Organics, A Load Of Fertilizer?

[Jason]

Every time I drive past one of our local organic farms I get irritated. I see some of the best farmland in BC north of the Fraser delta in a constant state of fallow. It's been this way for at least 2 yrs ( I think 3) in order, I suppose, to controll his weeds. All I can think of is "didn't this guy ever read about the 'dirty thirties'?" His precious topsoil is laying there exposed to the elements, leaving a bit at a time with every gust of wind and rain shower. These guys are supposed to be the environmental leaders? I have a hard time believing that the farming methods we used in the 30's because we didn't know any better or have a choice would now be considered 'leading edge' or 'environmentally friendly'.

There. Thats my rant.

Soil needs to grow something. The fallow is the old way of avoiding chemicals. It however depletes the soil of organic matter and starves microbes that need roots to feed on.

No till is good, but changes the way weeds grow. I have never seen so much downy brome as when most of the farmers here are in no till operations.

Those weeds are telling us something is out of whack. Just pinpointing what it is, is the difficult part as the same weeds will grow for different reasons in different areas.