Comments on: The Nitrogen Challenge http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:08:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: warren http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4224 warren Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:18:20 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4224 6 to 9 billion souls? Why are we not talking about overpopulation? That is too many people for a healthy, diverse biosphere! 6 to 9 billion souls? Why are we not talking about overpopulation? That is too many people for a healthy, diverse biosphere!

]]> By: South Dakota Farmer Uses No-Till and Cover Crops Practices to Improve Yields http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4213 South Dakota Farmer Uses No-Till and Cover Crops Practices to Improve Yields Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:04:16 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4213 [...] organization Roots of Change (ROC) characterizes in part, its importance from his recent post, The Nitrogen Challenge: “Among those who better understand agriculture and food systems, nitrogen has been known as [...] [...] organization Roots of Change (ROC) characterizes in part, its importance from his recent post, The Nitrogen Challenge: “Among those who better understand agriculture and food systems, nitrogen has been known as [...]

]]> By: Jennifer http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4198 Jennifer Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:06:52 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4198 While my four hens are legal in Durham, NC, giving away their manure is not. They produce a lot of natural nitrogen which could easily be used for vegetables. I'm not even supposed to give away vegetables GROWN in my garden using the chicken manure. While my four hens are legal in Durham, NC, giving away their manure is not. They produce a lot of natural nitrogen which could easily be used for vegetables. I’m not even supposed to give away vegetables GROWN in my garden using the chicken manure.

]]> By: Michael R. Dimock http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4197 Michael R. Dimock Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:56:12 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4197 As the fates would have it, I was at a dinner last night hosted by Dan Imhoff, primary author of the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture. Both Wes Jackson and Doug Tompkins were there. Through traditional breeding, Wes is creating a perennial poly-culture of food grains in Kansas that will form the foundation for truly sustainable production there, a system that mimics nature. Doug is managing several operations in Argentina and Chile that are also mimicking nature. He is using the exact 8 year crop rotation that I mentioned in the blog. I saw pictures of it on his computer. The diversity of crops on the property was stunningly beautiful and effective at maintaining soil and fertility, particularly N. As the fates would have it, I was at a dinner last night hosted by Dan Imhoff, primary author of the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture. Both Wes Jackson and Doug Tompkins were there. Through traditional breeding, Wes is creating a perennial poly-culture of food grains in Kansas that will form the foundation for truly sustainable production there, a system that mimics nature. Doug is managing several operations in Argentina and Chile that are also mimicking nature. He is using the exact 8 year crop rotation that I mentioned in the blog. I saw pictures of it on his computer. The diversity of crops on the property was stunningly beautiful and effective at maintaining soil and fertility, particularly N.

]]> By: Michael R. Dimock http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4195 Michael R. Dimock Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:09:37 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4195 SaticoyRoots-Chris Thanks. I agree more legumes, less meat, at least corn finished. I could still see lots of chicken and other livestock that sufficiently gain on a sustainable mix of plants, insects on a piece of ground. Yes the transition could be painful. My question is: without synth N or mined N can we feed 9 billion? Yesterday, Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, gave a talk at Sonoma State at which he said, last year, 2008, according to the UN, the world produced enough food for 11 billion people. The problem is distribution and affordability. If that is true, I am more hopeful. SaticoyRoots-Chris

Thanks. I agree more legumes, less meat, at least corn finished. I could still see lots of chicken and other livestock that sufficiently gain on a sustainable mix of plants, insects on a piece of ground. Yes the transition could be painful. My question is: without synth N or mined N can we feed 9 billion? Yesterday, Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, gave a talk at Sonoma State at which he said, last year, 2008, according to the UN, the world produced enough food for 11 billion people. The problem is distribution and affordability. If that is true, I am more hopeful.

]]> By: SaticoyRoots http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4194 SaticoyRoots Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:50:36 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4194 Nice article, Michael. Personally, I see a lot legumes in the future. Beans are a great source of protein that can replace some of the meat in our diets, and help build soil and capture atmospheric N. For the livestock that do remain, alfalfa would be preferable to grain, and it is also an N fixer. The trick is in how we transition from here to there. Nice article, Michael. Personally, I see a lot legumes in the future. Beans are a great source of protein that can replace some of the meat in our diets, and help build soil and capture atmospheric N. For the livestock that do remain, alfalfa would be preferable to grain, and it is also an N fixer. The trick is in how we transition from here to there.

]]> By: Garlic Man http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4192 Garlic Man Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:43:14 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4192 It's about time! Thanks for the info. It’s about time! Thanks for the info.

]]> By: Chiot's Run http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4191 Chiot's Run Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:54:44 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4191 I've read that urine is a great source of nitrogen. We seem to have plenty of that around and they often use it in other countries for their crops. Perhaps we should think about alternatives like this. I’ve read that urine is a great source of nitrogen. We seem to have plenty of that around and they often use it in other countries for their crops. Perhaps we should think about alternatives like this.

]]> By: Ulla Kjarval http://civileats.com/2009/10/12/the-nitrogen-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-4190 Ulla Kjarval Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:29:39 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5255#comment-4190 Great article. So happy to see people are really talking about the nuts and bolts of farming. Here in the northeast where my familys farm we have the asset of "poor man's fertilizer" because snow puts a lot on our fields. We use manure too. In hotter places, where it is better to grow crops this is a big issue. Like to hear about more possible solutions. I think animal and vegetable farming together is an interesting idea because manure is such an asset! Great article. So happy to see people are really talking about the nuts and bolts of farming.
Here in the northeast where my familys farm we have the asset of “poor man’s fertilizer” because snow puts a lot on our fields. We use manure too.
In hotter places, where it is better to grow crops this is a big issue.
Like to hear about more possible solutions.
I think animal and vegetable farming together is an interesting idea because manure is such an asset!

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