Organic Dairy Feed

Why Use Organic Fertilizers?

Why Organic?

It has been said that the externalized cost of chemical agriculture is being paid in the form of resource deletions, contaminated water, co2 emissions and greenhouse gases, soil depletion, and loss of species. The human cost is equally large. Loss of family-run farms and agriculture, the extermination of small towns and local economies, the sickness and cost caused by unregulated chemical and pesticide use, the loss of nutritional value in our food, and the hunger, and death of poor countries who produce for export instead of feeding it’s own people.

With this knowledge, it’s no wonder people are looking for alternate forms of farming. Organic is the next logical step. From the soil to the table there are organic options for every level of gardener. This article will discuss the virtues and options in organic fertilizers.

For the organic purist, organic fertilizer is something that comes from the surrounding land (manure from your own livestock or “waste” from your own garden). The fertilizer is recycled, often composted. Organic purists focus on soil health and use rotations, fallows, green manures and compost to maintain fertility.

For the not so purist, resources used in organic fertilizer must be sustainably used, and come from natural resources.

Whatever your reason for choosing to go organic, it is important to know that there are organizations which have strict international guidelines to deem an item ‘organic’. This includes fertilizers and food.This Organic Guarantee System (OGS) brings together the organic world through common standards, verification, and market identity. These organizations are very important in setting standards for a guaranteed organic product.

Basic principals

Organic foods and other products are made from organically produced ingredients that are processed primarily by biological, mechanical, and physical means.Natural, renewable, biological and regenerative resources are the basis of organic production and processing systems. Organic matter is recycled to maintain the soil fertility of organic agriculture. Availability of nutrients in the soil is primarily dependent of its own soil organisms. Cultural and local practices manage the problems of pests, weeds and disease. As well, livestock is managed with organically produced feed, and kept in living conditions conducive to natural behavior, and lack of strain.

This Organic Guarantee System (OGS) lists these as the acceptable natural organic fertilizer choices.

Plant and Animal Sources:

• Farmyard manure, slurry and urine
• Guano
• blood meal, meat meal, bone, bone meal
• hoof and horn meal, feather meal, fish and fish products, wool, fur, hair, dairy products
• biodegradable processing by-products, plant or animal origin, e.g. by-products of food, feed, oilseed, brewery, distillery or textile processing.
• Crop and vegetable residues, mulch, green manure, straw
• wood, bark, sawdust, wood shavings, wood ash, wood charcoal
• seaweed and seaweed products
• peat (prohibited for soil conditioning) (Excluding synthetic additives; permitted for inclusion in potting mixes.)
• Plant preparations and extracts

Most countries follow these strict guidelines, some with their own discrepancies. For instance Canadian standards are more stringent than some other countries. Raw manure and human sludge are not permitted on their organic fertilizer list.

Mineral Origin organic fertilizers

• basic slag
• calcareous and magnesium amendments
• limestone, gypsum, marl, chalk, sugar beet lime, calcium chloride
• magnesium rock, kieserite and Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
• mineral potassium (e.g. sulfate of potash, muriate of potash, kainite, sylvanite, patent kali) (Shall only be obtained by physical procedures but not enriched by chemical processes)
• natural phosphates
• pulverized rock, stone meal
• clay (e.g. bentonite, perlite, vermiculite, zeolite)
• sodium chloride
• trace elements
• sulfur

Microbiological organic fertilizers

• Biodegradable processing by-products of microbial origin. For example – by-products of brewery or distillery processing.

• Microbiological preparations based on naturally occurring organisms

Farm Questions?

I’m just researching farming for the future. A few questions:

The best breed of cow for a small family farm is the Jersey. They are a small type of cow which will require less feed and produce a smaller volume, but a higher quality, milk.
The Rhode Island Red is the best egg layers for a small farm with free range chickens. They produce a brown egg which is popular for organic farmers.
Dairy goats_ My preference is the Alpine. Alpines are a medium-large breed. They are popular with dairies due the amount of milk they produce. For dairy, goat or cow is going to be a personal choice. You could have two goats and produce enough milk for your family far cheaper than maintaining and feeding one cow. Some people like goats milk and some don’t. You probably should try some goats milk before making up your mind on this.
About the farm, it will depend a lot on the farm you get. you may get a farm tat has all of the fences and barns and storage sheds that you need. You might get one that needs a lot of repairs, but it is unlikely that you will find a small farm that lacks all or these facilities.
For the insects, try this guide and read upon organic control of insects.

http://extremelygreen.com/pestcontrolguide.cfm

You are doing the right thing to check out the local farms in your area. You can learn a lot of interesting information from they. If possible see if you can do some work with them.

Organic dairy program doubles herd

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