Organic Farming
Mrs. Mercer
Hon. English 1
13 February 2012
Organic Farming “Pesticide residues have been ranked among the top three environmental cancer risks by the American government” (Cleeton). This startling statistic fuels some of the arguments between organic farming and conventional farming. Although organic products cost more, they have many benefits to humans and rural societies. Organic farming is better than conventional farming because of the benefits to the natural environment, the methods used to fertilize soil and deter bugs, and the safety and health of people. Different farming techniques cause negative effects on organic matter in the soil. Because chemical fertilizers are so cheap and effective, they have been overused and have damaged soils. The effects of the chemical fertilizers have killed much of the organic matter in the soil. This loss in organic matter lowers the soils aeration and water holding abilities. Soil aeration is important because it allows water to get to the roots. Soil aeration also helps to get nutrients to the roots of a plant. The microorganisms that are destroyed can help to degrade the amount of pollution in the soil. Tests have been taken on the transition from conventional farming systems to organic systems which showed that the transition had an increase of microorganisms in the soil (De Araújo, Ferreia, and de Melo 2423). On the other hand, organic farms use legumes to fertilize their soil. Some examples of legumes are beans, peas, and peanuts. “Organic systems are extremely important for the increase of soil fertility” (De Araújo, Ferreia, and de Melo 2423). Organic farmers use legumes to fertilize their soil because legumes take nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil. Leguminous green-manure crops can add anywhere from 40 to 200 pounds of nitrogen to an acre of soil (Fossel 31). Along with legumes, organic farmers also use a technique called green manure. Green manure is any cover crop
Hon. English 1
13 February 2012
Organic Farming “Pesticide residues have been ranked among the top three environmental cancer risks by the American government” (Cleeton). This startling statistic fuels some of the arguments between organic farming and conventional farming. Although organic products cost more, they have many benefits to humans and rural societies. Organic farming is better than conventional farming because of the benefits to the natural environment, the methods used to fertilize soil and deter bugs, and the safety and health of people. Different farming techniques cause negative effects on organic matter in the soil. Because chemical fertilizers are so cheap and effective, they have been overused and have damaged soils. The effects of the chemical fertilizers have killed much of the organic matter in the soil. This loss in organic matter lowers the soils aeration and water holding abilities. Soil aeration is important because it allows water to get to the roots. Soil aeration also helps to get nutrients to the roots of a plant. The microorganisms that are destroyed can help to degrade the amount of pollution in the soil. Tests have been taken on the transition from conventional farming systems to organic systems which showed that the transition had an increase of microorganisms in the soil (De Araújo, Ferreia, and de Melo 2423). On the other hand, organic farms use legumes to fertilize their soil. Some examples of legumes are beans, peas, and peanuts. “Organic systems are extremely important for the increase of soil fertility” (De Araújo, Ferreia, and de Melo 2423). Organic farmers use legumes to fertilize their soil because legumes take nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil. Leguminous green-manure crops can add anywhere from 40 to 200 pounds of nitrogen to an acre of soil (Fossel 31). Along with legumes, organic farmers also use a technique called green manure. Green manure is any cover crop