Re: Jessesmom, anyone, about eating directly from the garden...

Okay...here I go...

As near as I can tell, the building blocks of life, minerals, come from rocks, heaved up and mixed by natural forces over years almost beyond counting.

Then, in enough water and sunlight and shade, the right temperatures, and over time, micro organisms break down the rock elements and carry them to plant roots.

Plants take up the the exact amount of each nutrient necessary for life, balancing them perfectly for that plant species.

'Food' plants are those we have found are good for humans. (There must have been a lot of trial and error and success.)


From this scenario, I deduce that soil micro organisms are key to nutrition, and that we had best protect them in our growing soil as best we can.


One Japanese man thought that NOT tilling the soil was very good. (Google "no-till")

Our forefathers allowed the growing soil to lie fallow, under protective weeds and grasses, to allow micro organisms time to replenish nutrients from the rocks and sand in the soil...though I doubt they knew it was the micro organisms that were doing it.

Some planted 'winter' crops, such as vetch, to be tilled under to enrich the soil with humus (compost). In my view, it was also the plant balanced nutrients they were returning to the soil, and I don't think tilling was necessary. I believe the micro organisms return plant nutrients to the soil through weather/water, as the plants decay...though it takes a little longer the micro organisms survive much better.

Tilling disrupts the life of micro organisms, leaving them exposed.

I also believe that tree and bush fruits are most likely to contain the highest level of nutrients possible, simply because they are not often tilled.

(Spraying, of course, is a whole 'nother story...as is pruning. We just don't want to weaken the plant in any way because a weak plant is subject to blights, all in the good order of things. It is the job of insects and things to return weakened plants/bushes/trees to the soil.)

I could go on, especially to tell of the things in nature that restore and maintain the land...but I'm weary...it was a very busy day.

Volcanic ash is one thing...whole mineral salts that have been through plants is another.

I sincerely think that we could work WITH nature.

So, have at 'er, my friends. Does any of this make sense so far?

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