Science > Gardening

ATTN! Quick questions for organic gardeners!

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Patience:
Hello all,

I will be teaching an English course to French agriculture students. A significant part of the vocabulary will be giving them the English equivalents of various ideas, concepts, etc that they already know. As I am told that a significant proportion of these students are studying organic agriculture, I will be passing on organic gardening lingo such as

heirloom/hybrid/GMO seeds.

I would like to present the contrasting vocabulary for describing intensive agriculture vs. small-scale agriculture. Is this the proper modern lingo for these contrasting concepts? Also for example, we have mono-culture vs. ??? What is a modern expression that would be well-known to the well-informed describing the smaller and more diverse market garden that pre-occupies itself with soil rejuvenation? Also, is there a distinction currently between organic gardening and traditional gardening? Does traditional gardening have a special title right now?

I am reading "The Vegetarian Myth," so I am well aware that any kind of agriculture may have some serious flaws. I can not tell these kids they are studying crap, but it is well within my writ to present controversial ideas as the whole "argue a point of view" exercise is so important in French education.

Really... If you have any suggestions of what you would consider to be a well-known and important trend in organic agriculture, I would appreciate hearing about it. I don't want to take up people's time, so you don't need to explain it. Just the expression itself will allow me to research it.

And... Finally, if any of you can suggest a user-friendly web resource for organic gardening I would appreciate it; maybe some kind of organic gardening wikipedia? Thanks.

P.S. Are there any modern catch words for organic and/or alternative to the industrial method animal husbandry?

MnSportsman:
I am not sure if these links will help, but  I think you may find some help/info there.

MotherEarthnews/Organic Gardening

and

Grit magazine

I hope that these 2 will help you find what you are looking for. I realize that there are more, but I am only familiar with these 2.


G' Luck,
JB/MnSportsman

Gonzo:
Hi Patience,

The Government of Canada, due to having 2 official languages, publishes all of it's information in both English and French.  Often, when you find an English term, you can click the language flip (Top Left) and see the page in French to try to find the equivalent term.
 

Organics regulatory environment is handled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (_www.inspection.gc.ca). If you look for their organics pages, there might be some terms you are looking for. Since Organics certification is handled by a third party, the CFIA site should link to that body and their info should also be available in both languages.

Using Google to search the Canadian government's websites is another way. In Google, start your search with site:gc.ca followed by the search term (e.g. Site:gc.ca "natural pesticides")

There are probably a few other countries with multilingual sites, but I'm only familiar with the Government of Canada.

Hope that helps.

Gonzo

voyageur:

--- Quote from: Patience ---[...]
What is a modern expression that would be well-known to the well-informed describing the smaller and more diverse market garden that pre-occupies itself with soil rejuvenation?

--- End quote ---

Hi Patience,

One of the things i'm exploring is soil changes back to microbial and a friend's son has been studying this using fish fertilizer, molasses, water - couple of other things with a air system to oxygenate. It is something like a five day process and works to help rejuvenate living soil as opposed to the usual fertilized enhancements.  Finally found the book which has a Pdf version hear and will get a chance to start reading.

The book is called 'Teaming with Microbes' and can be downloaded hear:

_http://www.mediafire.com/?zzizmyyyzmk


--- Quote ---Teaming With Microbes enlightens readers in two important ways. First, in clear, straightforward language, it describes the activities of the organisms that make upthe soil food web , from the simplest of single-cell organisms to more familiar multicellular animals such as insects, worms, and mammals. Second, thebook explains how to foster and cultivate the life of the soil through the use of compost, mulches, and compost teas.By eschewing jargon, the authors make the text accessible to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.
--- End quote ---

The forward in the book is by Dr. Elaine Ingham who studies and has a web site here:

_http://www.soilfoodweb.com/brief_bio.html

Elaine it seems updates a 'The Compost Tea Brewing Manual' and has trial networks in many parts of the world.


--- Quote ---Dr. Elaine Ingham is an energetic, easy-to-understand speaker who explains what life in the soil is all about. Behind this "user-friendly" approach lies a wealth of knowledge gained from years of intensive research into the organisms which make up the soil food web. Elaine not only understands the soil food web, she has knowledge on how to ensure a healthy food web to promote plant growth and reduce reliance on inorganic chemicals.

[...]

Her research is on: What organisms are present in the soil and on the foliage of your plants, which organisms benefit which types of plants, which organisms harm plants, how can these organisms be managed to grow plants with the least expensive inputs into the system while maintaining soil fertility.
--- End quote ---


Might be of interest to you or others.

Patience:
Thanks all!

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