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Eating Organically Grown Vegetables And The Benefits

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you have gone to the doctor, chances are he or she has told you to watch what you eat. If you have been eating the right amount of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables then you have nothing to worry about. But because some of these contain harmful chemicals, perhaps you should start switching to organically grown vegetables and other food products.

Why should you buy organic food products? Simply because majority of these items have been genetically modified. Farmers have used various techniques, chemicals and fertilizers to make them bigger even if they know that this is dangerous to your health. 

No magic or anything fancy is used to make organically grown crops. You only need fertile soil, sunlight, water and some compost to make it work.

A recent study shows that following this simple plan helps vegetables have 50% more vitamins and minerals than those made from conventional methods. If you eat them regularly, you are able to have a healthier life. 

You will probably feel like you will live longer too as organically grown vegetables tastes much better. This is because although fertilizers and pesticides have their advantages, they remove essential vitamins and nutrients so you are not getting the required daily allowance that your body needs. In short, you may think you are but in reality, this isn’t what’s happening.

Another benefit of eating organic vegetables and food is that you help the environment. This happens because farmers will no longer use harmful chemicals and put these into the ground.

The land which they have worked on can be planted by the next generation because the land that has been cultivated for so long is still fertile. 

When you go to the supermarket, one thing you will notice is that the price of organically grown vegetables and other items are much more expensive than those conventionally grown.

Should you always buy something if it is cheaper? In the case of food, the answer is no because you can’t put a price on the lives of those who eat it.

Surely, you also don’t want to wait until someone you know gets sick so think about the future and go organic.

Eventually, the price of organic items will go down when more farmers decide to sell these in supermarkets. It is only because there is a small section of this available now in the store but when it becomes an industry standard, things will change.

Until that happens, you can probably plant and grow these in your backyard. You just need the supplies especially the seeds or the fully grown plant to help you get started.

Don’t forget to do some research first so you know how to take care of them. After all, sprinkling water every morning is just one of the many things you have to do to help these grow.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in organic food is that the US imports a lot of vegetables from countries that are not yet practicing this back to the basics method.

But with a little help and encouragement, they too will come around so everyone not only here but in other countries as well will be able to enjoy the benefits of organically grown vegetables and fruits.

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Organic Vegetable Gardening Works

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In the US, farming is $6 billion industry. To keep it that way and with the health and welfare of the public in mind, the Department of Agriculture has taken steps so farmers can shift to organic farming. This does not only save money but also has some health benefits.

But first, we have to know what organic farming is. This is a technique that has been practiced by ancient civilizations that simply relied on the land they worked on, the sun and the water to make the harvests grow.

It was only when scientists invented fertilizers and pesticides that we moved away from this technique because it was thought that this will make the crops bigger and harvesting faster.

Unfortunately, the use of fertilizers and pesticides has done more harm than good. The chemicals used are harmful but never in small dosages. But imagine what if somebody consumes this in excessive amounts and unknowingly develops an illness or their baby has birth defects.

Such threats are real which is why we have to do something before it happens. Before the Department of Agriculture wanted everyone to go into organic farming, tests were conducted.

The results show that organically grown vegetables have more nutrients and vitamins compared to conventional farming. The same goes for its taste.

Organic vegetables do not have hydrogenated fats, artificial flavor or coloring, sweeteners, additives, preservatives or residual antibiotics. This means that what you get is all natural. But don’t forget to wash these first before it is cooked to remove any residue from the compost used in helping it grow.

The government or the Department of Agriculture is not the only one who should push farmers to shift towards organic farming. You can do your share by talking to the farmers themselves as they are the ones who plant them. You can also start planting organically grown vegetables yourself because they cost a bit more in the supermarket.

Before you start planting, check how big is the area so you have an idea what kind of vegetables can be planted given your limited space. You then need to buy the necessary tools and make some of them yourself. This information can be found online, in books and from the gardening store.

If you don’t want to start making an organic vegetable garden using seeds, you can get starter plants instead but be aware that they cost a bit more and this takes the thrill out of gardening.

But if money is no object to you, by all means get this from the store. Just make sure that there is a stamp which certifies that this has been approved by the Department of Health, Quality Assurance International, California Certified Organic Farmers or the Oregon Tilth Farm Verified Organic.

If everyone does their share, no one will use chemicals and fertilizers anymore. Everyone can live healthy and eat healthy. At the same time, we are able to protect the environment so future generations will be able to use the land we have used to plant their crops in the future. 

Organic vegetable gardening is truly the way to go. If you noticed, some restaurants have done their share as well by making people know that whatever they use is organic.

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Organic Vegetable Gardening – Information You Should Know

April 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Organic food products are the trend these days after studies have shown that the age old practice of using fertilizers and pesticides happen to be harmful to our health. This means that we have to change our approach and try something else.

The concept of organic vegetable farming is not new given that ancient civilizations have been doing it for years. We somehow forgot that thinking that modern science could help us produce better crops.

But if we go back to the basics, we realize that the resources need to make this work is right before our eyes.

First is the soil. Although 2/3 of the Earth is made up of water, the remainder is what we use for infrastructure while a certain percentage of that is devoted to agriculture.

The second thing you need is water. The ancients used an efficient irrigation system so that water from the rivers would go to the land they planted on. These days, we have the technology to divert water to these areas using pipes. When it has not rained for a long time, we are able to make artificial rain.

Third is sunlight. We may not control its movement but if we are able to plant our crops in an area that has sufficient exposure to the sun, whatever we plant will grow.
 
But between the period of putting the seeds in the ground and before these are harvested, farmers have to be on their guard. The crops are threatened by insects. This is why people are advised to use other insects, birds and toads.

Organically made fertilizers also come to play here and some examples of them include the application of compost, manure and cover cropping.

The soil where the vegetables were grown and harvested may not be ready to plant the same crops so maintain its fertility, farmers are also encouraged to rotate their crops.
 
To make sure that farmers who practice organic vegetable gardening are doing it right, the Department of Agriculture together with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture or IFOAM that has been in operation since 1972 sees to it that certain standards are in place.

Some people will argue that organic farming is not able to produce the same amount of yields as compared to those who use fertilizers and pesticides. This is true however, in times of drought, these crops are still able to survive because there is still enough water underground. This means farmers will still be able to harvest and there is a steady supply of goods in the market.

It is expected that the demand for organic vegetables will grow in the future. This is as more people become of food safety issues and how this affects the environment.

You can do your share by trying organic vegetable gardening in your backyard. The things you need are very affordable. You just need to practice what farmers do in the fields.

In fact, such information can now be found in books and online so do some research and put this into practice. It is fun and rewarding to see that what you worked on for weeks is now being served on your dinner table.

Back then, you have to remember that there were only a few skilled jobs and one of them was being a farmer.

Filed Under: Indoor Garden, Organic Garden, plant growing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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