• Chemically-treated food crops contain shampoo chemicals. A certain study revealed that the hormone-disrupting phthalates, a fragrant chemical often utilized in soaps and shampoos, are one of the main components of synthetic fertilizers that are applied to farm fields in conventional farming. Fortunately, this practice is banned in organic farming. Organic food crops thrive in untreated farm fields treated with high-quality compost, with the characteristics of crumbling, dark and earthy.
• Pesticide-treated food crops can make people fat. One of the common health problems faced by people today is overweight and obesity and chemically-treated food crops are one great contributing factor in these conditions. Most of the chemicals utilized in growing non-organic food are hormone disruptors, which tampers the natural weight loss chemistry of the body. Moreover, it can contribute to other health diseases, like cancer and diabetes.
• Factory-farmed meat makes people age fast. Factory farming is one of the increasing industries today. It is the process of raising clustered animal species in small, cramped spaces. However, this technique has been questioned by many due to its unsanitary techniques, such as chlorine baths after slaughter and injection of water and phosphate solution. These practices can increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and premature aging. Thus, it is better to purchase organic meat produced by a local farmer.
• Organic farms can improve rural economy. Although the reliance on fertilizers and machinery enables farms to grow in size while lessening the workload, it still isn’t the winning formula for farmers. Several studies revealed that organic farming can be thrice as profitable as the chemical agriculture systems. Moreover, it also provides more jobs per hectare than nonorganic farms.

These reasons proved that organic farming is essential in improving the overall wellness of the people and the environment. Begin looking for a local organic farm and start consuming all-natural and organic food crops.

1. Create a seed bed. Three weeks before starting to plant seeds, sink a fork into the soil to test the soil’s texture. Make sure that the soil doesn’t clump. Then, loosen it down to around 12 inches, place a half-inch layer of compost, and rake the soil surface of the garden until the weeds, big stones and dirt clumps are removed. After three weeks, pull out any weed that is present in the soil. Raking the soil brings out weed seeds lurking in the soil.
2. Make a furrow. For those who want symmetry and order in their gardens, gardeners can carve out a superficial trench with the use of a hand trowel. Gardens can be organized as a grid, a square, or anything that match one’s preference.
3. Water the soil lightly. Moisten the soil, but not soak it well. Watering the soil before planting seeds with it protects the soil from becoming swamped. Also, it helps the seed not to be washed up or out of the soil when watered.
4. Plant the seeds. Spread the seeds apart through the trench, or place two to three seeds in every planting hole. Basically, the seed packet will reveal how far the seeds should be planted apart from each other. When planting too closely, gardeners can thin them after they grow up.
5. Cover the seed with soil. When organic gardening, the rule of the thumb that farmers should always follow is that bury the seeds as deep as their diameter. Then, sprinkle it with water and press it gently to ensure that it has contact with the soil. There are few seeds that require light to sprout, like dill and lettuce. Thus, these seeds should be covered carefully.
6. Keep it moist. Water the seedbed lightly whenever the soil surface becomes dry until the seeds are all sprouted.

These are the guide steps in organic farming. In order for the initial process to become successful, gardeners can add compost to the planting holes in order to enhance the soil’s structure, as well as to provide nutrients that the seeds need for their growth.

Why Organic Foods are More Expensive than Conventional Food?

When speaking of certified organic food products, they are more expensive than its conventional counterparts due to several reasons. First, the organic food supply is less than its demand. Also, the production costs of the organic food products are quite higher due to the labor inputs per unit of output. Moreover, handling of harvest in organic farming in small quantities may result in higher costs, especially in processing and transportation purposes. Lastly, the distribution chain and marketing for these products can be inefficient, and the costs are higher due to the small volumes of harvest.

Aside from the food production, there are other factors that make organic food products more expensive than the foods produced by conventional farming. These factors include higher standards for animal welfare, environmental improvement and protection, prevention of health risks to the farmers’ part and improved rural development through the increase of farm employment and assurance of fair and adequate payment to producers.

Presence of Non-Certified Organic Food

There are agricultural systems in some developing countries that produced non-certified organic food products, although the organic farms meet the requirements of organic agriculture. These non-certified food crops from organic farming are products of effective agricultural practices that fail to attain the certification and enter format market systems. However, the practices implemented by these organic farms meet the requirements of producing safe and all-natural food crops.

Non-certified organic food products are often consumed by households. In fact, they sometimes sell at local village markets at the same rate as their conventional counterparts. While uncertified organic products don’t benefit from its price premiums, there are some documented cases wherein non-certified products have increased its productivity, resulting in a huge savings on purchases external inputs. These uncertified products are sold directly to the consumers through fairs, farm gates and farm markets. It can benefit both the producers and consumers, as producers will know what their consumers really want, and their consumers will save certain costs like transportation through their packages.

Regardless of the price that consumers pay, it is still best to consume all-natural food products produced from organic farming that conventional food crops that are treated with synthetic pesticides and chemicals.

What Pit to Use

Deciding on what to use in making a compost pit is the first factor to consider. Basically, it will depend on the farm size and what type will work best on the farm. Larger sizes may require a large pit, while the smaller ones require a small-space composting solution. For farmers with large-scale farms that produce a handful of organic matter, a bigger compost system may be needed to handle these inputs. In order for composting to happen, farmers can simply pile the organic materials and let the nature do its function. Basically, it happens faster with occasional turning. Nevertheless, a pile must be placed in an area that is accessible for farmers to use.

What to Compost

Fundamentally, all forms of plant matter can be composted in organic farming. Compost ingredients are classified into two categories: the ‘browns’ and ‘greens’. The Greens are nitrogen-rich matter that tends to create more moisture and decompose faster at the same time. Examples of ‘greens’ include grass clippings, vegetable scraps, animal manure, egg shells, coffee grounds and weeds. On the other hand, The Browns are carbon-rich matter that creates less moisture and take quite some time to decompose. The ‘browns’ composed of fall leaves, shredded newspaper, straw, twigs, small branches, cardboard toilet paper tubes and saw dust. When creating a compost pit, one should pay strict attention to the ratio of ‘browns’ and ‘greens’ in the compost. The ratio should comprise 30 parts of ‘browns’ and one part of ‘greens’.

Maintenance of Compost Pit

Two of the critical considerations in maintaining a compost pit to practice in organic farming are turning it regularly and upholding the finest moisture for decomposition. The other maintenance issue of the compost pit includes providing adequate moisture. The contents comprising the compost pile should become as moist as a wrung-out sponge. It should be evenly moist. However, farmers should not able to squeeze excess moisture out of it. It will smell if the compost pit is too wet. On the other hand, decomposition will slowly progress if the compost is too dry.

Once the compost is already established, it can now be utilized as a practice in organic farming in garden beds, in container plantings, on the lawn, and as an ingredient in seed-starting mix.

According to the definition of Food and Agriculture Organization, organic agriculture, along with organic farming and gardening, is a holistic management approach that promotes and improves ecosystem health, which includes biological cycles, biodiversity, and soil activity. Moreover, it accentuates the use of different management approaches in using off-farm produce, which considering certain conditions that require adaptation of local systems. It is only done through the use of biological, mechanical and agronomic methods while opposing the use of chemically-treated materials to fulfill all functioning unit within the system.

However, not all organic farming products are always certified, as they are sometimes referred as ‘non-certified organic products’. There are several driving forces that can identify as organic agriculture. These are consumer-driven organic farming, farmer-driven organic farming and service-driven organic farming.

• Consumer-driven organic farming. In this organic method, the products are identified through labeling and certification. On the other hand, consumers acquire a conscious decision regarding the method of producing, processing, handling and marketing their food products. Thus, the consumers provide a strong influence over the production of organic foods.
• Farmer-driven organic farming. Some of the farmers think that conventional agriculture is unsound and on a shaky ground. With this, they are developing alternative modes of production in improving their family health, self-reliance, and agriculture. In several developing countries, organic farming is used as a method in propagating household food security, as well as attaining a reduction of production costs. The yield is not necessarily sold in the market, as well as sold in price distinction, since it is not certified. On the other hand, farmers in developed countries are providing direct channels in delivering non-certified all-natural organic food products to its customers.
• Service-driven organic farming. Organic agriculture and its subunits are essential in generating environmental services and goods to the public, such as reduction of groundwater pollution and creation of a landscape that promotes biodiversity.

Nevertheless, organic agriculture provides a huge impact in the agricultural industry today, as it promotes healthy crop production and biodiversity of the environment.

Organic Food

Organic foods or products are goods that are free from any artificial additives or genetically engineered microorganisms. These things may later on cause complications to our body if taken for granted. If you would be eating organic products, then you are guaranteed to be less exposed from the chemicals that are being used in the processing of inorganic ones. That starts from the point of being planted until the period of being harvested. Organic foods that are not only from the organic garden are good to eat, but also the meat and other products raised in organic farms are the best choices. Cows, chickens and others that are from organic farms didn’t have any chemical vaccines or antibiotics while they are being raised. Natural farmers just relied on organic feeds and all other natural ways of raising them.

Why go Organic

Organic goods are way safer. The chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers used in common farming may cause illness to consumers. They are also proven to develop cancer, which is indeed a huge dilemma in case it develops. Organic products have higher number of nutrients than conventional goods for the reason that it was developed on good soil. Healthy soil helps in carrying nutrients to the food, making it able to give more nourishment to our needs.

Types of Organic Products

When you are going to buy organic goods from the grocery, make sure to double check if indeed they are organic food. There are 3 types of organic products being sold in the market in United States. Each has a label on them about being organic. Markets where organic goods are being sold should pass the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards and must possess a certificate from them.

A label which states that it is “100% Organic” or “Completely Organic” signifies that the food item is 100% organic and free of any chemicals. If the label states that it is “Organic” or “USDA Organic”, it may contain some inorganic ingredients for about 5 to 10% only. In cases where the label says “Made with Organic Ingredients” or “Contains Organic Ingredients” indicates that it only contains as much as 70% organic such as most cereal merchandise.

By consuming organic garden products, not only are you keeping yourself and your family from possible diseases, you are also helping to promote a healthier ecosystem. Make it a habit to eat the best foods and you can definitely stay away from risks!

Organic Farming Simplified

Organic farming is a process of cultivation wherein no artificial preservatives or hazardous chemicals are being used in fertilizers or pesticides in growing plants. Genetic modification of microorganisms are not yet developed as well. Farm workers just depend on organic methods to raise crops and animals naturally. Crop rotation, weed management, compost plants and animals as natural fertilizers are just a few methods they use in agriculture. This kind of farming was passed on from generations up the present times.

Organic Products are Safer

There are plenty of benefits that we can get from organic agriculture and one of them is having delicious and healthy food. Organic products are generally fresher and healthier because it doesn’t contain hazardous chemicals or artificial preservatives that will help make human being’s lifespan long lasting. On the other hand, conventional farming uses insect repellants that contain substances such as herbicides and fungicides which can cause cancer and even stroke ailments to consumers.

It’s More Earth-Friendly

Organic farming methods lessen water, air and soil pollution. It preserves clean water, diminishes soil corrosion, boosts soil healthiness and takes advantage of minimal energy. In much the same way, organic agriculture is more prudent for little creatures and birds, given that chemical insecticides cause it to become difficult for birds and little animals to multiply. Chemical substances can even be lethal to small animals. Chemical-free agriculture on the bright side is much less of a danger to the individuals who reap our food.

Farm Animals’ Benefits

Animals raised in organic ways are not handed out antibiotics, waste material or chemical vaccines. The application of antibiotics in traditional meat manufacturing assists in producing antibiotic-defense tensions of harmful microorganisms. This indicates when one of them becomes ill from these kinds of tensions, they are going to be not so responsive to antibiotic therapy. Not providing animals byproducts to other animals decreases the chances of their health problems. Aside from that, the animals are provided with extra area to graze around and benefit the land of which make sure that the animals stay in good shape.

These items are just a few of the many great things that we can benefit from organic farming. Having chemical-free products and less polluted atmosphere will keep us away from any possible complications in the future. Also, practicing this method doesn’t only benefit humans but animals and the whole ecosystem as well. Supporting this kind of agriculture will definitely

Organic Gardening Defined

Organic gardening is a method of agriculture wherein organic farmers use all natural or purely organic products to develop and produce the crops. They rely on strategies like organic pest control, compost and crop rotation. In this form of gardening, synthetic or artificial methods are not used. They believe that the chemicals present in the pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional farming isn’t good for their health as farmers, the crops, the soil, the air, water and above all, for the consumer.

How it Help the Ecosystem

Organic farming helps our mother earth in countless ways. By not using any chemical substances, the products from the organic garden are more likely to carry more nutrients than those food items exposed to these hazardous chemicals. Researches proved that the chemicals involved in traditional farming may cause allergy to humans and may develop diseases like cancer. Just as humans are less exposed to chemicals, wildlife in the organic farms are also receiving the same benefit, having a chemical-free atmosphere.

Organic agriculture helps maintain the fertility of the soil. When plants are produced in a healthier soil, it will definitely taste better and have higher percentage of vitamins and minerals than those from chemical-based farming method. By this, it also helps avoid soil erosion and allows it to hold a good amount of water which is needed by the plants. Organic gardening also helps preserve and conserve fresh water for the reason that it is chemical-free. In a farm where no chemicals are being used, the atmosphere also appears to be clean therefore it is absolutely fresher than the farms using chemical pesticides to fight plant problems.

How it Affect a Farmer’s Life

Just like the consumers, when farmers are consuming organic products, then most likely they are to avoid having diseases. One of their advantages in organic gardening is having being less exposed to chemicals and harmful substances. Since they do not need these items in the organic farm, they also save a lot of funds from buying these expensive repellents in the market. Organic farmers are harvesting better crops than the conventional farmers because the plants they produce are grown in the natural way.

Organic agriculture is the best answer for all developing complications about farming in the future. It does not just benefit the people who buys organic products, but also the people who produce them. Organic farming exercises a lot of different styles to campaign for life within established ecosystems and decrease pollution that takes place in traditional agricultural methods. With all of these things being said, organic gardening definitely gives a good impact to the farmers, livestock and the natural environment as a whole.

Recently, organic farming has been practiced all over the world surrounding millions of hectares of farmlands worldwide. The techniques present in organic farming are essentially geared toward enhancing the efficiency of different crops with the integration and profitable performance of organic resources and ways to implement a sustainable agriculture without the need for any artificial or chemical components.

Cultivating Plants

Organic agriculture primarily performs the strategy of polyculture rather than monoculture as applied in the conventional system of farming. In the operation of monoculture mentioned earlier, one crop is cultured on a portion of a land each time. This procedure was carried out to be able to conserve the expense of fertilizers, seeds and chemical pesticides. However, it was found damaging for long term because it carries adverse reactions such as the unhealthiness of the soil and soil corrosion.

The ideas about polyculture is completely distinctive mainly because it endorses the cultivation of numerous varieties of crops on one portion of land as well as serves to captivate different soil microorganisms effective for the land, turning it into even more fertile. Apart from that, certain crops even become pest repellents that also assist in pest management biologically.

Natural Fertilizers

Organic cultivation composts are utilized to improve the fertility of the soil. These composts are ecological and organic in nature. The frequent applied fertilizer in organic agriculture is the vermin fertilizer created using the help of different varieties of worms. More importantly, composts are made out of the help of manure, animal wastes, microbes and stuff like that. At the same time, earth-friendly manures can also be utilized to boost the fertility of the soil in the instance of natural crop growing.

Pest Management

Pest management is considered the most significant and vital section of every cultivation. For organic farming, pest management is conducted with organic ways not using chemically based substances like pesticides. In natural agriculture, the helpful insects are featured by growing the preferred crops that appeal to them. These bugs are aggressors that manage the destructive insects. In addition, the varieties of kinds which are illness-protected are rooted to be able to maintain the healthiness of the plant. This prevents the expense paid in buying high-prices pesticides and fertilizers in the market.

The goal behind the strategy of ecological agriculture would be to preserve the natural environment. In this manner, it offers the maintenance of nourishing substances found in the land. It is best to observe organic agriculture practices to boost expansion of harvests. It works well for nurturing crops at a lower expense contrasting the conventional way, additionally keeps the harmony of our planet.