Veganic farmers work without animal fertilizers

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Veganic farmers work without animal fertilizers

 

This undated photo provided by Don Bustos shows crops grown in a greenhouse on

his Santa Cruz Farm in the Espanola Vally in Santa Cruz, N.M. By MELANIE

DABOVICH (Associated Press Writer)

From Associated Press

June 18, 2008 4:07 AM EDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The tradition of farming the land in northern New Mexico's

Espanola Valley had been passed down from Don Bustos' Spanish ancestors who

tilled the same soil centuries before.

 

But when Bustos realized the traditional farming techniques he was using could

harm his children's health, he went organic 15 years ago. Now, Bustos said he

has found an even safer method - vegan organic farming without any animal

fertilizers or byproducts.

 

Much like certified organic farmers, veganic farmers use no synthetic chemical

fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified ingredients. Veganic

farmers take it to another level by not using any manures or slaughterhouse

byproducts. They don't even use organically approved pesticides.

 

Salmonella and e-coli are bacteria that live in the intestines of livestock and

are present in their waste. Livestock waste, or manure, can be used to fertilize

fields, potentially contaminating crops with the disease-causing bacteria.

 

Crops can also be contaminated by contact with infected animals or their

byproducts, including bone meal and blood meal, which are used as fertilizer as

well.

 

Veganic farmers use crop rotations and composted plant matter - or " green

manure " - to fertilize their crops.

 

Bustos, 51, was inspired to pursue veganic farming four years ago after

listening to then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns speak.

 

" He was talking about ways to protect the safety of our food system, but to me

you still have things like e-coli and salmonella from manure (fertilizer), "

Bustos said. " Now, I use no manures, no bone meals, blood meal, no pesticides,

nothing. "

 

The method, also called stock-free farming, is an emerging concept in the United

States.

 

Stephane Groleau, co-founder of the Veganic Agriculture Network based in Quebec,

Canada, said he's aware of only a dozen veganic farms or gardeners in the U.S.

He said the farming method is more popular in England and Europe because of lack

of available land for raising livestock and concerns over livestock diseases

transferring to humans.

 

" In Europe, what we see is they import a lot of their meat and they don't have

as many animals on their land. And animals require a lot of space, so if you

have just a small holding, it's very demanding for the farmer, " Groleau said.

 

Veganic farmers in the U.S. are motivated by the need to protect the environment

and human health, said Ron Khosla, who operates the 77-acre vegan organic

Huguenot Street Farm in New Paltz, N.Y., with his wife.

 

Khosla said the primary source of nutrients on many organic farms in the country

comes from manure from confined animal operations, or what he calls " factory

farms. "

 

" You think you are getting these clean happy vegetables, but more often than not

they're grown in waste from factory farms, " he said. " The animals ... were fed

non-organic feed laced with hormones and antibiotics. Those products

bio-accumulate in the animals and it's present in their waste as well. "

 

Both Kholsa and Bustos said they have a strong customer base that seeks out

their produce because of the vegan growing philosophy as well as a growing

awareness about food production.

 

" Customers are becoming more aware about how their food is grown and the

practices by the farmer who's growing it, " Bustos said. " It's the customers that

are encouraging us to find ways to become more environmentally conscious and

efficient. "

 

Veganic growers say their methods reduce environmental impact by using less

land, conserving water and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

 

The practice, they say, is also cheaper than traditional farming and organic

farming.

 

Experts say veganic farming has yet to be proven as the silver bullet to better

growing practices because of its obscurity on the American farm scene.

 

" It's a new enough concept that benefits haven't been demonstrated one way or

the other, either economically or from a quality standpoint, " said Charles

Martin, assistant professor at New Mexico State University's Sustainable

Agriculture Science Center.

 

Though misapplied animal manure can cause crop contamination, it is no more

common than other possible ways for salmonella or e-coli to appear in the food

supply, said Billy Dictson, director of the Office of Biosecurity for the

Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center.

 

" Contamination can happen anywhere, from the field to transportation to field

workers to people that come in contact (with produce), " Dictson said.

 

Walter Goldstein, research director for the Michael Fields Agricultural

Institute in East Troy, Wis., said animal manure has proven quality benefits

when growing crops. He said ruminant manure lasts longer in the soil and

releases less carbon back into the air than green manure.

 

" The optimal farm is where livestock are integrated into the land, not separated

from it, " Goldstein said.

 

Farmers can be certified as veganic by meeting standards set by the Soil

Association Certification Ltd. in England. However, Khosla is working on veganic

standards for American farmers through his organization, Certified Naturally

Grown, based in Stone Ridge, N.Y.

 

" Since it is not mainstream, we have to find a way for farmers and consumers to

exchange knowledge and provide information for farmers to convert to veganic

farming, " Groleau said.

 

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On the Net:

 

Veganic Agriculture Network: http://www.goveganic.net

 

Vegan Organic Network: http://www.veganorganic.net

 

Certified Naturally Grown: http://www.naturallygrown.org

 

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute: http://www.michaelfieldsaginst.org

 

 

“We now know that a neo-conservative is an arsonist who sets the house on fire

and six years later boasts that no one can put it out.†- Bill Moyers

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anyone would know what to use? I don't want to use any fertilizers. My fava

beans start coming out with black spots on their leaves.

Is there anything to make it stop?

thank you

 

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