Why Organic?
Southland Organics is an agriculture biotechnology company based in Athens, GA. We are a trusted manufacturer of organic soil conditioners, liquid fertilizer products and that stimulate plant growth as well as a line of bio catalyst products for rapid composting and carcass management.
Southland Organics has been born out of passion! Our passion for sustainable agriculture, gardening and for producing beautiful turf. We love the great outdoors and over time have developed a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle. We feel that gardening is one of the greatest treasures for lifestyle and recreational therapy.
We did not always have a conviction for sustainability. This conviction only came through education. Once we realized that the better / smarter way to garden was to "feed the soil" and not just the plants then we began to discover that organic gardening and farming was a far superior approach.
Our Organic Education
Many people are aware that organic gardening limits exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides. This alone is a huge advantage and well worth the undertaking. This principle alone in only one small aspect of organic horticulture and agriculture.
The health of the soil and the ecosystem in which crops and livestock are raised are even more important factors. Organic farmers recognize when soil conditions are healthy, vibrant and full of naturally occurring biology that it significantly benefits crops and their animal beneficiaries. Great soil is alive with microbiotic organisms and beneficial biology as well as a wealth of minerals.
Synthetic chemicals interrupt or destroy the biological activity in the soil. By eliminating the biology in the soil disastrous side effects are realized.
The plant becomes completely dependent upon the farmer's inputs for growth, health and prosperity. The plants are essentially rendered helpless to defend themselves against fungi, disease and harmful microbes. It is often only at the expense of the crop production does the farmer realize that a problem has occurred. At this late point the farmer is forced to apply another expensive input toward the crop.
After honing in an environment for one particular crop the soil has been depleted of vital elements and does not posses the natural biology to regenerate or rehabilitate itself. With a depleted soil structure and integrity the farmer often can only resort to crop rotation.
The Advantages of Going Organic
Organically cultivated crops are healthier and more nutritious than a conventionally cultivated crops. By growing in a living soil where biological activity continuously and naturally breaks organic matter into nutrients organically grown crops always have exactly what they need. The end results are plants that are able to add more complex components to its production. The crops will be healthier, more full of vital nutrients and possess much more robust flavors!
Flavor is a huge benefit of healthy plants growing in a living soil. Flavor results from a mixture of many different and complex molecules. Healthy, living soil provides a constant and more complex mixture of these molecules, which results in more flavor. It's no surprise that chefs working in the highest caliber restaurants prefer organic ingredients to conventionally grown ingredients.
By purchasing locally-grown, organic produce, the consumer supports sustainable methods of land use that result in far less pollution and top-soil loss than does conventional agriculture. Synthetic pesticides and herbicides not only kill soil microbes and leave toxic residues on food, they also threaten the health of farmworkers and disrupt natural ecosystems around the farm. Chemical fertilizers pollute lakes, ponds, rivers, and groundwater.
The alternative to using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers usually requires more labor on a farm. With more labor, organic farmers can match or exceed the productivity and quality of chemically dependent crops. Labor, rather than synthetic inputs, typically means more support for local economies, but it can also mean higher prices. Conventionally grown foods cost less because their hidden costs are passed on to consumers and the environment. These hidden costs include creating synthetic inputs, the resulting pollution from spreading them, and long-term health effects of pesticide residues in our food.
In the long run, organically grown food is the best bargain for us, the environment, and future generations.
Top Reasons to Buy Organic
- Protect the Environment
- Protect Future Generations
- Create Healthy Soil
- Flavor!
- Nature over Science
- Smarter Economics
- Put the "Culture" in Agriculture
By "going organic" you are helping to reduce the toxin load and keeping harmful chemicals out of our air, water and soil. Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things.
It is vital that we leave our land available for the survival of future generations. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility.
Healthy Soil means healthier crops full of vital nutrients. The sheer increase in antioxidant levels alone will greatly have a noticeable benefit to each individual consumer.
Organic food tastes better! Organic produce is lower in nitrates. Organic produce is higher in antioxidants . . . shall we go on?
Personally I do not want to eat genetically mutated food. Unfortunately genetically modified foods make up 30 percent of our cropland. Organic certifications are the only reassurances against these lab-produced bastardizations of our food supply.
Organic farming supports labor over inputs. It takes more man hours to produce organic crops but the offset of chemical enhancements levels the playing field. The local economies and ultimately families instead of corporations are the beneficiaries.
Food is a ‘language’ spoken in every culture. Making this language organic allows for an important cultural revolution! We need to take a stand and promote diversity and biodiversity instead of chemical toxins and environmental waste. In the short term organic farming is more complex and labor-intensive but in the long run it is the wiser choice for flavor, community, economically and environmentally. Celebrate the culture at your table.
