Organic Farming Explained
In this article I would explain about organic farming and the advantages of organic food. Organic farming is uses all natural techniques to grow healthy crops. The usage of pest control which is biological is used to increase soil fertility. Organic farming is also an agricultural practice which takes care of the standards of production. It emphasizes on overall health of ecosystem, organisms and human beings. Organic farming does not adopt any artificial method to carry out different agricultural methods. Organic farming takes care of nature and also helps giving us healthy lifestyle.
Organic farming focuses on concept of growing food on soil. Organic farming helps growing healthy crops with the help of animals. People believe that the food they consume has been grown using chemical pesticides and fertilizers prove to be risky for their health and can lead to diseases like heart attack. Organic farming takes care that there is no harm made to the nature. Organic farming encourages us to use the waste and recycle it. The leftovers like crops or woods can be recycled to get good compost rather than burning it and increasing pollution. When we use these leftovers it makes the soil healthy to give you healthy crops. The theory of crop rotation is excellent and organic farming believes in giving rest to the soil as well. Another important factor is to link animal with the soil which means animal rearing should be given importance as animals play important role in healthy farming. Multipurpose trees are grown around the boundaries of the farm where the soil is not much fertile as trees are helpful in providing food for cattle and a good choice of trees can generate revenue for the farmers.
Well now you will think if you should go in for organic food or no? No lets us understand some benefits of consuming organic food. Organic food is beneficial as no harmful insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used. Industrial farming uses all artificial methods using antibiotics and these artificial means are not used in organic farming. In organic farming the soil is enriched by nature which gives better health. Organic food is certified and packaging is done without using preservatives and other chemicals. Organic food is produced in an eco-friendly environment and comes through natural process. The natural fertilizers used in growing organic food increases nutritional value of food. Organic food is healthier in every aspect as you are not consuming food grown in industrial farming by using petrochemicals etc.
Organic farming is also a beneficial in balancing our ecosystem and prevents global warming. It sends out the message to go green. Organic good is much tastier and healthier. Organic food also help you prevents diseases like cancer. If you opt for organic food you can feel much better and feel active. Organic food can cost you more but it is healthy can help you stay fit as you are consuming natural food. Think of your body getting natural food with no chemicals and toxins entering your body, definitely it is going to give you a healthy life. People have realized the benefit of organic food and are switching on to organic food. By going in for organic food we are also contributing to the environment and making the environment pollution free.
The Evolution of Farming
If you are used to playing Farmville on Facebook, you must also be quite knowledgeable about various new age farming techniques being employed for a better cultivation and livestock management. But, do you ever wonder how agricultural practices actually evolved through the pre historic, medieval to this contemporary era? To state as an example, how and why did people start using tractors in place of manpower? Well, the answer is simple. Increasing productivity and to reduce the time and cost of production is the major factor behind it.
In the Ox-Cart driven times, farming involved mainly sowing of seeds, waiting and then the seasonal harvesting with all the hullaballoo. Good Enough! But, the problems associated were numerous. It was heavily dependent on rainfall which affected the crops. With the advent of the Canal System, the problem of irrigation in places with a scarce supply of water has been resolved. Not only this, there has been a quantitative increase in the quality of seeds and fertilizers.
With the privatization of agricultural goods and tools, more options are now available. Science has also created a breakthrough in agricultural practices. Farmers now know the benefits of crop rotation, nitrogen fixing and quality fertilizers. More and more avenues to study about farming are coming up in the major universities.
Improvement in agriculture is the main reason behind socio-economic changes in the world. In historical techniques like Slash and Burn, you must have learnt about these in your geography books, a piece of land was cultivated in a particular season and then allowed to fallow for the other season to regain its nutrients. Farmers are now suggested to grow crops that would fix the lost nutrients back in the soil. Thus, farmer’s yearly yield is increased and the land does not go waste in a non-favourable season.
But, what really transformed the farming sector as we see it today was the mechanization of techniques. Until later, seeding, fertilizing, harvesting etc. were done by the labourers. After tractors were invented, most of the work was done using them. This resulted in requirement of less time and labour for basics activities. Also, many lost their jobs. As they say, when one window closes, several open up. As use of mechanized products grew popular, there was a massive requirement in the manufacturing sector. Thus, it became a boon for each and everyone.
As we talk about the evolution of farming, we cannot forget the role genetic modification of seeds have had to play. Producing more even by using less is not just magical. It is scientific. Not only the production is increased, these GM crops are less attacked by insects and thus need low amount of pesticides. Who wouldn’t like to have more of food and less pesticides? They may even have nutrients fixed in them for increasing particular nutrient’s content in the population. Apart from all this, there are better storage facilities available now.
Here it seems like we have forgotten our beloved livestock. How has livestock management evolved? You must be very familiar with these two terms: Transportation and Cross-Breeding. If we take as an example the cross-breeding of milking cows, which has definitely been very successful, we see that a cross-bred cow is more productive than the normal cows. Transportation has helped in movement of livestock from one place to the other.
Technology has revolutionized the farming sector immensely leading to good quality and quantity of produce. One must be aware of these technologies if he plans to join this sector and also relate the information to friends in the sector. Happy farming!
Farm Fresh Food: When Was the Last Time You Had Any?
People have now got so used to canned and processed food that the taste of fresh farm food is quite forgotten. This is especially so in the cities and metros where there are no open fields or gardens and where people are always stressed and rushing to meet deadlines. No farming takes place in such congested and commercialised areas.
Fruits and vegetables eaten fresh have a different taste all together. It is most people who live in the country side who have the privileged of enjoying fresh farm grown food. In fact, most houses in the country side have their own vegetable gardens which produce enough food for the family. Further, farming or gardening is considered to be a stress buster and is therefore a very relaxing hobby.
Farm food is healthy and hygienic. In several places there is a general fear that vendors are spraying pesticides and polishing material on the skin of fruits and vegetables just make it look fresh and protect it from rodents and pests. Such chemicals are very harmful for health and more than often does not get washed off easily. There are also some stories about chemicals being injected into fruits to artificially ripen them. Buying fruits and vegetables directly from the producers or growing them in your own farm will help overcome all these issues and at the same time you get to eat healthy, fresh and natural food.
There are several farms which produce organic fruits and vegetables. Non organic food often contains residual pesticides which do not go even after washing them. Organic food are produced naturally without using synthetic inputs or chemicals in the form of fertilizers, pesticides etc. They are grown using natural fertilizers like cow dung, tea leaves, compost, etc. There are various places where organic food is grown. Some of them sell organic fruits and vegetables in whole sale to bigger stores who sell to retailers. There are also some farms which deliver organic fruits and vegetables to houses. But this would be possible only if you are living in towns or places less commercialized.
Most people in the cities are now developing health problems at a young age because of their food and lifestyle habits. They tend to feed mainly on fast food and junk food. Due to lack of time, they hardly eat home cooked meals and take always are usually loaded with oil and cheese which not healthy. Pizzas, burgers, coffee and noodles seem to form the staple diet of people in the corporate world. Such food habits coupled with long working hours and stress takes a toll on their health and they end up with problems like premature graying, blood pressure, eyesight problems, back pain, etc by their mid twenties.
It is important that people realize the importance of good food and exercise. Long hours of work will get them money but there is no point of earning all the money in the world if you do not have the health to enjoy it. Corporate employees have to become smarter and learn to prioritize whenever required. Fresh fruits and vegetables is an irreplaceable component in the healthy diet plan.
The latest development in farming.
After the Industrial revolution farmers took to farming using the inorganic methods. They used the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides etc. to improve their quality and increase the quantity of food crop yield. But after some years they found that it caused an adverse effect on soil, water and air. It had also damaged human and animal health.
Awareness spread among the people and steps started to be taken to revive the soil by using traditional organic method of farming. A green manure crop should be grown and after flowering it should be ploughed, before planting the crop. This green manure acts as an organic manure which will be nutrient to the crop. Another aspect is the rotation of crops. Taking a cereal crop in one season and then pulses crops are planted. The roots of pulses plants like gram and peas are fibrous and go deep in the soil and spread. The roots also contain micro organisms in root nodules which fix nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is essential for a plant to grow. The roots go deep and spread which makes the soil porous and so aeration increases. Because of the decomposition of green manure the soil is now rich with nutrients. The humus in the soil is increased which helps the crops to flourish . So green manure crops are useful because they bring the soil texture and reduce crop diseases. They control the growth of weeds. So green manure is one method used lately for developing farming.
Organic compost should be prepared on the farm by gathering the farm wastes, weeds, wooden chips, dry leaves, dry grass, cattle manure etc. All this should be piled and allowed to decompose. Mix it after4-5 days by adding water. Also keep on adding every day manure and waste. The micro organisms will decompose this waste into nitrates. This compost is very rich in nutrient, which help the crops to grow healthy.
Organic insecticides which are obtained naturally, which are also called green pesticides are used to keep the harmful pests away. Naturally made fungicide are also added to the soil to remove bacteria which affect the roots. Use of organic pesticides and insecticides minimizes soil erosion. And also the cost of overall crop yield is reduced. Organic farming requires lots of labor and hard work. So it gives job opportunities for many people. By taking in organic food many diseases can be avoided. Children who only live on fruits will also be protected and not suffer from mal nutrition.
The organic food eaten is healthy and does not harm any living being. It is free from harmful chemicals and preservatives. The taste is also natural you will be able to find a difference when you eat. This is the latest development in farming. People are demanding for organic food, fruits, vegetables and also organic clothing. Traditional organic is revived again. The environment will be fresh without any pollution but this will take some time. To destroy something valuable is easy but to revive it will take time.
Information on Farming
Everyone is familiar with the concept of farming. Some people do it because farming is their bread and butter or we can say that farming is their professions. But there are some who just do it for fun because they like to grow their own grains and vegetables. Farming is not everyone’s cup of tea. You need to know everything about everything that goes into farming so that you get to grow your crops properly.
Farmers know what needs to be done and what crops can be grown in which season. Initially, that is ages ago, farmers were not provided with chemical fertilizers so they used to prepare natural fertilizers to facilitate the proper growth of their plants. This is why the food sold then was healthier and had lesser ill effects on our health. Also the agricultural land was abundant so farmers didn’t have to go looking for land. But now that so many buildings and industries have come up the percentage of agricultural land has fallen drastically. Also a lot of chemical fertilizers are being used for the growth of crops. Apart from this there are some farmers who are making use of chemicals for the artificial growth of crops.
Artificial growth of crops has become a very big part of farming nowadays. We cannot blame the farmers as the demand for food keeps increasing as the population all over the world keeps increasing. Hardly anyone wants to get into agriculture as there is not much money in this field. This is not helping us in any way. The government is making provisions to the farmers so that they have enough money to buy land and start growing crops. A different kind of soil is required for different crops. Proper farming cannot be done if the right land isn’t chosen.
There are some farmers who make use of the same land for different crops in one year. Due to repeated use of the same land the fertility of the soil diminishes and it becomes completely infertile after a few years. When this happens the same land cannot be used to grow crops and this is land is then put up for sale. Farming is not an easy activity. It needs to be done with proper care and patience. The areas that don’t receive enough rain have less farming activity as without rain the crops cannot grow. But now with the advancement of technology a lot of equipments can be used to provide water to agricultural land.
Nowadays more and more importance is being given to organic farming. As people are striving towards changing their unhealthy style of living they prefer organic food over inorganic food. The only disadvantage of this is that organic farming is expensive and the products that come from organic farming become expensive too. This way everyone cannot afford to buy these food stuffs. There are different aspects of farming that can only be understood by people (farmers) who have experience in this field. The country that had minimum farming activity has to import food from a country that has food in abundance.
Where does your food come from?
When we are in school we learn about food and energy. Where does the food come from? was asked by our teachers. The reply would be from the farm. A farmer works very hard in the heat and rain to grow crops and supply the food materials like cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruits. He is the son of the soil.
Man first discovered the use of fire, wheel and agriculture. Ancient man wandered here and there but today man has settled and taken to many occupation in which farming is major. A farmer today is taken to the new methods of farming by using chemical fertilizer s, pesticides etc. But everyone cannot afford to buy them so they are still following their forefather s technique of farming. Still some of the villages use bullocks in their field and sowing and reaping is done manually. They make their own fertilizers by gathering the dirt and weeds and manure from animal stocks which are reared by the farmer. This waste matter is piled up and let to decay and form a very rich fertilizer for their crops. They still use pesticides made from neem leaves for pests. Thus the food crops which are produced with so much effort by the farmer reaches us.
We should eat lots of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables because they contain a lot of carbo-hydrates, starch, fibers, proteins, vitamins and minerals. These are very essential for the growth of our body i.e to build new cells, wear and tear , gets us immunized aginst diseases etc. Bread and chappatis made from cereals are rich in starch and carbohydrates. Sprouted pulses are rich in proteins. Vegetables and fruits contain vitamins and minerals. Everyday a balanced diet of Chappati, Vegetable, Rice and Dal along with Salad is recommended. All nutrients which are very essential everyday to keep our body fit
are to be taken.
A sick patient is also given fruit juices to help him recover and regain energy. With the lack of energy and strength people suffer from many disease. If a child avoids his food and only eats junk food which is not nutritious may not help him to concentrate on his studies. So eat a balanced food and not only to satisfy your taste. Today many primary schools give a menu for the children s snacks, to be followed strictly and ensure that every student gets a complete nutrition.
The food which we take comes from the nature. Soil, Plants, Air and Water are elements of the earth. They are responsible for the nature cycle to work smoothly. If there is pollution then the soil gets contaminated and the plants are affected. Animals eat these plants and are exposed to disease. Pollution also contaminates the water. So the food cycle also gets affected. Humans are responsible for this damage.
Take to a safe way of farming. A farmer is responsible for this contamination of crops and
environment at a certain level. The chemicals and pesticides cause an adverse effect in the environment. It helps the crops to yield more but its traces remain in the food which is very harmful to our health.