures. In his latest book, The Winter Harvest Handbook (a fabulous read, by the way) he makes a distinction between what he calls "deep" versus "shallow" organic. I think it's an important distinction, and one that any eco-minded gardener would do well to keep in mind. From Coleman:
"Deep organic farmers, in addition to rejecting agricultural chemicals, look for better ways to farm. Inspired by the elegance of Nature's systems, they try to mimic the patterns of the natural world's soil-plant economy." He goes on to say that they do this by:
* Using cover crops or green manures
* Making and using compost
* Avoiding pest problems in the first place by managing soil tilth and moisture levels, rotating crops, and continually working toward improving the levels of nutrients and organic matter in the soil.
In short, "deep" organic farming works with nature, and the farmer's (or gardener's) main goal is to ensure both healthy crops and a healthy planet. As he says, this agricultural philosophy is worrisome to the agro-industrial powers that be, because it is impossible to "quantify, control, or to profit from."

It is what I strive for. But after coming home to see a plague of squash bugs...Well I guess I am coming close to "deep", just not "deep" enough.
Pulled the devastated squash plants. Next year - row covers.