Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Why Should Farmers Practice Organic Vegetable Gardening?

Organic vegetable gardening has many advantages than conventional farming methods. This article will discuss that in the hopes that more people will realize that it has a lot of health benefits.

First, organic vegetable gardening does not use any fertilizers or pesticides. The ingredients used in making these products are harmful to humans and though they have been washed, people are still at risk of absorbing them when they are eaten.

A study shows that organically grown vegetables have 50% more nutrients and vitamins. This means that you are lesser at risk of developing certain health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

Also, organically grown vegetables taste much better because it is not tainted with antibiotics. Think of it like powdered juice versus the kind that is naturally squeezed. The first one is mixed with a lot of artificial ingredients while the other is straight from the source.

It should be pointed out that fertilizers and pesticides makes the soil unfertile. If this happens, we don’t get the right number of vitamins and nutrients from the vegetables we consume.

If this is true, why did people use fertilizers and chemicals? Because back then, the use of such methods was thought to help increase food production but studies later on have showed there was a flaw which is why this is being corrected.

You can easily spot organically grown vegetables and other food items in the grocery as they are placed in a separate area. You will notice that compared to other products, they cost a bit more but don’t you think it is better to buy such products that are healthier?

Organic farming is not only practiced for vegetables. This is also being done for fruits and animal livestock as well as research has showed that milk from organic cows contain more anti-oxidants, CLA, Omega 3 and vitamins compared to those that use hormones, antibiotics and the remains of other animals.

Given that, people should pressure their government representatives and even those who have not yet shifted towards organic farming to do so immediately.

The government for its part has done their part by offering incentives and subsidies to farmers in exchange for no longer using genetic engineering, irradiation and sewage sludge.

This changes how the game is played because the goal here is sustainable development and the only way to make sure the soil used is always fertile is through crop rotation. This means planting one variant this season and changing it with another in the next and so forth.

It isn’t hard to implement. Farmers just need the willpower to open their minds and make the change.

You can also get into organic vegetable farming yourself by doing this in your own backyard. You just need to buy the supplies, prepare the land, protect it from insects and other threats so you will be able to harvest it in the next few weeks.

Whenever you buy organically grown vegetables, don’t forget to wash them before it is cooked. Although it is chemical free, you don’t know what kind of compost was used to help it grow.

You hit two birds with one stone when farmers and you decide to go into organic vegetable farming. It keeps both the people and the environment healthy.

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