The primary reason our customers purchase organic chicken feed is because they look forward to having their hens produce organic eggs for their families.
Hens that eat organic feed produce organic eggs. And, organic eggs are believed to be healthier because they are free of chemicals, pesticides and other non-natural goodies.
Think about the following statements:
- The toxicity of pesticides has increased 10 times in the past 50 years.
- From 1932 to 1996, pesticide use increased thousands of percent. In that same time, the percentage of crops destroyed by pests also increased from 32% to 38%.
- Genetically Modified Crops have led to pesticide increase.
- Chemical Fertilizers can lower the overall nutritional content of the soil.
- Pesticides can, in some cases, take years to break down.
We’re not here to bash the historical use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Over the years, they have served a purpose and resulted in an abundance of food production. Strong arguments can be made that they have their place, even still. Certainly, there are strong opinions and heated arguments on both sides.
Our argument, if you will, is more of a goal which is to promote the education of organic methods and the use of these organic methods whenever possible. Over the years, chemical compounds have been used, but they have more commonly been misused. The truth is that it is the residential and amateur farmers, not the commercial farmers, who tend to overuse these “off the shelf” products. These products are widely promoted in the market place.
Certainly, we understand it. The marketing is powerful. Chemical fertilizers with big pictures of plump red tomatoes! Most of us love garden fresh tomatoes and want that picture-perfect tomato in our back yard. And so, the chemical fertilizers fly off the shelves.
There are alternatives. We’d offer up composting. Good compost is the best fertilizer, hands down. It promotes water retention, soil preservation and aggressive healthy growth of plant life. Did you know there are more living organisms in a handful of good compost than there are people on the planet! Pretty amazing! It’s those organisms that break down organic matter, recycling of material and release nitrogen into the soil for roots systems to thrive. And there are products available to make it easier.
Using a compost bin (easily made) for yard waste, a good compost tumbler, compost pail, and some compost pail liners (biodegradable and made of corn starch) makes composting very manageable, if not easy. It’s certainly as easy as bagging up all those grass clippings and leaves. It’s about as easy as throwing the table scraps in the trash can. It leads to the reduction of “food waste” which makes up 60% of waste in landfills. These are all good things. If you can make our planet a little greener without spending much more time or money, it’s worth it.
There are many organic methods. The point of “going organic” is the promotion of a balanced life. On the flipside, chemicals tend to do the opposite. The purpose of pesticides is to kill in a controlled manner. While chemical fertilizers do promote plant life, they can degrade the soil which results in the need for more chemicals. Organic methods promote life of all things. Yes, that includes the bugs! At the same time, organic methods promote the life of those bugs natural enemies. This is how the food chain works!
So, why go organic? Organic methods promote balance in our food chain and long term sustainable life.
