Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
we can work together, each to his or her talents, within our communities even though
we are of different races, religions, and cultures.
Degradation can seriously reduce soil quality. I think that the process of raindrops
causing soil erosion has a parallel with the constant bickering and arguments in some
families, which cause them to fall out and fragment, with one or more ending up on
the street. Also, we are constantly bombarded with such a relentless overload of infor-
mation, advertisements, and technology that we begin to lose our sense of what is
important in life. Soil erosion is controlled by covering the soil surface with organic
crop residues and manure or by growing plants. This protects the soil aggregates and
increases soil porosity, which helps the soil to absorb heavy rain and to maintain its
vitality. In comparing the restoration of eroded soils with healing, Shapiro (1995)
states that “our (inner) soils cry out for a rich inner life and a grounded, diverse com-
munity to slow down our lives, to create a holding environment into which we can
turn our trials into sources of strength and integration.”
Similarly, the anaerobism that the soil endures during waterlogging reminds me
of ourselves when we get depressed. Life becomes too much for us, and we start to
suffocate under the pressure of work or family commitments, leading us to feeling
blue and gray and not motivated to do anything much.
11.4 CONNECTION TO THE SOIL
We need to be reconnected spiritually with our humble origins (Hillel 1992) through
recognition of the spirit within components of the environment. Most farmers feel
a strong connection to the land, drawing them toward the farming life, perhaps
explaining why farms pass through succeeding generations. Working on the land
provides food, water, and recreation and creates an emotional attachment, especially
if it has been in the family for generations. The land is part of the farmer, supplying a
living link back to his or her ancestors. People find it hard to survive when separated
from their land, and the land also cannot survive without those who are naturally
part of it. Workers of the soil and the land are aware of coming from the soil, of being
sustained by it, of the need to care for it, and of eventually returning to it.
Understanding the connection between soil and food is vital, and many children
are unaware of the source of their food. We increasingly live in cities where we are
remote from contact with the land or cultivation of crops or rearing of animals. City
and town dwellers also tend to get cremated and thus break the cycle of returning to
the earth. All these serve to lessen our link with the land. Schumacher (1973) saw
that one of the main tasks of agriculture is to keep people in touch with living nature,
of which they are a vulnerable part.
I think that the love of the land is something that grows within us. I love to handle
the soil and find a peace of mind in doing so, yet I have known other soil scientists
who do not feel this affinity. They tend to treat the soil as a mixture of separate com-
ponents of chemistry, biology, and physics, which can each be measured separately.
While the methods of these scientists are effective, I prefer the holistic approach,
treating the soil as a living organism. In this way, the love of the soil can be under-
stood, a love borne of contact, particularly during crop growth.
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