Conventional fossil fuel

derived fertilizers destroy soil

life and wildlife, yet they

have become like a drug

habit to farmers!

by: Rebecca Hosking Friday, 18th May 2012

On   the   farm   it’s   many   forms   may   be   referred   to   as 'super     triple     phosphate',     Nitram®,     '20:10:10',     just 'nitrogen'   or   –   rather   euphemistically   –   fertilizer.   On our   farm   it's   simply   known   as   NPK,   the   acronym   of   this compound's    most    common    chemical    ingredients    – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Synthetic   fertilizer   was   essentially   developed   to   stave off    the    limits    to    population    growth    and    it's    been estimated     that     almost     half     the     world's     human population   are   currently   fed   as   a   direct   result   of   its use.   But,   this   once   heralded   silver   bullet   for   'feeding the    world'    has    certainly    come    at    a    cost;    from    vast oceanic   dead   zones   to   accumulation   of   heavy   metals in   our   top   soils   to   the   release   of   greenhouse   gasses into our atmosphere. I'm   not   going   to   get   into   debating   the   global   merits   or otherwise   of   synthetic   fertilizer   but,   when   it   comes   to our   farm   I   will   slam   my   wellied   foot   down   with   some defendable   authority   because   there   is   another   obvious drawback   of   NPK   and   that   is   its   lack   of   sustainability   in the   true   sense   of   the   word.   The   P   (Phosphorus)   and the    K    (Potassium)    are    both    mined    from    depleting mineral   sources   and   the   N   (Nitrogen)   is   pulled   from the air using large amounts of natural gas or coal. Our   goal   on   this   farm   is   to   create   an   economically, ecologically   and   socially   resilient   business   so   the notion   of   relying   on   a   depleting,   fossil   fuel   hungry overseas   resource   as   the   basis   of   fertilizer   on   the farm    is    completely    nuts.    However,    stopping    using NPK   is   not   as   straightforward   as   some   might   think. Even   my   father   who   has   been   merrily   spreading   it   on the    fields    for    decades    describes    it    as    a    drug    and farmers like junkies for using it. The    drug    analogy    isn't    a    new    one    but    I    don't    think many   people   know   quite   how   fitting   it   is   on   so   many levels.    Like   a   narcotic,   the   first   hit   is   the   best   and from then on you're hooked. One   of   the   reasons   the   first   rush   is   sooo   gooood   is that   you   actually   still   have   functioning   living   soils   at that    point    so    you    are    genuinely    adding    'extra    plant nutrients'   to   an   existing   fertile   system.   I   often   wonder what    wonderful    growth    rates    my    father    and    uncle must   have   witnessed   when   they   first   applied   NPK   to our    then    organic    fields,    what    a    hit    they    must    have seen. Naturally,   essential   plant   nutrients   and   minerals   in   the soil   are   taken   up   by   the   soil   biology.   As   the   saying   goes, "Once   the   mineral   becomes   life,   it's   available   to   all   life," meaning   once   a   mineral   has   been   taken   up   by   a   soil microbe   it's   then   a   plant   available   nutrient   or   available to support the life of another microbe. The   sheer   volume   and   variety   of   microscopic   life   in healthy    soil    is    mind-boggling.    Just    one    teaspoon    of healthy     organic     soil     carries     around     a     billion     soil microbes.    If    you're    familiar    with    the    work    of    such scientists     as     Dr     Elaine     Ingham     or     Dr     Patricia Richardson     you'll     have     probably     seen     incredible electron-microscope    footage    of    this wonderful underworld. A glimpse of our underworld It's   a   world   full   of fungal    forests    and peculiar     plants,     of bizarre     little     grazing herbivores   that   are   prey   to fang-toothed   hunters   that   in   turn are    devoured    by    positively    petrifying    looking    apex predators     whose     dead     bodies     are     scattered     by innumerable   little   scavengers.   They   are   all   there   under our feet, unseen. What's    not    so    commonly    known    is    when    you    first sprinkle   on   the   NPK   these   microbes   die   off   in   their trillions   with   each   tiny   body   releasing   a   small   package of   nutrients   to   the   plant   roots   around   them.   To   the naked   eye   we   just   see   an   impressive   surge   in   plant growth     but     on     the     microscopic     scale     it     is     the apocalypse!. The   pitiful   sight   of   the   dead   and   dying   worms,   like   us, you're   one   of   those   farmers   or   gardeners   without   your own   electron   microscope,   there   is   one   soil   dweller   we can   observe   that   can   tell   us   all   we   need   to   know   about the   life   in   the   soil   and   the   effects   of   chemical   fertilizers –    the    earthworm.    We    all    know    that    a    soil    rich    in earthworms   is   healthy   and   fertile   so   you   can   imagine how   distressing   it   was   to   find   dead   and   dying   worms scattered   across   one   of   our   fields   during   the   first   rains after the NPK had gone down. Like     an     addictive     narcotic,     once     you     start     using synthetic     fertilizers,     it     is     a     one     way     ride.     Each application   onto   to   fields   burns   off   more   and   more   soil biology   which   in   turn   severely   reduces   the   amount   of available   minerals   and   nutrients   from   the   soil   to   the plants.   Each   year   you   have   to   add   a   little   more   just   to stand   still   and   eventually   it's   a   case   of   add   the   NPK   or go out of business. Holistic    Rancher    Greg    Judy    sums    it    up    by    saying, "When   you   put   chemical   fertilizer   down   on   your farm    you're    killing    your    farms    future,    and    the fertilizer   companies   are   laughing   all   the   way   to   the bank   because   you've   now   got   sterile   soil,   and   they know   you've   got   to   comeback   to   them   to   buy   more of their fertilizer." That's   the   trap   my   father   and   uncle   are   seemingly   in, the    only    way    they    view    they    are    going    to    get    any growth   out   of   our   fields   is   by   mainlining   a   direct   hit   of chemicals   straight   into   the   plants   roots   because   they no   longer   can   rely   on   the   now   impaired   soil   biology   to help grow healthy plants. It   is   possible   to   wean   your   farm   off   chemical   fertilizer but   it's   not   easy   –   it's   called   'organic   conversion'.    As any   farmer   who   has   made   the   move   to   organic   can   tell you,   going   cold   turkey   from   synthetic   NPK   can   be   a painful   business.   Curiously   it   is   not   just   the   land   that becomes   addicted,   the   whole   way   of   working   the   land changes   and,   in   effect,   the   farmer   is   just   as   hooked   as his soil. Intriguingly   over   the   last   couple   of   years   since   we've started   applying   pressure   for   my   father   and   uncle   to stop   using   the   stuff,   that   junkie   farmer   mentality   has unwittingly risen to the surface. The   tale   starts   four   years   ago,   Tim   (my   other   half)   and   I sat   down   with   my   father   and   discussed   the   damaging nature   of   synthetic   NPK.   He   completely   agreed   with   us and   promised   not   to   spread   it   on   the   fields   on   the   west side of the farm as a small trial.

The   depressing   shaker   sound   of   the   fertilizer   spinner The   following   week   I   heard   the   unmistakable   rumba- shaker   noise   of   the   fertilizer   spinner...   it   was   in   the next-door   field   to   me.   Dad   had   purposely   driven   the long   way   round   the   farm   to   avoid   driving   past   Tim   and myself   so   he   could   'fertilize'   the   fields   he   promised   not to touch. That   was   just   the   start   of   this   behaviour;   since   then they've   taken   to   hiding   their   NPK   'stash'   behind   the backs   of   barns   in   the   hope   we   won't   find   it.   Each   year they    may    have    gotten    away    with    it    if    the    deliveries hadn't been the same size as a grey whale. They   promised   not   to   buy   as   much   only   to   either   buy the    same    amount    if    not    more    each    year.    Even    the language   they   use   sounds   like   an   addict,   "Oh   I've   only used   a   little   bit",   "I   used   to   use   a   lot   more   then   I   do now   –   I've   cut   right   back",   "You're   right   we   should   give it   up...   but   we've   bought   it   all   for   this   year   now   so   we can't waste it". The   point   being   my   father   fully   admits   NPK   is   bad for   wildlife   and   knows   it   damages   the   soils   and   is dangerous   in   waterways   and   doesn't   like   using   the stuff   yet,   like   a   person   with   a   habit,   he'll   go   into complete   denial   when   actually   out   scattering   it   on the fields. The   not   so   secret   stash.   As   a   result   we   realised   pretty early   on   that   if   we   were   going   to   make   any   headway we   needed   to   find   an   equivalent   to   soil   methadone   to try    and    wean    the    Old    Boys    off    their    magic    white granules. Our   answer   came   in   the   form   of   cold   brewed   aerobic compost    tea.    Compost    tea    (or    more    correctly,    we think,     compost     beer)     has     grown     and     grown     in popularity   over   the   past   few   years,   particularly   with gardeners   but   is   now   making   headway   into   the   world of   farming.   You   can   make   it   at   home   for   next   to   no   cost and,     if     brewed     correctly,     it's     packed     full     of beneficial   micro-organisms   who   then   provide   the     'fertilizer    effect'    by    making    biologically    available those nutrients already present in the soil. We   started   using   it   three   years   ago   and   risked   a   head to   head   challenge   to   prove   to   my   father   and   uncle   this bizarre alternative had some merit. Homemade   compost   brew   bubbling   away.   My   father doused   half   a   field   in   NPK   and   we   sprayed   the   other half   in   compost   tea.   When   it   came   to   hay   harvest   time we   all   walked   the   two   sides   of   the   field   to   compare   the results.   Stupidly   I   never   took   any   photos   that   day   but although   the   sward   wasn't   as   heavy   with   the   compost tea     it     still     held     its     own     to     the     fertilized     side. Particularly   seeing   we   made   the   tea   for   pennies compared    to    the    hundreds    of    pounds    spent    on fertilizing   the   other   half.    As   a   result   of   that   trial,   the following   year   we   were   given   the   go   ahead   to   spray   an additional field and this year a couple more. In   our   case,   the   biggest   benefit   from   using   compost tea   was   to   stop   the   NPK   going   down   which   is   essential if   our   soil   life   is   to   start   building   again.   Rule   one   for regenerative    agriculture    should    be    the    same    as    in medicine   –   do   no   harm!   The   added   bonus   of   compost tea   is   that   by   adding   trillions   of   beneficial   microbes   it should    also    be    helping    to    jump-start    the    biological cycle within the soil. Tim's made from scrap and less than 50.00 compost tea sprayer There   are   some   farmers   we   know   of   who   swear   by compost   tea   and   apply   it   in   quantity   several   times   a year   but,   for   us,   we   see   it   as   a   temporary   measure.   By changing   our   land   management   and   grazing   practices, we   hope   to   rebuild   a   truly   healthy,   self-sustaining   cycle of   life   in   our   soils   powered   solely   by   the   sun.   Compost tea    application    will    definitely    have    a    role    to    play    in getting   things   started   but   hopefully   we   won't   have   to apply   it   for   too   many   more   years.   To   use   a   thoroughly inappropriate    analogy,    compost    tea    is    our    starter motor    and    we    will    only    be    using    it    until    the    main engine Mother Earth kicks in. h  t  t  p  :  /  /  w  w  w  .  p  e  r  m  a  c  u  l  t  u  r  e  .  c  o  .  u  k  /  a  r  t  i  c  l  e  s  /  f  o  s  s  i  l  - fuel-fertilizers-v-compost-teas-farm

Conventional fossil fuel derived fertilizers destroy soil life and

wildlife, yet they have become like a drug habit to farmers!

by: Rebecca Hosking Friday, 18th May 2012

On   the   farm   it’s   many   forms   may   be   referred   to   as   'super   triple   phosphate',   Nitram®,   '20:10:10', just   'nitrogen'   or   –   rather   euphemistically   –   fertilizer.   On   our   farm   it's   simply   known   as   NPK,   the acronym   of   this   compound's   most   common   chemical   ingredients   –   nitrogen,   phosphorus   and potassium. Synthetic   fertilizer   was   essentially   developed   to   stave   off   the   limits   to   population   growth   and   it's been   estimated   that   almost   half   the   world's   human   population   are   currently   fed   as   a   direct result   of   its   use.   But,   this   once   heralded   silver   bullet   for   'feeding   the   world'   has   certainly   come at   a   cost;   from   vast   oceanic   dead   zones   to   accumulation   of   heavy   metals   in   our   top   soils   to   the release of greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. I'm   not   going   to   get   into   debating   the   global   merits   or   otherwise   of   synthetic   fertilizer   but,   when it   comes   to   our   farm   I   will   slam   my   wellied   foot   down   with   some   defendable   authority   because there   is   another   obvious   drawback   of   NPK   and   that   is   its   lack   of   sustainability   in   the   true   sense of   the   word.   The   P   (Phosphorus)   and   the   K   (Potassium)   are   both   mined   from   depleting   mineral sources and the N (Nitrogen) is pulled from the air using large amounts of natural gas or coal. Our   goal   on   this   farm   is   to   create   an   economically,   ecologically   and   socially   resilient business   so   the   notion   of   relying   on   a   depleting,   fossil   fuel   hungry   overseas   resource   as the   basis   of   fertilizer   on   the   farm   is   completely   nuts.   However,   stopping   using   NPK   is   not   as straightforward   as   some   might   think.   Even   my   father   who   has   been   merrily   spreading   it   on   the fields for decades describes it as a drug and farmers like junkies for using it. The   drug   analogy   isn't   a   new   one   but   I   don't   think   many   people   know   quite   how   fitting   it   is   on so many levels.  Like a narcotic, the first hit is the best and from then on you're hooked. One   of   the   reasons   the   first   rush   is   sooo   gooood   is   that   you   actually   still   have   functioning   living soils   at   that   point   so   you   are   genuinely   adding   'extra   plant   nutrients'   to   an   existing   fertile system.   I   often   wonder   what   wonderful   growth   rates   my   father   and   uncle   must   have   witnessed when they first applied NPK to our then organic fields, what a hit they must have seen. Naturally,   essential   plant   nutrients   and   minerals   in   the   soil   are   taken   up   by   the   soil   biology.   As the   saying   goes,   "Once   the   mineral   becomes   life,   it's   available   to   all   life,"   meaning   once   a mineral   has   been   taken   up   by   a   soil   microbe   it's   then   a   plant   available   nutrient   or   available   to support the life of another microbe. The   sheer   volume   and   variety   of   microscopic   life   in   healthy   soil   is   mind-boggling.   Just   one teaspoon   of   healthy   organic   soil   carries   around   a   billion   soil   microbes.   If   you're   familiar   with   the work   of   such   scientists   as   Dr   Elaine   Ingham   or   Dr   Patricia   Richardson   you'll   have   probably   seen incredible electron-microscope footage of this wonderful underworld. A glimpse of our underworld It's   a   world   full   of   fungal   forests   and   peculiar plants,    of    bizarre    little    grazing    herbivores that   are   prey   to   fang-toothed   hunters   that   in turn    are    devoured    by    positively    petrifying looking   apex   predators   whose   dead   bodies are       scattered       by       innumerable       little scavengers.    They    are    all    there    under    our feet, unseen. What's   not   so   commonly   known   is   when   you   first   sprinkle   on   the   NPK   these   microbes   die   off   in their   trillions   with   each   tiny   body   releasing   a   small   package   of   nutrients   to   the   plant   roots around   them.   To   the   naked   eye   we   just   see   an   impressive   surge   in   plant   growth   but   on   the microscopic scale it is the apocalypse!. The   pitiful   sight   of   the   dead   and   dying   worms,   like   us,   you're   one   of   those   farmers   or   gardeners without   your   own   electron   microscope,   there   is   one   soil   dweller   we   can   observe   that   can   tell   us all   we   need   to   know   about   the   life   in   the   soil   and   the   effects   of   chemical   fertilizers   –   the earthworm.   We   all   know   that   a   soil   rich   in   earthworms   is   healthy   and   fertile   so   you   can   imagine how   distressing   it   was   to   find   dead   and   dying   worms   scattered   across   one   of   our   fields   during the first rains after the NPK had gone down. Like   an   addictive   narcotic,   once   you   start   using   synthetic   fertilizers,   it   is   a   one   way   ride.   Each application   onto   to   fields   burns   off   more   and   more   soil   biology   which   in   turn   severely   reduces the   amount   of   available   minerals   and   nutrients   from   the   soil   to   the   plants.   Each   year   you   have to   add   a   little   more   just   to   stand   still   and   eventually   it's   a   case   of   add   the   NPK   or   go   out   of business. Holistic   Rancher   Greg   Judy   sums   it   up   by   saying,   "When   you   put   chemical   fertilizer   down   on your   farm   you're   killing   your   farms   future,   and   the   fertilizer   companies   are   laughing   all the   way   to   the   bank   because   you've   now   got   sterile   soil,   and   they   know   you've   got   to comeback to them to buy more of their fertilizer." That's   the   trap   my   father   and   uncle   are   seemingly   in,   the   only   way   they   view   they   are   going   to get   any   growth   out   of   our   fields   is   by   mainlining   a   direct   hit   of   chemicals   straight   into   the   plants roots   because   they   no   longer   can   rely   on   the   now   impaired   soil   biology   to   help   grow   healthy plants. It   is   possible   to   wean   your   farm   off   chemical   fertilizer   but   it's   not   easy   –   it's   called   'organic conversion'.    As   any   farmer   who   has   made   the   move   to   organic   can   tell   you,   going   cold   turkey from   synthetic   NPK   can   be   a   painful   business.   Curiously   it   is   not   just   the   land   that   becomes addicted,   the   whole   way   of   working   the   land   changes   and,   in   effect,   the   farmer   is   just   as   hooked as his soil. Intriguingly   over   the   last   couple   of   years   since   we've   started   applying   pressure   for   my   father and   uncle   to   stop   using   the   stuff,   that   junkie   farmer   mentality   has   unwittingly   risen   to   the surface. The   tale   starts   four   years   ago,   Tim   (my   other   half)   and   I   sat   down   with   my   father   and   discussed the   damaging   nature   of   synthetic   NPK.   He   completely   agreed   with   us   and   promised   not   to spread it on the fields on the west side of the farm as a small trial.

The   depressing   shaker   sound   of   the   fertilizer   spinner The   following   week   I   heard   the   unmistakable   rumba- shaker   noise   of   the   fertilizer   spinner...   it   was   in   the   next- door   field   to   me.   Dad   had   purposely   driven   the   long   way round   the   farm   to   avoid   driving   past   Tim   and   myself   so he could 'fertilize' the fields he promised not to touch. That   was   just   the   start   of   this   behaviour;   since   then   they've   taken   to hiding   their   NPK   'stash'   behind   the   backs   of   barns   in   the   hope   we   won't   find   it.   Each   year   they may have gotten away with it if the deliveries hadn't been the same size as a grey whale. They   promised   not   to   buy   as   much   only   to   either   buy   the   same   amount   if   not   more   each   year. Even   the   language   they   use   sounds   like   an   addict,   "Oh   I've   only   used   a   little   bit",   "I   used   to   use   a lot   more   then   I   do   now   –   I've   cut   right   back",   "You're   right   we   should   give   it   up...   but   we've   bought it all for this year now so we can't waste it". The   point   being   my   father   fully   admits   NPK   is   bad   for   wildlife   and   knows   it   damages   the soils   and   is   dangerous   in   waterways   and   doesn't   like   using   the   stuff   yet,   like   a   person   with a habit, he'll go into complete denial when actually out scattering it on the fields. The   not   so   secret   stash.   As   a   result   we   realised   pretty   early   on   that   if   we   were   going   to   make   any headway   we   needed   to   find   an   equivalent   to   soil   methadone   to   try   and   wean   the   Old   Boys   off their magic white granules. Our   answer   came   in   the   form   of   cold   brewed   aerobic   compost   tea.   Compost   tea   (or   more correctly,   we   think,   compost   beer)   has   grown   and   grown   in   popularity   over   the   past   few   years, particularly   with   gardeners   but   is   now   making   headway   into   the   world   of   farming.   You   can   make it   at   home   for   next   to   no   cost   and,   if   brewed   correctly,   it's   packed   full   of   beneficial   micro- organisms   who   then   provide   the      'fertilizer   effect'   by   making   biologically   available   those nutrients already present in the soil. We   started   using   it   three   years   ago   and   risked   a   head   to   head   challenge   to   prove   to   my   father and uncle this bizarre alternative had some merit. Homemade   compost   brew   bubbling   away.   My   father   doused   half   a   field   in   NPK   and   we   sprayed the   other   half   in   compost   tea.   When   it   came   to   hay   harvest   time   we   all   walked   the   two   sides   of the   field   to   compare   the   results.   Stupidly   I   never   took   any   photos   that   day   but   although   the sward   wasn't   as   heavy   with   the   compost   tea   it   still   held   its   own   to   the   fertilized   side.   Particularly seeing    we    made    the    tea    for    pennies    compared    to    the    hundreds    of    pounds    spent    on fertilizing   the   other   half.    As   a   result   of   that   trial,   the   following   year   we   were   given   the   go   ahead to spray an additional field and this year a couple more. In   our   case,   the   biggest   benefit   from   using   compost   tea   was   to   stop   the   NPK   going   down   which   is essential   if   our   soil   life   is   to   start   building   again.   Rule   one   for   regenerative   agriculture   should   be the   same   as   in   medicine   –   do   no   harm!   The   added   bonus   of   compost   tea   is   that   by   adding trillions   of   beneficial   microbes   it   should   also   be   helping   to   jump-start   the   biological   cycle   within the soil. Tim's made from scrap and less than 50.00 compost tea sprayer There   are   some   farmers   we   know   of   who   swear   by   compost   tea   and   apply   it   in   quantity   several times   a   year   but,   for   us,   we   see   it   as   a   temporary   measure.   By   changing   our   land   management and   grazing   practices,   we   hope   to   rebuild   a   truly   healthy,   self-sustaining   cycle   of   life   in   our   soils powered   solely   by   the   sun.   Compost   tea   application   will   definitely   have   a   role   to   play   in   getting things   started   but   hopefully   we   won't   have   to   apply   it   for   too   many   more   years.   To   use   a thoroughly   inappropriate   analogy,   compost   tea   is   our   starter   motor   and   we   will   only   be   using   it until the main engine Mother Earth kicks in. http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/fossil-fuel-fertilizers-v-compost-teas-farm