A recently proposed Ohio Senate bill seeks to curb runoff of fertilizers from farmland.
“The proposed bill is designed to stop the spread of a toxic blue-green algae bloom in Lake Erie, which scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) predict to be significant this summer. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, grow thick after feeding phosphorus in fertilizers, and manure that runoff into nearby streams that feed into Lake Erie.”
Also pointed out in this article is:
“Healthy soil structure also allows plants to establish vibrant root systems that resist erosion.”
The impact of industrial food production in America is showing up in many ways. The well-known methods of crop rotation, natural decay of insects, and the use of cow manure have been replaced with the heavy use of fertilizers and insecticides. The result is that there is more chemical runoff, a reduction in the nutrient value of food that we eat, and a depletion of the nutrient content in the soil itself.
Instead of legislation, farmers should move toward a more organic method of production that does not rely so heavily on the use of chemicals.
Also important to recognize is that as the nutritional value of foods that we eat has been eroded with the soil, the use of vitamin supplements becomes that much more important. A healthy diet is still important, but the addition of the supplements compensates for what is lacking in many foods.
“They can plug nutrition gaps in your diet, but it is short-sighted to think your vitamin or mineral is the ticket to good health — the big power is on the plate, not in a pill,”
Eye on the Ball 