BACK TO BASICS: Because we have so many new customers “sign on” in 2002 and because we are beginning our tenth year of service to sustainable agriculture, it would be a good idea to review the basics of agriculture. Thanks to those who have been with us since the beginning and to all those who joined us on the journey. 2002 was another great year.

MINERALS: Minerals are the basis of life on earth. The minerals involved in soil come from weathered rocks which came from stellar material. The greater the spectrum of minerals in soils usually indicates more productive soils as it usually provides more feed for the microorganisms. Also, an appropriate balance/ratio among major and trace minerals is beneficial. Just minerals are dead soil. All plants act as mineral accumulators through their roots and through the aboveground portions from minerals in the atmosphere. Veges Sound Machines can dramatically improve mineral uptake, both root and leaf.

LIFE: Soils must contain life in the form of microorganisms and higher forms of life to perform the processes necessary to support plant life. These organisms help the further breakdown of soil particles and organic residues into humus. The smallest eat first and then these are fed upon by larger and so on. The two major categories are bacteria and fungi. Bacteria are like little animals that predominate in tilled soils, while fungi are like little plants and predominate in forest soils. However, lack of or the wrong kinds of bacteria or too many compared to the fungi in tilled soils causes problems. The use of ammonium sulfate, Fish Agra and C-4-1-1, packaged inoculants, vinegar and compost [tea] are ways to help keep the bacterial/fungal balance.

HUMUS: The organisms create humus. Humus made from green residues becomes immediate feed/fertilizer for the next crop. Humus from brown/dead residues becomes part of the semi-permanent and permanent humus content. The closer in type the green residue is to the next crop, the more efficient the uptake based on the resonance theories of Dr. Reams. Humus provides the main water holding capacity, structure, nutrient holding, recycling and regulates energy flow. With low humus, the grower has to provide more fertilizer and water. Compost, humates, plant [crop or weed] residue and sugars treated with Aqua Hold can increase humus and/or polysaccarides [soil aggragate glue].

FERTILIZER: Added fertilizers are usually thought of as an attempt to increase the major and minor mineral content. In addition, fertilizers [natural or organic] are sources of energy carried in the molecules of the material. Plants grow from energy, not fertilizer. Natural mined materials like lime, phosphates, sulfur, and potash have the energy trapped in them by the original processes that created them. These processes would have included ocean organisms that captured the minerals in their shells, simple formation of compounds in water solution like KCl [0-0-60] or more exotic things like volcanoes that used heat and/or pressure. Chemical fertilizers like MAP or DAP are created using chemical energy to create soluble phosphorous which is then reacted with nitrogen. Most nitrogen fertilizers are created with electrical energy to extract N from the air.

When fertilizers are added to soil, the energy can be released by electronic synchronization between the material applied and the minerals already in the soil. Energy can also released by dissolving in water, chemical interactions or use by an organism. Only small amounts of physical minerals are taken up and used in the plant. The plant ends up with about 95% carbon, hydrogen and oxygen which come from air and water. Of the 5 % minerals, calcium is largest contributor, both in physical amount and potential released energy.

The six major nutrients are Calcium [Ca], Nitrogen [N], Phosphorous [P], Potassium [K], Magnesium [Mg] and Sulfur [S]. Calcium, potassium and magnesium are mineral elements that enter the plant with a positive charge; phosphorous and sulfur are non-mineral elements which form oxides and have a negative charge and nitrogen is a non-mineral that can be positive [NH4+] or [NO3-]. Nitrogen is the electrolyte in the system just like acid in a battery. It allows the other nutrients to flow if water is present. The more humus and microorganisms available, the less outside N is needed.

ENERGY: Once the stored seed energy is depleted and the plant is out of the ground with a leaf and chlorophyll, then the main source of energy, the sun, takes over. The energy is used to make simple sugars and the simple sugars are made into everything else like amino acids, protein, enzymes, etc. Other energy sources are available. Any grower may capture these solar and planetary energies and spread them over and into his fields in homeopathic solution or through the new Quantum Ag Towers using biodynamic principles. Broadcasting towers may be the only way to influence rough country grazing property other than grazing patterns and plant species. Lightning is an important source of energy that keeps the earth pulsating at 7.2 cycles per second. Microorganisms are a major, stable energy source as well.

SYMBIOSIS: Soils get a plant started, but then soils are influenced/manipulated by plant roots. If the plant and soil are healthy, then the plant roots extrude material/information that tells the soil microorganisms what it wants in return, such as antibiotics, hormones, enzymes, etc. Healthy plant roots are colonized/covered by “good guys” like mycorrhizea that prevent the bad guys like fusarium from growing. Plants grow soil as much as soils grow plants. One of the newest and best approaches is to use compost teas to provide the best organisms for soil and plant surface.

WEEDS, DISEASES & INSECTS: These were covered in the Sept. 02 letter. They are a function of the conditions found by nature. Correct/change the conditions and the problems are usually manageable without resorting to toxic rescue chemistry.

PLANT MANIPULATION: Plant sap testing tools are essential for any crop, including grazed grasses and legumes. CSI recommends a brix meter, pH meter and an electro conductivity meter. Otherwise, your waiting till harvest to find out what you grew and it is too late to make any changes. Plants can be manipulated at any stage by ground or foliar applications. Foliar feeding is the most efficient and is a chapter unto itself. Plants can only do two things, grow or reproduce. Sweet or alkaline nutrients like calcium, potassium, and the special nutrients chlorine and nitrate nitrogen make things grow. Sour or acid nutrients like phosphorous, sulfur, vinegar along with special nutrients manganese and ammonia nitrogen make plants reproduce. Call us as soon as something doesn’t seem right with a crop and maybe we can suggest something to help with your problem.

CONCLUSION: All the basics of growing plants are known: mineralize, bio-activate measure/observe and react/manipulate. The “devil is in the details.” To measure is to know. Observing helps to understand. Nature will always be throwing curveballs, but the more you prepare your property in line with the above principals, the better chance you have of wining the game.

MANAGEMENT: Check with your CPA to see if you can take advantage of the new laws allowing small personal and corporate businesses to use 401(k)’s. Also, a reminder that CSI will cooperate with you on end of the year purchases for tax purposes. Several growers take advantage of our fall sales on Tenn. Brown Phos. by prepaying during the sale time for delivery in spring. You may also arrange to write the check right after the end of the year and still get the fall sale price. Some growers pay for most of their expected spring purchases on Dec 31 to fit their tax needs.

RESULTS: Using the above principals and a Veges Sound Machine a local grower was able to put the flavor back in Rome apples and ward off coddling moth with high brix. A Mexican grower was able to increase forage brix from 5 to 9, increase production by 30%, keep the grasshoppers at bay and draw in adequate rain using a Quantum Ag Tower along with materials recommended by CSI laboratory. An organic Iowa corn grower made 170 bushel corn using Fish Agra and Nitrozyme seaweed. A Colorado produce grower had the best year ever using CSI lab recommendations and a combination of Veges Sound Machine and a Quantum Ag Tower in spite of a drought!

REMINERALIZATION: This continues to be a major goal of many sustainable/organic growers. To this end, CSI is continuing to find and bring to market the best natural deposits for your properties and have them as close as possible to your area. We will hopefully be bringing online some eastern Canadian phosphates to service the N.E. US. We will continue to emphasize our Tenn. Brown Phos. It is the cleanest, least expensive, most available OMRI listed phosphate sold throughout the central [north and south] US.

MONTANA GREY is finally available in PRILL. The prilling material is molasses. This means it will have trouble with OMRI because there is certainly not enough “organic” molasses available and it would be cost prohibitive if it was. The phosphate availability is testing 4-8%, so check it out on the new pricelist.

AZOMITE is finally available in a small prill. Azomite is a very broad spectrum mineral source form Utah. It has amazing bio-activating qualities.

NKS Plus [0-0-7-15S-1Fe] is a much under noticed and under used source of energy and nutrients just as sulfur is in general. If you want, better protein/energy, reduced heat stress, etc. call for a quote. Don’t make compost without it!

HUMATE: Humates can be a very quick, cost efficient way to go “sustainable” by buffering chemical toxicities and increasing humus. They can be less expensive than compost per amount of humic acid because of concentration.

All CSI minerals contain a fairly broad spectrum to aid in general mineralization!

NEW ARRANGEMENTS: CSI will continue to concentrate on minerals by the truckload as this is the most economical way for you to purchase. To help smaller growers with their dry materials, we are pleased to announce that AgriEnergy Resources of Princeton, IL will be setting up several blending plants throughout the IN, OH, KY, IL area. Tenn. Brown Phos. will be the phosphate of choice in their blends. There is obvious potential for them to bag blends or straight ingredients that could be accessed by smaller growers. Call Ray Roettger at 812-897-5588 for location and availability.

NEW PLANT & NEW PRODUCT: Northeast Organics has opened an expanded facility in central Illinois for providing Fish Agra, the premier fish hydrolysate, and its new product C-4-1-1. C-4-1-1 is Fish Agra modified with carbon, sugar and starches. Use last fall on stubble produced highly visible fungal mycelium over field. Can be used preplant, in row, foliar, etc. Remember, balancing the FUNGI is Elaine Ingram’s main message! Western and mid-western growers will gain major freight savings from the new plant.

HEALTH MATTERS: We included a double sided page on human health with the Sept. 02 letter. We plan on repeating that again in Sept. 03, but a few comments might be helpful here. The chance of viral infection is escalating faster than in Sept. The Norwalk virus has now “jumped ship”, leaving its “in-laws” with the tourist industry and starting new families in the North East. If any reader or any member of your family missed any time at work, at school due to colds, flu, stomach infections, eye infections etc. during 02, you apparently didn’t understand my message about the new Solutonic Silver. You put it in or on your body and it has the potential to kill any viral, bacterial or fungal infection you might have without danger of buildup or adding to the worsening problem of antibiotic resistance. For those of you who wish to try out the silver without getting involved with the Eniva NM system, CSI is offering a 20 oz bottle for $26.00 or a quart [32 oz] bottle for $36 including shipping. We will also include the protocols [what you need to take for supplementation] for over 20 different human health conditions and a new health magazine from Eniva. The recommended daily amount for silver is a teaspoon. Most users take 2 tablespoons when they feel something coming on and repeat an hour later. There are two tablespoons to the ounce, so it costs about two dollar to get yourself back in shape.

In a major breakthrough, Eniva now has its first product that can legally claim use as a “treatment” for heart disease including congestive heart failure and fibromyalgia. The product is called ATP-Plus. Basic ingredient is Ribose, a regulator of the body’s entire energy system. ATP-Plus has 20 patents and 100 peer reviewed studies. Other than through Eniva, it will only be available by prescription! ATP-Plus also has major implications for normal work fatigue, exercise and sports. Check it out at www.eniva.com.

Phil will be “Down Under” in Feb, Mar, June and August. Louisa will handle lab and office in his absence. Best of Luck in 2003. Please call if we can be of any assistance.

Yours, Phil & Louisa Wheeler