February
1997
Feeding
Mother Earth
By Antonia Gorman
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I had a minor epiphany in my garden yesterday.
I suddenly knew, palpably understood, why the Native American image
of Mother Earth and Father Sky is right. As I knelt next to my
rows of strawberries, clean sweat summoned from me by the sun and
gently brushed away by the breeze, I felt for an instant that the
sky -the sun and breeze -were the warm, strong body of a man. And
as I sifted the dirt between my fingers, patiently separating the
earth and worms from the pungent roots of weeds, I could feel the
swell of life in my hand and, for an instant, in my own body as
an extension of the earth's. I do not mean to say that these are
the only appropriate images for earth and sky, or for man and woman,
only that for that moment in my garden I was touched by, and allowed
to be part of, two lovers, both strong and healthy, true to themselves
and their own natures.
Then, feeling the peace that comes when all is as it should be, I walked
with Ginger, my adored golden retriever, toward the river for her swim.
As we passed neighboring yards and gardens, I suddenly stopped in surprise
at the sight before me. There, standing on her pregnant belly, were a
man and his son, forcing the earth to drink poisons sprayed from metallic
canisters strapped on their backs. I know these men intended no harm
and, fooled by the advertisements of chemical companies, probably felt
they were doing good. I am certain they could not have know that a 1991
Greenpeace study found that, while U.S. pesticide potency had increased
1000%, and use had increased 3000% since 1940, crops lost to insects
had actually increased six percentage points during the same period.
They could not have been aware that the World Health Organization estimated
that in 1990 alone there were three million acute poisonings, 735,000
chronic defects, and 220,000 deaths worldwide from agricultural chemicals.
That here in the U.S., chemical fertilizers and pesticides are the single
largest contributor to surface water pollution and that these chemicals
cannot be completely filtered out of the nation's drinking water. They
could not know that three billion tons of topsoil are lost each year
in the U.S. because of agricultural chemical use or that, in stark contrast,
organic farming methods actually add topsoil to the ground. They could
not have known that the earth feeds plant life from the substance of
her own body, so that plants grown in chemical laden soil absorb those
chemicals into themselves and disperse them into the bodies of the human
and non-human animals who eat them. If they knew these things, they could
not have poured poisons into the soil that feeds them.
If, then, you are one of those lucky people with land enough to plant
flowers or vegetables, try the suggestions listed in the sidebar instead
of using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Remember, though, all good
things require patience. If your soil has been receiving heavy doses
of chemicals for years, your crop yields may initially decrease when
you switch to organic methods. However, levels should reach parity with,
and may even surpass, pre-organic levels within three to five years.
The wait will be well worth while when your organic garden becomes more
sustainable, affordable, and healthful than it ever was before.
Once you improve the quality of your soil and are seeing to the
sunlight and water needs of your plants, many of your pest problems
should disappear.
Bugs, according to studies conducted at the University of Missouri in
the 1950s, can tell the difference between healthy and sick plants and
prefer the taste of sick ones. So, as long as you are keeping your plants
healthy, pests will probably avoid them in favor of "better" tasting
flora. Bugs can also be minimized through a technique known as "companion
planting." For some reason, plants are stronger and more resistant to
harmful bugs when in the company of "companion" plants. Similarly, they
are weaker and more likely to be bug prone when planted near "incompatibles." Tomatoes,
for instance, like being near carrots, celery, marigolds and onions,
but not corn, dill, potatoes or fennel. Likewise, broccoli is helped
by peas, potatoes, cucumbers, and spinach, but not pole beans, lima beans,
strawberries, or tomatoes. There are many useful books on companion planting
and composting in your local library and bookstore. Browsing through
them should help you with any questions or problems you may have.
Epiphanies, by definition, are flashes of insight. To see earth and sky
as mother and father is not to see anthropomorphic beings, conscious
of their own existence and emotionally involved with their progeny, but
rather to recognize them as that from which we come and on which we depend.
It is also to understand that nature is not an inanimate substance, but
a living dynamic, capable of caring for itself and others, but also capable
of being injured and even killed. We must, therefore, respect and nurture
it if we are to have any hope that nature will continue to support and
nurture us.
Antonia Gorman is a vegetarian
who divides her time between New York City and Honesdale, PA.
Some additional information.
Seven Tips for Organic Gardeners
1. Your number one priority should always be to feed Mother Earth so
that she can feed the plants that feed you. Her favorite food is compost
(decomposed organic matter) and a compost pile can be easily made as
long as you have space for at least a 3' x 3' x 3' pile of debris. This
pile should contain roughly equal parts of green plant matter (such as
weeds and kitchen scraps) and dried plant matter (such as autumn leaves
and shredded newspaper (black ink only). Once the pile is assembled,
cover it to prevent sunlight from entering, keep it moist (it should
feel like a damp sponge, but shouldn't drip when you squeeze a handful
of it), and turn it regularly for aeration. Never add paper with colored
ink, charcoal, or bug infested or diseased plants to your pile, and never
include meat or the manure from meat eating animals, since such items
contain disease pathogens (the manure of herbivorous animals, however,
is a good source of nitrogen and can be added to your compost heap if
you wish).
2. Mulch regularly. Mulch is a layer of organic matter (compost, leaves,
hay, etc.) spread on top of the soil to suppress weed growth, decrease
moisture evaporation, regulate soil temperature, and prevent soil erosion.
3. Introduce earthworms to your soil if it doesn't already contain them.
Earthworms aerate the soil and supply it with vital nitrogen through
their castings (excrement).
4. Choose a sunny spot for planting, preferably with morning and afternoon
rays.
5. Plant in areas with good air circulation.
6. Make sure plants get appropriate amounts of water.
7. Rotate crops (different bugs are attracted to different plants. Rotating
the location of crops each year deprives bugs of food and prevents infestations).
-A.G.
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