| Why Organic? | | | | produced feed, and kept in living conditions conducive |
| It has been said that the externalized cost of | | | | to natural behavior, and lack of strain. |
| chemical agriculture is being paid in the form of | | | | This Organic Guarantee System (OGS) lists these as |
| resource deletions, contaminated water, co2 | | | | the acceptable natural organic fertilizer choices. |
| emissions and greenhouse gases, soil depletion, and | | | | Plant and Animal Sources: |
| loss of species. The human cost is equally large. Loss | | | | Farmyard manure, slurry and urine |
| of family-run farms and agriculture, the extermination | | | | Guano |
| of small towns and local economies, the sickness and | | | | blood meal, meat meal, bone, bone meal |
| cost caused by unregulated chemical and pesticide | | | | hoof and horn meal, feather meal, fish and fish |
| use, the loss of nutritional value in our food, and the | | | | products, wool, fur, hair, dairy products |
| hunger, and death of poor countries who produce for | | | | biodegradable processing by-products, plant or |
| export instead of feeding it's own people. | | | | animal origin, e.g. by-products of food, feed, oilseed, |
| With this knowledge, it's no wonder people are | | | | brewery, distillery or textile processing. |
| looking for alternate forms of farming. Organic is the | | | | Crop and vegetable residues, mulch, green |
| next logical step. From the soil to the table there are | | | | manure, straw |
| organic options for every level of gardener. This | | | | wood, bark, sawdust, wood shavings, wood ash, |
| article will discuss the virtues and options in organic | | | | wood charcoal |
| fertilizers. | | | | seaweed and seaweed products |
| For the organic purist, organic fertilizer is something | | | | peat (prohibited for soil conditioning) (Excluding |
| that comes from the surrounding land (manure from | | | | synthetic additives; permitted for inclusion in potting |
| your own livestock or "waste" from your own | | | | mixes.) |
| garden). The fertilizer is recycled, often composted. | | | | Plant preparations and extracts |
| Organic purists focus on soil health and use rotations, | | | | Most countries follow these strict guidelines, some |
| fallows, green manures and compost to maintain | | | | with their own discrepancies. For instance Canadian |
| fertility. | | | | standards are more stringent than some other |
| For the not so purist, resources used in organic | | | | countries. Raw manure and human sludge are not |
| fertilizer must be sustainably used, and come from | | | | permitted on their organic fertilizer list. |
| natural resources. | | | | Mineral Origin organic fertilizers |
| Whatever your reason for choosing to go organic, it | | | | basic slag |
| is important to know that there are organizations | | | | calcareous and magnesium amendments |
| which have strict international guidelines to deem an | | | | limestone, gypsum, marl, chalk, sugar beet lime, |
| item 'organic'. This includes fertilizers and food.This | | | | calcium chloride |
| Organic Guarantee System (OGS) brings together | | | | magnesium rock, kieserite and Epsom salt |
| the organic world through common standards, | | | | (magnesium sulfate) |
| verification, and market identity. These organizations | | | | mineral potassium (e.g. sulfate of potash, muriate |
| are very important in setting standards for a | | | | of potash, kainite, sylvanite, patent kali) (Shall only be |
| guaranteed organic product. | | | | obtained by physical procedures but not enriched by |
| Basic principals | | | | chemical processes) |
| Organic foods and other products are made from | | | | natural phosphates |
| organically produced ingredients that are processed | | | | pulverized rock, stone meal |
| primarily by biological, mechanical, and physical | | | | clay (e.g. bentonite, perlite, vermiculite, zeolite) |
| means.Natural, renewable, biological and regenerative | | | | sodium chloride |
| resources are the basis of organic production and | | | | trace elements |
| processing systems. Organic matter is recycled to | | | | sulfur |
| maintain the soil fertility of organic agriculture. | | | | Microbiological organic fertilizers |
| Availability of nutrients in the soil is primarily | | | | Biodegradable processing by-products of microbial |
| dependent of its own soil organisms. Cultural and local | | | | origin. For example - by-products of brewery or |
| practices manage the problems of pests, weeds and | | | | distillery processing. |
| disease. As well, livestock is managed with organically | | | | |