Thoughts From the Radish Row, Part 2

From: Farmer Rex

You may have heard me say that this is a great time to be an organic grower because leaps in plant and soil health science are catching up with the concern for the environment and resulting in a plethora of new natural crop protection products from biologic or botanical sources. Stated simply, increased understanding of soil microbiome and the availability of tools to improve plant performance with naturally occurring products, make growing organically easier than ever before.

Why did it take so long to get here? I think it’s worth a look back. From the beginning of civilization until the industrial revolution, people grew largely organically. However, a significant part of their daily life was dedicated to providing food from hunting, gathering and agriculture. There is little doubt that if the world today was suddenly thrust back to those times, horrific mass starvation would occur.

In the last 150 years, modern agriculture has been nothing short of a miracle and has permitted a lifestyle where US citizens spend an average of less than 10% of their income to pick from an unprecedented array of fresh and packaged food. But it has come at a cost to the environment.

In the last 70 years, Ag Chemical companies with pressure from growers, consumers, and environmentalists, developed softer products with mixed results. But before you blame Ag Chemical companies, it was they that led the research and development of natural pesticides we now call “organic.”

I speak from experience of 70 years on the farm in Florida’s tough growing conditions. Organics cannot feed the world today. Someday soon human ingenuity partnering with nature will get us there. It’s an exciting age in which to live.

Keep it between the rows.