Those of us who preach organic gardening and farming in religious tones almost always buck up against science, which has forever struggled to explain what we accept as innate understanding. In other words, the scientists usually denounce what they can’t prove beyond a shadow of a doubt.
That’s why the study out of the University of Michigan last week set the Internet abuzz. Titled “Ecological Complexity and Pest Control in Organic Coffee Production: Uncovering an Autonomous Ecosystem Service,” the study went a long way toward explaining why organic systems really are more disease free. The study was published in the journal BioScience and reported broadly at BeyondPesticides.org and elsewhere, including this piece: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100826122620.htm
March 6th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
As the leaves start to pile up and the summer perennials start to die back you still have an opportunity to make one more harvest. Start a compost pile in the backyard, instead of bagging up all that landscape waste start composting it and reusing a wonderful resource. Not only will you benefit from this wonderful free resource you will be improving your garden and saving money as well. A good composter can be had at a reasonable price and will be a major asset throughout the year, as you make your own nutrient rich compost to add to your gardens soil.