What is Organic
Its hard to differentiate and dictate the many different perceptions and ideas that circulate as organic. For us, the easiest way to truly understand what it is to be "organic" is the understand the ecology of the environment in which you are working. Organics and ecology go hand in hand. With the true goal for organic production being to mimic natures own processes and use these as a mechanism to produce food and materials. Therefore, if your interested in producing, living, or thinking organically, the first relationship you must form is your own relationship with the environment around you.
Soil
We believe that the soil is more than
the medium in which we grow our food and materials. The world beneath our feet is as complex, fragile and
beautiful as the world above ground. As a whole the soil is no less then a
living, breathing, consuming, producing and decaying organism. In its complexity the soil is comprised of a variety of
plants, animals, minerals, nutrients and pore spaces, distinct according to its
spatial and temporal location.
Take a step in any direction and you
will find a new soil ecosystem with changing
nutrient concentrations, producing a diverse range of flavours, textures
and vitamin compositions in your food. The soil is the soul source of variety in
our diet, it is the most important spice this earth has to offer.
Considering the soil as a live organism
provides the basis for our own understanding of the requirements it needs to thrive. Adequate water, food and shelter will provide the basis for it to develop. When left bare the soil is suseptable
to the elements; wind and water erode its surface, and the UV rays from the sun
kill the ecosystem of microbia living within harms reach. These factors deplete
the volume and the quality of this finite resource. As a result we strongly
believe in mulch, green manure and cover crops in order to provide the loving “home”
for your soil base.
Biodiversity
Aiding and maintaining
biodiversity is central to our project.
Moreover it is a vital component of all organic agricultural systems,
and indeed the various natural systems which function across our globe.
Organic philosophy states
that the push and
pull of natural systems are self regulating,
radiating out in gradual patterns of nutrient, genetic and ecological
dispersal. So, as one organism produces, another
will consume, forming a web of symbiosis in which each species keeps another in
check, both reliant on and vulnerable to each other. Organic production systems
follow this concept. Pest and disease outbreaks are minimised by natural
competition and predation present within the healthy system. In mimicing organic production systems, we attempt to look at plants & animals in terms of all their functions, rather
than treating any area as a one-dimesional, single-product system.
To tackle problems of pest management we attempt to break the very cycles we may have
created through conventional agricultural practice. For example we
practice crop rotation, a management system which relies on creating an
environmnent unbecoming to the pest species previously plaguing the space. Its simple, if you have been
over zealous planting one particular species, then be aware this will act as a
green light for any biota that finds it as tasty as we do.
Localization
We are all about keeping
it local here at the CBSUA garden.
We believe localising the food we grow and eat is an invaluable tool for
creating a strong and resilient community. Keeping it local educates us not only about the practicalities of producing our own
food, but also about our local environment and our systems of global food
production. We know from experience that thinking and acting locally, and the simple act of growing and sharing food, creates a strong sense of
responsibility and friendship with those around you.
Unfortunately, with systems of processing, transporting, marketing and retailing, the supply chain surrounding our food and
materials is ever increasing in its complexity in a direct response to forces of globalisation. At the same time
food is cheap; we currently spend the lowest percentage of our wage on food
then at any other time in history. The economic burden of this increased supply
chain is therefore placed upon the farmer, with higher production costs and
decreasing independence, the risk of converting to an organic system, or any “unknown”
system is often too high. Too commonly the result is the intensification of the
current unsustainable system: more food, more chemicals, and smaller space.
Otherwise known as industrial farming.
Buying local, seasonal foods and
materials supports farmer independence.
It returns the power of what to grow and how to grow it back to those
who study the land on a daily basis, removing it from those who dictate the supply chain via external perspectives and soley
economically grounded principles . Local food supports the passage of
information between producers and consumers giving the consumer the right to
know what they eat and what industry they are truely supporting. Short supply
chains decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and increases food security.
Local food and material urges the community to work together. Good all around, we're sure you'll agree.
Thats us.
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