Organic Gardening – A Simple Concept

Bill was having the truck serviced recently and while waiting was looking through magazines.  In one of the magazines was a comment from a prominent farmer in our community. He went on to say that years back (in his grandfather’s day) all there was to farming was plowing, planting and tending, but now farming is a science. The bottom line of the article was the use and knowledge of chemicals.

The most simple definition of the word ‘science’ according to the dictionary is: a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject.

Using that definition I guess the science of farming could include in part the science of chemicals. They are part of modern main stream farming, since the chemical companies have “educated” farmers to look on them as a necessity.

Easy to Follow the Majority – Even if They’re Wrong

To use the words of a reader of my site, “There is comfort in building on experience with something familiar and something most others do.  The majority is always there to provide advice —- and you don’t have to question —.” It is easy to fall into what the majority is doing. The problem is, as history has often proven, the majority is not always correct.

A Simple Concept

As I mention in the page on this site entitled Organic Gardening: Organic gardening is sustainable agriculture. It replenishes what it uses.  It is a simple concept, based on building healthy, living soil through the addition of organic matter. You feed the soil and it feeds your plants and gives health to you and your family.

Book Knowledge is ok – But Experience is How You Learn

When I began this website, one of the primary things I wanted my readers to realize was that you don’t have to read volumes or know volumes to garden organically. It helps to add to your knowledge through books and articles, but experience is how you really learn.  Other information is helpful, but hands-on is about 99%.

The Impact My Garden Made on a Reader

The same reader whose words I used above, wrote to me about my organic gardens, and how seeing them had impacted her and her family.  She made my point of “not having to know everything” so beautifully that I offer many of her comments below for you to consider.  And —– if by chance you are agnostic or an atheist, surely you recognize a great power in the universe and this young woman’s comments will still be meaningful to you.

Her comments:

“Your gardens were more beautiful than any I have seen before.  Compared to what I have seen/experienced with traditional gardening, here were my observations:  The (your) soil looked alive.  It had life and the plants looked healthy, beautiful, and

happy.  I saw wildlife all around and felt a peace that had been made between God’s perfect design and man’s efforts.   In contrast, I realized that traditional gardening is not in harmony with God’s intention.  I see it in my own yard.  We’d only used 10-10-10 but the soil had been farmed with chemicals in the previous generation leaving it, comparatively, dead.  Although my plants are doing pretty well, they lack the life/happiness/contentment that I saw in your garden.  —–”

—There is peace working with what God has provided, instead of trying to work against it.  — He made it so simple to manage and it’s ironic that most of us society folks can’t figure it out.”

She goes on to say that when she left our gardens, she “realized that all I needed to do was dig a plot, weed it, mimic the forest floor by feeding it organic matter and mulch, plant my seed, and give it love and faith (tend it).  I don’t have to know everything about everything before I begin because God has it under control – even in my own nutrient lacking garden.  I don’t have to have confidence, knowledge, or prior experience. What I have to have is faith!  All the medical textbooks or government training materials can’t even touch this simple and profound concept.  It’s just amazing that such a simple and important basic lesson in life has (almost) escaped our entire society.”

I hope you will ponder what she has said.

I think I’ll go out and pick lettuce and enjoy my garden.

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