It’s Regeneration International’s philosophy that healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy animals, healthy people, healthy climate, healthy societies–our physical and economic health, our very survival as a species, are directly connected to the soil, biodiversity, and the health and fertility of our food and farming systems. Indeed it encompasses global health and well-being related to the circle of life itself.
Plants and soil sequester 30% of our CO2 each year through photosynthesis, but the ability of the soil to sequester CO2 is slower than that of plants. Trees are generally slower than plants, supporting the necessity for biodiversity. Healthy plants are only produced in healthy soil.
The Brix test can indicate soil fertility levels. If soil nutrients are in the best balance and are made available by microbes upon the demand by plants, the Brix reading will be higher. For example carrots could be poor @ 4, average @ 6, good @12 and excellent @ 18 readings.
It matters that a Brix test on vegetables and other plant foods rates high because they will not only taste better but will also be more nutritious. The Brix equals the percent of complex carbohydrates in the juice of the plant. The higher carbohydrate in the plant juice, the higher the mineral content of the plant, the oil content of the plant, and the protein quality of the plant. Plants with higher Brix levels also are more insect resistant and less prone to frost damage. The available soluble sugar is what gives taste and sweetness to plant food—the more calcium along with the sugar, the sweeter the taste. You probably realize from this that plants with excellent Brix readings could reduce the “sweet tooth” for refined sugars often found in processed foods.
When the gardener builds the soil to produce high Brix foods, the ground would be full of organic matter, beneficial bacteria and fungi, and the proper nutrient ratios. A simple soil recipe would be to mix ⅓ compost, ⅓ peat or coco coir, and ⅓ vermiculite as a base. Then add beneficial microbes and food for those microbes. Earthworm castings, mycorrhizal inoculants, compost teas, hummus, amino acids, humic and fulvic acids, copper sulfate (5-10#/acre), rock dust, and seaweed are the best soil additives.
Sunlight plays an essential role in a plant’s ability to produce sugars. Sunlight, as I have discussed in a previous blog, also helps to develop healthy humans and animals. Regenerative agriculture practices support biological diversity, natural resources, native wildlife habitats, and soil fertility. 100% grass-fed meat under this form of agriculture usually adheres to the requirement that those farm animals be raised with NO antibiotics, NO added hormones, and NO confinement feeding. Instead, graze rotationally on diverse forages in open pastures for their lifetime. I would add that glutathione, a form of protein, is primarily found in animals grazed. Glutathione counteracts the effects of radiation emitted by wi-fi, cell towers, etc.
Your money spent on this form of agriculture will support small and medium-sized farms and local economies, build and maintain your immune system, and reduce your healthcare costs or time-off due to illness. The payback is immeasurable.