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The dirt on dirt

Vegetarian Times, March, 2001 by Suzanne Gerber

Of all the things we take for granted, and there are many, soil might just be at the top of the list. Clean air and water, natural energy sources, rain forests all get tons of press. Yet how much do we know about soil? We walk on it, sit on it, drive on it, plant flowers or herbs or food in it, but how often do we think about what a magical--and endangered--substance it really is?

It takes thousands of years of natural rock erosion to create topsoil, that rarest of commodity that can hold plants and water and support photosynthesis--the formula to grow the food that sustains life. And while it takes 500 years to produce just one inch of topsoil, we are currently losing an inch every 16 years. Experts tell us that non-organic farming techniques are depleting topsoil at 13 times the sustainable rate. You don't have to be a math whiz to realize that if we don't do something about this trend now, we are headed for a real crisis.

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Part of the solution is reallocating farmland for crops rather than the raising of animals for food. (Livestock grazing is responsible for 85 percent of topsoil depletion.) But a more immediate fix lies in organic farming and other sustainable agricultural practices. In this issue we have two terrific articles dealing with organics, in two very different ways. "Greener Acres" gives you practical advice on ridding your own lawn or garden of dangerous pesticides and fertilizers, and "Organic Futures" takes a look at one of the hottest trends in the food industry: big business acquiring or merging with many of the organic farming pioneers. What does this bode for you? Turn to page 74 and find out.

Everyone's a Critic

And that's never more true than when it comes to food. That's why we'd love to hear about your experiences with our recipes. Please take a moment and share with us which recipe in this issue is your favorite, We also want to know why, so be sure to include a short paragraph about your reason, such as your finicky kids loved it, the dish reminded you of a meal you'd enjoyed in Florence, or your spouse actually helped cooked it. In each issue, we will select a winner and feature his or her story, At the end of the year we'll select a grand-prize winner who will receive something from the VT gift shop.

Write to us at; VT Favorite Recipe 9 Riverbend Drive South Stamford CT, 06907

Be sure to enclose your address and phone number.

The dirt on dirt

Vegetarian Times, March, 2001 by Suzanne Gerber

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