The Importance Of Growing Organic Vegetables

By Leslie Griffith


Globally, there is a trend towards a healthier lifestyle. This includes modified dieting and exercise programs. One of the ways that people have been trying to ensure that they eat healthier is to eat chemical free foods. This has given rise to the practice of growing organic vegetables.

The soil within which the food will be planted plays a crucial role in its definition as having been organically grown. Care must be taken to ensure that the land selected for planting has not been contaminated by harmful chemicals. This often happens through industrial and residential dumping as well as chemical spills. Once the safety of the soil has been established, attention can be turned to preparing it for planting.

Composting is done by combining biodegradable matter such as leaves and vegetable peelings and allowing them to break down before applying to the soil. It is also a good idea because it allows for the recycling of bio waste. This also has economic benefits since it eliminates the need for commercial fertilizers and as such saves the farmer from this expense.

Commercial pest control products have the potential to make food unsafe. This is why most commercial pest control products have specified periods for use and restrictions on reaping within a certain time after application. Quite often, if food is reaped and consumed within a certain period after application, serious health complications follow. There are, however, safer, more natural means of keeping pests away from plants and ensuring that you reap a bountiful harvest.

One safe method of banishing harmful parasites from vegetable gardens is to grow certain plants among them. Garlic, for one is known to repel several pests and is planted in many gardens to keep unwanted guests away. Ashes can be used to line the circumference of the farm area to discourage slugs from entering the garden.

Money is saved by going green with pest control methods, as farmers no longer have to buy commercial fertilizers. Money is also saved in terms of health care costs since the consumption of these foods, helps to keep illnesses at bay. Additionally, farmers and farm workers risk their own health and safety when they apply chemical laden fertilizers and pesticides. When this risk is avoided the farm workers enjoy better health and costly medical bills are avoided.

Harvesting must also be done organically. This means avoiding chemical at this stage in order to ensure that the organically grown status of the crop is not compromised. If, for instance, preservation is needed, natural means of getting this done must be used. Using chemical preservatives, at this point would cancel out all the work put into cultivating the natural way.

There is no denying the value and importance of growing organic vegetables. The time and effort that it takes to establish and maintain these practices is well rewarded in the long run. This is so not only because of the production associated costs that are avoided but also because the health and well being of consumers and farm workers are preserved.




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