Veganic farmers work without animal fertilizers is a worthwhile article on organic farming without animal products. In the UK and Europe as well as the US, I suspect there are family gardens and allotments which have for years gardened in a vegan, organic way. Good to see the rest of society catching up!
The tradition of farming the land in northern New Mexico’s Espanola Valley had been passed down from Don Bustos’ Spanish ancestors who tilled the same soil centuries before.
But when Bustos realized the traditional farming techniques he was using could harm his children’s health, he went organic 15 years ago. Now, Bustos said he has found an even safer method – vegan organic farming without any animal fertilizers or byproducts.
Much like certified organic farmers, veganic farmers use no synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified ingredients. Veganic farmers take it to another level by not using any manures or slaughterhouse byproducts. They don’t even use organically approved pesticides.
Salmonella and e-coli are bacteria that live in the intestines of livestock and are present in their waste. Livestock waste, or manure, can be used to fertilize fields, potentially contaminating crops with the disease-causing bacteria.
Crops can also be contaminated by contact with infected animals or their byproducts, including bone meal and blood meal, which are used as fertilizer as well.
Veganic farmers use crop rotations and composted plant matter – or “green manure” – to fertilize their crops.
