A not so crappy history of Night Soil

[flowerbug]

Would you believe an entire civilization, the indians that created the soil called Terra Preta, did the exact same thing? Their topsoil was 30-35 feet deep when we discovered what they had created over so many generations.

they are mining and selling the stuff as garden amendment material. i would love to be able to go see it on site. amazing stuff from what i've read about it.

 

[ducks4you]

So... my Dish service has a DVR and I use it. Oftentimes programs sit for months before I have the right time to kill, or need a break from intense heat to watch them. I taped these 2 PBS programs on the geological/archeological history of North America

Making North America

Host Kirk Johnson explores how the continent was shaped—and how it shaped us.

www.pbs.org

The 2nd/2 is about human invasion of north america, and how tobacco as a cash crop was grown in VA, just the right crop for just the right time in just the right soil. I was very happy to see the author of:

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations book by David R. Montgomery

www.thriftbooks.com

David Montgomery, who was interviewed and gave a very simplified explanation of how soil was created.
The Book goes into a great deal more detail, and explains how soil can become worn out if not cared for, hence my interest in the subject. Montgomery talks about how in Europe (and Great Britain) in the Dark Ages, crops were rotated and one field each year was left fallow. In England it was called the "common," and livestock were allowed to graze the common to deposit manure for the next year's crop.
The host of the north america series, right After this interview, was standing in front of a field of tobacco that HE said was grown as a sample of what was grown in the 17th century.
"THIS field is grown with chemical fertilizer..."
Whoa...WHAT?!?!?
He subtlely claims that Europeans brought destruction to the North American continent, Just interviewed an expert who doesn't just Preach in his book, but gives us usable advice, and this host claims chemical fertilizer is making the stand of corn grow?

The Hidden Dangers of Chemical Fertilizers -- Environmental Protection

Because the damage caused by chemical fertilizers is often long-term and cumulative, it may be wiser to consider alternative and sustainable methods of fertilizing the soil.

eponline.com

I think we REALLY need to watch WHO uses the buzz words:
Organic
Environmentalist

 

[ducks4you]

Further, we can all be good stewards on our own plot of land.

 

[flowerbug]

i've recommended Montgomery's book here on TEG a few times for those who enjoy reading history and are interested in what happens to topsoil and garden soil. it isn't that long of a book, but well worth the time.

i've also spent a lot of time following permaculture efforts in some very inhospitable places to see what happens and how they make new topsoil out of scraps, chop and drop crops, composting toilets and any irrigation and rainwater they can catch and store. it's amazing what they can do. IMO if you can survive in a place and have enough water for living you can use the waste water for supplementing rain water catches to grow some food.

while topsoil can be damaged and be eroded away you can eventually restore it - may take some years, may take some efforts but it's not a complete loss. the problem in many areas now is that without any shade or organic matter and no control of animals they get repeatedly grazed back to nothing.

 

[ducks4you]

I noticed locally that a few local farmers are putting out pig manure after harvest. It only smells bad for a few days, and I am SURE the next year's crops do better with it.