The Dirt on Health: Organic Garden Soil and Nutrition
I think about soil a lot. I take a bite of raw, organic cheese, and wonder about the stewardship of the pastures where the cattle were grazing. I eat a fresh, organic avocado and wonder how the trees are being tended. I chew on some homemade fruit leather from cherries I got at Azure, and consider the care that cultivated them from seedling to fruit.
If I’m not zeroed in thinking about soil, the sense of it is ever-circling around because soil is one of the foundational pillars of our health, just like the air we breathe, the water we drink, the environment we live in, and our own genetics. Since my early 20s, I’ve used the phrase “dirt therapy”, referring to gardening and the need to get my hands in the soil; something about it always makes me feel better. There are many reasons digging in the dirt does indeed have beneficial impact on our health, and one of them is our interaction with healthful soil biome. Truly, studies have shown that Mycobacterium vaccae (non-pathogenic microbes) increase serotonin levels (your “happy” neurotransmitters) and possibly even stimulate neuron production- thanks bacteria, I need that!
Soil – healthy soil – is a vibrant, dynamic universe of organisms working in symbiotic relationships, from the microbes to the nutrients, to the plants and animals that interact with it. Each one plays a vital role in soil development and health. It’s a cosmos unto itself which we are far from thoroughly understanding on the whole. Over the last many odd decades, we have treated the soil as something to “tame“ in a sense, sterilizing and depleting it and then artificially adding back to it, as if we in our infinite wisdom knew what was better and right. How could we blanketly do so without truly understanding the makeup? Not well.
Soil – healthy soil – is a vibrant, dynamic universe of organisms working in symbiotic relationships, from the microbes to the nutrients, to the plants and animals that interact with it.
As you know, the Stelzer family quit killing the soil more than 40 years ago. They left the “convention” of the day and stopped spraying herbicides and pesticides, and stopped adding in commercial fertilizers. They turned their attention to organic stewardship of the land, focusing on mending and naturally replenishing. That was the start from which the fields and orchards of Azure have been building to today.
However, that was not the end. Ever since, the quest to study and understand the needs of the plants has been forefront, from considering best times for planting, appropriate inputs, harvesting methods, etc. This is not something confined to the Stelzer family and Azure, but includes all of us who are endeavoring to grow food that is as close to its “genetic potential” as possible. That’s a term I heard Bob Wilt of Sunset Valley Organics use in a YouTube I watched recently, and I love it.
Now, as with any short article on a massive subject, the intention here is less about education and more about whetting an appetite for more learning. I say that because I am often acting as a bullhorn in my position, not as an expert. We are embarking on a phase of discovery and exploration related to soil and plant health, about which I have been so excited by the kibbles I’ve had so far. While I won’t have all the details for you here, or many really, I do promise that I will be on the frontline of disseminating the information as we dive in deeper. On we go …
IMMUNE SYSTEMS
Think of your own immune system. Are you the type that is healthy in general but succumbs to cold and flu “season”? Are you the type that catches every bug that flies around? Are you the type that never gets sick even as all those around you fall prey? Do you notice a change in your productivity level when you are running on 2 cylinders versus 4? In any of those cases, it is your immune system that is responsible- for better or worse. So, what makes your immune system stronger? Clearly this is something we talk about all the time, and you’re well versed in an immune-boosting regimen… reduce stress, drink plenty of fluids, eat well. When you have all those ingredients dialed in, you can withstand most bugs flying your way, right? Have you ever given thought to a plant’s immune system?
Honestly, prior to some months ago, I had never put those two thoughts together per se– plants and immune system. But, the first time I heard it, I thought, “Of course! Makes perfect sense.” Just like our immune system helps us fight off the nasty critters, so does that of the plant. But, what makes up the immune system of a plant? Well, let’s look at ourselves.
What did Hippocrates say- that thing about disease/health starting in the gut? So, what we consume defines, establishes and maintains our immune system, or impedes it. The same is true for plants. If their immune systems aren’t healthy, they are susceptible to the bugs and blights, and their production is not optimal.
So, what and from where are they consuming things? Aside from photosynthesizing from the sun, they are taking up nutrition from the soil and their leaves. Super. We all know that too. That’s what fertilizers are for - apply some manure and you’re good to go. But, hang on. Are you still having trouble with aphids? Is powdery mildew sweeping over your crops? Did you find those pesky worms in your fruit harvest again? Guess what? Those are signs that the immune systems of your plants are not operating at peak level. They’re saying, “Thanks for the dung, that’s great, but I have a hankering for some microbes and with a dash of shells too.”
In other words, your plants are running deficient in something, possibly over-abundant in something else, creating an imbalance and thereby a weakness in their immune systems.
HEALTHY SOIL
So, maybe this isn’t earth shattering yet, but we’re just getting going. Here’s where it gets really interesting. Back in early 2014, maybe the end of 2013, some of Azure’s lead agriculture experts (our Orchard Master, Soil Expert, Farm Managers, David Stelzer, etc.) started meeting with a company called Advancing Eco-Agriculture (Advancing Eco-Ag), and the founder John Kempf. If you haven’t heard of this young Amish farmer and his company from the Midwest, run don’t walk to learn more.
He is being coined as the “Plant Doctor” or the “Plant Whisperer” and David Stelzer, CEO of Azure, said, “They are on the leading edge of the next generation of (healthy) agriculture development …They have the most genius as far as plant science is concerned that I’ve ever seen.”
One of the things this company is utilizing is full spectrum sap testing and screening, much like you might get a full blood panel analysis. With the sap analysis, you get real-time understanding of the nutrient make-up in the plant, allowing you to see nutritive stress well before it manifests in the plant, and giving you the opportunity to correct the imbalance before the plant is compromised. Now, while that testing is important for knowing the status of the plants make-up in the moment, what’s really interesting is the understanding John Kempf lays out about levels of plant health, immune system and corresponding ability to 1) ward off pests and 2) grow most vigorously with high, nutrient-dense yields. Again, this is just a basic preview. Azure will be collaborating more with Advancing Eco-Ag, and providing more educational materials and products as we move forward. But, allow me to give a primer.
As a plant begins to develop, it produces its own food via photosynthesis which is initially simple sugars like sucrose. As they become more developed and their photosynthesis process is complete, they begin to produce more complex carbohydrates. This enables them to fend off bottom level predators like certain soil-borne pathogens, fungi, etc. because those organisms do not have the digestive system to consume anything beyond simple sugars.
In the next level of health, the plant begins producing complete proteins which enables them to be resistant to predators with simple digestive systems like certain insects, larvae, etc. This level of health is reached when the plant has a balance of mineral absorption to nitrogen (not an excess of nitrogen). It is at this point that there are virtually no soluble amino acids and no soluble nitrogen on which those simple insects are dependent for food.
According to Kempf, these first two levels of plant health are relatively easy to reach with proper mineral nutrition and balance. The third level of plant health is when they have a surplus of energy and begin to store that energy in the form of lipids. This gives them a protective shield of sorts on their leaves, and makes them resistant to weather extremes and airborne pathogens.
Ultimately, the fourth level of plant health is when they produce secondary metabolites (Primary metabolites are critical for growth and development; secondary metabolites are not, but have an important part in a plant’s defense system) and abundant essential oils which make them fully resistant to larger more complex predators like beetles and other insects with more developed digestive systems.
Getting back to the soil, this is where the incredible importance of the biome comes into play. Soil microbes act as a plant’s digestive system. They are what break down the minerals in the soil, making them bioavailable to the plant. So, for example, if your plant is deficient in a particular mineral and you pour on a bunch but have sterile soil, the plant will not be able to make use of that application because it needs its soil buddies (kin to our tummy buddies) to help facilitate that process. Now, it’s not a one-way street here. The exudates from the plant roots actually feed and stimulate the soil microbes and enable them to pre-digest those minerals for the plant to uptake. There is a very complex, intricate communication and food system in play here, not only for the nutritive benefits, but also for warning systems.
Last year, I read an interesting study about the mycorrhizae fungi network around plant roots that assists the plant in sending out warning signals to other plants when there is a threat of attack by aphids and other insects. This allows neighboring plants to put up their guard - in this case, chemicals they produce that repel aphids and attract their predators, namely wasps. Incredible! By learning about the four levels of plant health, it is easy to see why some plants are better able to raise those defenses than others.
HEALTHY PLANTS
Part of what is so exciting to me about all this is the confluence of timing, ability to act, and the desire of more and more people to make a difference. For some time, Azure and the Stelzer family have been focused on the desire to get beyond organic. As mentioned earlier, going organic was just the start because in the modern era, that only really speaks to the “lack of” what is used in growing. Beyond organic means something much more.
For us here, it means implementing growing practices which focus on nutrient content. It also means creating a network and a system whereby others are able to consistently do the same as well. As an example, Wilt Farms (Sunset Valley Organics) is doing it successfully. They are utilizing some of the Kempf program along with some of their own, and they are seeing tremendous effect in their berries. To give you an idea, the FDA says that the standard brix levels for blueberries is 7-10. Wilt blueberries are running on average 19-21! THAT is nutrient dense.
In the fall, I did a spotlight on Hardgrass Beef, a new vendor for Azure. During the interview, the owner Getty Pollard talked about his desire to see food- beef, veggies, fruit, etc. - be measured and sold based on its nutrient value, not on sheer weight or size. THIS is the kind of thing we are talking about, and we at Azure want to help make nutrient-dense food the norm. We want to help enable people to understand the difference and then to demand it from growers, producers, and suppliers. We only get nutrient-dense food (that which is closest to its “genetic potential”) from healthy plants which require healthy soil, a healthy micro-biome and sufficient water. Not one of those elements can be missing without immune system weakness appearing and sickness and disease invited in.
We only get nutrient-dense food (that which is closest to its “genetic potential”) from healthy plants which require healthy soil, a healthy micro-biome and sufficient water.
Again, that is across the board - humans, plants, animals. Just like “organic” was the beginning of our return to responsible agriculture, this article is just the beginning of articulation in our next level of education and understanding. Please spend some time going through the material provided in the references below. Also, stay tuned for more coming soon on practical ways individuals can apply the knowledge. We plan to provide access to additional educational materials, as well as information on other growers, producers and vendors that share the nutrient-dense mindset.
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