Hi, my name is Sherri-Ann Richardson and I want to talk to you today about why organic
gardening is important. Now some of you don't know who I am, so I'm going to take a second here to tell you before
we get into the meat of the video. I am actually a very passionate organic gardener
I blog about it at theplotitgardening.com. I also have two other blogs, experimentalhomesteader.com and sherryannrichardson.com
And I believe that growing a garden organically is one of the most important things you can
do, not only for yourself and your family, but for the environment
And so I'm going to tell you a little bit about why I believe that and again why organic
gardening is so important. The first reason is because organic produce is just healthier
There have been a lot of studies on this and there is no doubt that this is a fact
One of the reasons is because the organic produce contains no chemical residue
Now if you think about it, whatever is in the soil that you're growing your plants in
the plant roots are going to pick up and absorb and that's going to go into the fruits or
vegetables or leaves, whatever it is that the particular plant you're growing produces
And if it's in the leaves, then when you eat that, it's going to go into our body
So when you're gardening, you definitely want to grow produce that has no chemical residue
And while it's true that if you move on to a piece of land that has already been farmed
conventionally or has had any type of chemicals put on it, even if you did it yourself, some
of that is still going to remain, often for years to come
But you can start to change right now by making the choice to go organic
And you can also grow in containers and choose to go with organic soil
And if you're going to use fertilizers, make sure they're completely organic
If you are using animal manure, you want to ask what are those animals fed
And are they given the antibiotics and all of the other things that some animals are given
Because if the animal has been raised conventionally and you put that animal manure on the soil
it's going to release this out as some additional chemicals to the soil that you might not be thinking about
So consider that. Organic gardening is also better for the environment because it eliminates the chemical runoff that can make it into the local waterways
So like I said, the work done has been done. But by making the change, you should say, I'm going to stop this here
And yes, not everybody is going to switch to organic. I understand that
But it's that little bit of change that you're making. And it's that choice to grow your garden organically and to say, I care about what I put on these crops I'm growing
And I care about what goes into my family's bodies. So it is also great for wildlife
And that includes birds and insects. Because when they go and they pollinate and do what they do, some of that pesticide goes into their bodies, too
And if you think about how tiny they are, and you think about all the death of the bees and the monarch butterflies and all the other wildlife that has been dying off
that's because that pesticide is building up in their bodies and their tiny bodies can't handle that
So by switching to growing organically, you're helping to offset that. And like I said, you may not be able to completely change the world, but you can change what you're doing
And you can educate others about it and encourage them to switch from conventional methods to organic methods
It also gives you peace of mind, which is really important. Because you know your garden is free of harmful chemicals
You know that your pets and your children or grandchildren that go out into your garden and into your yard are not going to come into contact with harmful chemicals that could cause problems later on down the road
So that's really why I think organic gardening is so important. And that is just the tip of the iceberg
So I want to share with you five reasons why organic gardens are better for the environment and for you
And I know we've touched on some of this, but organic gardening is really very holistic
It has a really holistic perspective. Because if you think about it, every aspect of your garden is connected
From the soil, the animals that eat the food, the pollinators that pollinate the plants, the environment, and right back to you
So it's a circle of life. It's understanding that we are all connected on a much, much deeper level
I think that the food that's grown organically is more nutritionally sound
Organic foods definitely limit your risk to environmental toxins. And organic foods are the cleanest foods available
Like I said, if the soil was already contaminated, then yes, you may still be picking some of that up into your food
And yes, there is a chance of cross-contamination. When plants are pollinated, such as from GMO plants
And sometimes you can't do anything about that either. But the point is to grow as organically as possible and control as much as what you have control over
And then just don't worry about the rest. Because there's only so much we can do
You don't have to worry about GMOs and all the issues surrounding them
You do need to start with heirloom plants or organic plants. You can start with seeds
There are a lot of places that sell certified organic seed. And that's my personal preference
Because I always wonder when I buy a plant, how was it grown
You know, did they use conventional fertilizers? What kind of seeds? Yes, you can get plants to say certified organic
If that's what you want. They are a little bit expensive. But I really find that starting from seed gives me a little bit more peace of mind
And it also gives me more variety in what I grow. I always grow heirloom plants because I can save seeds from those
And I can replant those seeds in my garden. And I've noticed that my seeds have adapted to be compatible with the weather conditions here
They are more resistant to the insects that are native to the area that I grow
And frankly, they just perform better in the garden. Plus, I know for a fact that they were grown organically
So I don't have to worry about, you know, do they stay organic
But could they be mixed? Because we know it does happen. I mean, most of the time it doesn't
But there are accidents that do happen. You also reduce your carbon footprint
Because the food you eat is right in your own yard. So you don't have to worry about that food being picked, put on a truck
maybe it travels hundreds or even thousands of miles to get to your grocery store
And then you have to drive to your grocery store and buy the food and bring it home
Food from your garden is just fresher. And that really increases the nutrient content
And it's really, really important for healthy food to have more nutrients in it
So, and lastly, you save money. Because you don't have to use gas in your car to go to the grocery store
You don't even have to have a car. You don't have to pay for the food because you've already paid for the seeds and plants
You just have to walk out your door and pick it and bring it inside
and eat it or preserve it or whatever you're going to do with it
You also have the option, if your garden is big enough, that you can sell some of that produce locally
So that's a great way to make some money on your homestead
Or even if you live in the city, it's a great way to sell some of that produce
If you live in the city, it's a great way to make some money
by selling off some of your extra organic produce. In the upcoming video, I'm going to share with you a quick start guide
on how to begin an organic garden. So I hope that you will check that video out
Some of the tips I'm going to share with you include how to build healthy organic soil
when to plant seeds or establish plants, as well as when to direct sow for those of you that don't want to start your seeds inside early
How to simplify garden maintenance. Because we all know gardening takes a lot of time
You have weeds to deal with and other issues. I'm going to show you how to simplify that so that you have more time
to harvest and enjoy or preserve what you grow versus spending all of your time in the garden weeding
And I'm also going to share with you some natural methods of pest control
because we all know that can be an issue. Lastly, I wanted to share with you my book
100 Horm Organic Gardening Tips. This is going to be a download that those of you that watched the video can have access to
So thanks for watching and like I said, I hope you'll check out my next video
Have a wonderful day