Organic farming is a form of agriculture that is based on ecological management which excludes the use of synthetic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and antibiotics applied on plants and animals. It promotes and focuses on agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity while minimizing the risk to human and animal health and natural resources. It has been proven as an effective approach with the United Nations (UN) in their report on world hunger and poverty.

People during the World War II had experienced food shortages. After the war, the farmers were encouraged to use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides as everyone wanted affordable and plenty of food. Meat was affected as well when the animals were administered with growth hormones and antibiotics. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides had caused severe water and environmental pollution. Over the years, the consumers have become more concerned about its disadvantage and started to support organic farming.

How organic farming is done

In organic farming, farmers naturally nourish soil with the use of quality compost, cover crops. Plants that grow on healthy soil are much better and can actually protect themselves from pests and disease without the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farming also helps in protecting the global environment as they can significantly reduce the amount of factors that contribute to global warming such as carbon dioxide.

Animals are organically raised are fed with certified organic feeds, hormone-free and GMO-free. Organic farmers prevent disease on livestock by ensuring that they have are healthy, fed right, and have given comfortable shelters. One of the outcomes is some certified organic milk cows have a life expectancy 3 or 4 times the life expectancy of their conventional counterparts.

Organic foods

It is however that many in the industry are not convinced that organic foods are more nutritious than the conventionally grown food as there are no conclusive evidences shown.  Even though USDA certifies organic food, it does not claim that these are safer and more nutritious.

Some people prefer to choose organic food to avoid their exposure to the pesticide residues from conventional farming. But since organic foods tend to have more farming practices, they are more expensive than conventional foods.

Organic farming is very much debated topic and its environmental benefits will continue to be studied which in turn will find a better understanding on how it will cure or help in reducing the effects of environmental hazards brought by the modern agricultural practices.

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The incredible edible egg is a protein packed gift of nature. Whether starting off our day, binding our baked goods or enjoying a late night omelet that hits the spot, eggs are a very important part of our daily lives. They are considered the source for an all-in-one edible thing.

Organic eggs are eggs produced by the hens which are fed with all natural diets. There are no pesticides and the synthetic hormones in their diet. This means that these hens are not fed on the man made diet. The human body will not have to process hormones and pesticides which the hen has metabolized. The all natural diet ensures no harmful effects and perfect balance of the proteins, vitamins and the other essential minerals.

Cage free eggs are the most humane option as their living conditions have been kept as nature intended free roaming and not stuffed in cages with many others. These hens are given exposure to the nature. They are exposed to the sun light and the outdoors is in their reach thus producing better eggs for human consumption.

Cage free certified organic eggs may cost you a little more but they are definitely much better than the artificially enhanced eggs. These eggs are produced by the hens which are brought up in the ‘close to nature’ surroundings. These hens are provided natural food and they are not treated with any enhancers and growth catalysts at all. You can find the organic cage free eggs at your local store. You will find many different brands selling different varieties of the eggs. Just make sure that you pick organic and cage free eggs to make sure that you are getting the best and the all natural product.

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Organic farmers believe that a free range chicken is one happy chicken and therefore is not oozing with harmful toxins. Not only will it help your energy levels and staying power last longer but also it was said to delay the aging process when introduced along with overall healthy lifestyle.

Most free range chickens are kept organic, since then it became so popular to health buffs the world over causing a shortage in supply. This alone makes it a very lucrative business for farmers worldwide especially in times like these when people are beginning to make a conscious effort in living a healthy lifestyle. Organically raised chickens are grass fed and they are encouraged to live a stress free life of clean air and water. As much as possible, no chemicals are introduced to the chicken’s system, whether directly to the chicken or to its surrounding areas.

Free range chickens are a great source of protein. Aside from that, it offers many benefits to humans when consumed. It is healthy and very delicious too unlike those that are raised in coops which tend to be less tasty. Be warned though, since free range chickens require special care, it tends to cost more than its supermarket counterparts.

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Bee farms are cheap and easy. In fact, they are most recommended for small scale farmers with no resources to start their own businesses with. Many organizations are working on introducing this kind of activity for developing countries like Africa and Asia. So far, may farmers have responded and bee farms are faring well.

There’s no better time to start your own bee farm than today since the demand is very high and the supply is somewhat lacking. It opens a door for poor farmers to somehow generate enough income to support his or her family. It can even be a family business since beekeeping can be done by everyone in the family including kids. Best of all, it can blend perfectly with your crops, assuming you’re also growing them. As we all know, bees pollinate, making your crops all the more healthy therefore increasing their productivity level.

Bees produce honey while honey has high value when sold. They are very easy to harvest and won’t require any additional technology to do so. All it takes is a simple know-how which most free seminars will teach you. Furthermore, its byproduct is well sought-after by manufacturing companies and even health conscious individuals so there’s no need to fret where to sell your goods after each harvest.

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Although it’s to be expected, the slow phase organic fertilizer is currently experiencing is partly due to the fact that farmers are quite confused on what organic fertilizers are and how it can work on their farms. It seems that there is no existing group or organization that helps spreading the word to farmers while commercial fertilizers come complete with instructions and even extend support to small farm communities. According to surveys, almost a hundred percent of gardening hobbyists already made the switch and have been enjoying the benefits of organic fertilizers ever since. It’s because they can afford to wait, spend a little more money and most of all, can try again next time if this season’s batch won’t come out great while farmers don’t have this kind of luxury and unfortunately, they are not informed how to do it properly.

Basically, anything that comes from nature and encourages bacterial growth is considered as an organic fertilizer. Some examples of which are manure, fish emulsions, blood meal, bone meal and even sewer sludge. Organic fertilizers take time to generate results but if one can afford the wait, it will all be worth it.

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Forest farming involves trimming down, albeit cautiously, some certain genus to reestablish balance and equilibrium of a particular forest. Forest farming is encouraged in areas wherein there is an existing issue of overabundance of certain species which restrict growth of other living organisms essential in the biological cycle. Some of the most popular harvests are exotic mushrooms such as Shiitake and other medicinal, edible fungi. This method of farming is not only about harvesting but also it involves planning and cultivating to ensure that the biocycle is not destroyed in any way. Forest farming proves to be a fun and profitable venture that anyone could explore.

Several government funded seminars are conducted to teach locals residing near forest areas about forest farming methods and techniques, as well as the kinds of mushrooms that could be grown in the area. These seminars go as far as how and where to sell your produce after harvests. Aside from mushrooms, there are other crops you can find, grow and harvest in forests since they have rich and very fertile soil that could grow practically anything you can think of. These crops include, but not limited to:  ginseng and ferns which are used for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

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A wallaby is also referred to as miniature kangaroo. A wallaby and a kangaroo share the same features but size since a wallaby’s maximum height is only about 41 inches. These species are usually found in Australia and its neighboring cities. They can be bred and sold if a particular farm is duly licensed by governing agencies. Wallabies come in 30 different types with their own sets of personalities but apparently, breeders’ choice for families who are just starting out with exotic animals is the Bennett’s wallaby. This type of wallaby is much calmer and less nocturnal which makes them a good pet and a rewarding hobby. Bennett’s wallabies are more adjusted in living around humans even if they are not bred in farms.

Wallabies are low maintenance mammals. They are herbivores so they mainly graze. If you’re adapting a wallaby, be sure to have a land full of grass and plants where your pet can munch all day long. You’ll also need to fence them in so they won’t get lost. Don’t forget to give them water as well. Wallabies can be trained and make a good house pets as well. Joeys can be bottle-fed if they were taken home by new owners at an early age and still grow healthy and well adjusted to human companionship.

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Organic farming relies on crop rotation, composting, earth friendly methods of pest control and other ecologically safe solutions.  Organic farmers limit their use of pesticides, herbicides, anti-biotic and other practices that have detrimental effects on our planet.  Organic farmers do not only grow vegetables and fruit.  Organic farmers also raise livestock that have been fed organically grown feeds.  These animals are raised in an environment where they are “grass fed”, “raised in pasture”, and other practices deemed by the National Organic Stanarard.  as “animal-friendly”.  In these farms, animals are treated as humanely as possible as opposed to commercial farms.

Organic farming also protects the long-term fertility of the soil.  By adapting methods that keep the soil healthy, organic farmers balance the crops they plant and the welfare of the soil.

The environment also gets a boost from organic farming.  Organic farmers make sure that by using only the safest and earth friendly methods, our planet is protected from further damage.  The impact organic farming has on our environment has helped preserve the quality of our soil, the health of our animals, conserve wildlife and game and helped us human beings become healthier.

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When the organic produce in question, passed the organic certification process set for organic farmers, it is organic-certified. We stumble upon this word everywhere since people become more conscious of what they eat, in the market, in restaurants, in shopping area as well. This is due to worldwide scare of the ill-effects of non-organic crops to our body.

Any farm communities can apply for organic certification provided they are willing to be inspected and they will adhere to strict rules on how to grow their chemical-free produce. Chemical-free means that they did not use chemical based fertilizer, pesticides, GMOs, and such. Also, the land where the crops will grow should be chemical-free for years, usually 3 or more.

However, what people don’t actually know is that sometimes organic-certified does not mean 100% chemical-free because organic certification varies greatly from every country, every department that certifies it. There is no “only rule” to follow making it hard for us to determine how much of the harmful chemical is actually used in these organic-certified produce.

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The harmful health effects of hormones used for increasing milk production in commercial agriculture can be seen most clearly in the case of rGBH, or recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, a protein hormone branded commonly as Posalic®. Despite the strong and persistent concern of scientists and farmers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the hormone in 1993. Research on health-effects of rGBH has revealed that milk produced by cows injected with rGBH carries elevated levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), another protein hormone, which may be responsible for colon and breast cancer. While further research is needed to verify these initial findings, the safety of rGBH is strongly disputed.

Synthetic or genetically modified growth hormones have also been linked to early pubescence in girls, some of whom have been found to hit puberty as early as in their eight year of life. Other studies have found a decrease in sperm production in boys as a result of exposure to these hormones. Growing children are, therefore, vulnerable to reproductive abnormalities on account of artificially engineered growth hormones for increasing dairy production.

Yet another dark side to the use of growth hormones on cattle is the health risk of antibiotics. The hormones injected into the cattle frequently cause mastitis, which is a painful inflammation of the udders. To treat this condition, the dairy industry injects the cattle with antibiotics that remain in the milk obtained from them. Children fed on this milk get the antibiotics in their blood, something that weakens their natural immunity to fight bacteria and other pathogenic microbes. Continued feeding on antibiotic-containing milk compromises the immunity of children, making them easy victims to all kinds of infections and diseases.

The health risks associated with the use of growth hormones in cattle, for the purpose of increasing milk production, call for the urgent need to discourage such practices on dairy farms. Organic farm communities, which promise natural and safe dairy products, are the ideal solution to this problem. Organic agriculture is eco-friendly, healthy, and conducive to life in the long run. Consumers of dairy products living in urban areas can choose to buy organic, hormone-free dairy products at many superstores. In rural areas, safe milk and other dairy food is easily available at organic farms.

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