REMINERALIZE THE EARTH
Joanna Campe, Publisher and Editor
The concepts of remineralization and utilizing rock flours is not new, nor
without substantial research precedence. As a brief historical overview, the
recent history of remineralization shows that it has been researched and
explored by three different groups:
First, nutritional biochemist Julius Hensel pioneered remineralization in the
1880's with his book BREAD FROM STONES and a modest agriculture movement cane
into being. Since the late 1930's many scientists have done research on
remineralization in Germany and Central Europe for agriculture and forests.
An example in forestry is a study which showed that in the case of new pine
seedlings remineralized with basalt rock dust, there were gains over the
untreated area after the sixth year. After 24 years the wood volume of the
treated area was four times higher than in the untreated area. It was only
after 60 years that the advantage tapered off.
Second, is a more recent development called agrogeology and this research has
been carried out mainly in Canada, Brazil, Tanzania, the Canary Islands, and
West Africa -- especially on laterite soils. Because of the intense tropical
rainfall, NPK fertilizers are washed out in only a few weeks and cannot be
stored by the soils, and are especially harmful to the groundwater. Rock
fertilizers not only give nutrients over longer periods to cultivated plants,
but also improve the ion-exchange-capacity of soils by forming new clay
minerals during the weathering of the fertilizer.
Third, is the grass roots movement concerned with the premise of John Hamaker
in the book THE SURVIVAL OF CIVILIZATION that remineralization is not only the
key to restoring soils and forests, but in the larger context, absolutely
necessary and urgent to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and
stabilize the climate.
This movement began with Hamaker's writing in the early 1970's and expanded in
the 1980's into a global network consisting of ecologically concerned
individuals and organizations, farmers and gardeners, scientists and policy
makers.
To facilitate networking and the flow of information and to promote
remineralization as advocated by John Hamaker and Don Weaver, SOIL
REMINERALIZATION, A NETWORK NEWSLETTER, began in 1986 and became REMINERALIZE
THE EARTH magazine in 1991. The magazine, published and edited by Joanna
Campe, has networked to people all over the world and has collected
research and a wealth of anedotal results of farmers and gardeners, and for
silviculture and foresters to substantiate the results of remineralization.
The most recent results of these efforts are two manuals which contain the
following listing of research reports.
1.The Importance and Effect of Rock Dust in Orchards and Gardens. Fritz Leipold
2.Remineralization Trials: Minplus and Bananas, A Cost Benefit Study. T.D.
Edwards
3.Soil Rejuvenation with Crushed Basalt in Mauritius. D. Hotman de Villiers
4.Azomite Rock Dust as a Cure for Citrus Blight Disease. J.F.L. Childs
5.Dusting Chickpea with Fine Rock Powder: Effects on Yield and Damage Caused by
Heilcoverpa Armigera. M.P. Pimbert and C.P. Srivastava
6.Pot Test Trial I of Basalt, Serpentine, Feldspar, Dolomite and Bentonite. Dr.
Gemot Graefe, Austrian Academy of Sciences
7.Pot Test Trial II of Basalt, Serpentine, Potassium, and Kaolin Clay. Dr. Gemot
Graefe, Austrian Academy of Sciences
8.Rock Fertilizers: A chance for West Africa's Food Production. Dr. Gunter
Matheis
9.The Use of Ground Rocks in Laterite Systems: An Improvement to the Use of
Conventional Soluble Fertilizers. O.H. Leonardos, W.S. Fyfe and B.I. Kronberg
10.Silicate Dusts as Natural Fertilizers. Peter von Fragstein
11.Organic Extracts for the Treatment of Rock Powder Fertilizers in Bio.
Agriculture. P. von Fragstein and H. Vogtmann
12.The Weathering Properties of Silicate Rock Dust Under Laboratory Conditions.
P. von Fragstein, W. Pertl and H. Vogtmann (This report is in German with a
condensed English version)
13.Silicate Rock Powders: Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects. P. von
Fragstein, W. Pertl and H. Vogtmann
14.Fertilizing With Rocks. Stephen Strauss
15.Agricultural Alchemy: Stones Into Bread. Ward Chesworth, Felipe
Macias-Vazquez, D. Acquaye and E. Thompson
16.Late Cenozoic Geology and the Second Oldest Profession. Ward Chesworth
17.Mulch Farming in the Canary Islands. E. Fernandez Caladas and M.K. Tejedor
Salquero
18.The Use of Rock Flour in Agriculture: A literature Survey on Granites,
Feldspars, Micas and Basalts. Eliot Coleman
19.Bibliography of Rock Dust Studies (112 entries, all of them in German)
20.Preliminary Results for the Soil Remineralization Forestry Trials on
Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Dr. Robert Bruck, Ph.D
21.An Interview with Dr. Robert Bruck, Ph.D, Director of the Environment for
North Carolina on the State of the Appalachian Forests and Remineralization.
Joanna Campe
22.Soil Improvement: The Step Beyond Conservation, Men of the Trees
Remineralization Trials. Barrie Oldfield
23.Information for the Application of Silicate Rock Dust for the Amelioration of
Forest Soils. U. Sauter and K. Foerst (This report is in German with a summary
in English)
24.The Effects of Basalt Dust Emissions on Spruce Trees at the Basalt Quarry
Albert, Huhnerberg in Comparison to Spruce Trees Outside the Range of Emissions.
Fritz Leipold
25.Applications of Diabase Rock Dust in Brixlegg Forest. Georg Abermann
26.Compensational Fertilization with Silicate Rock Dust for Buffering Damaged
Forest Soil. Ulrich Hahn (This report is in German with a condensed English
version)
27.Effect of Silicate Rock Dust in Forests. Ulrich Hahn
28.Possibilities for the Development of the Wood and Forestry Economy that
include Remineralization in Germany. Edgar Gartner, Research Group Productivity
Development
29.Forest Fertilization: A Bibliography with Abstracts on the Use of Fertilizers
and Soil Amendments in Forestry. Compiled by Donald P. White and Albert L. Leaf
30.A Technique Called N-Viro: Soil Remineralization Using Sewage Sludge Mixed
with Cement Kiln Dust. T. Montgomery
31.Bio 2 Biological Activator Accelerates Wastewater Treatment. Meridian
Environmental Group
If you have an interest in obtaining any of the above resource material, or in a
Membership / Subscription to REMINERALIZETHE EARTH, they may be contacted at:
REMINERALIZATION THE EARTH
152 South Street
Northampton, MA 01060-4021 USA
Phone: (413)586-4429
Fax: (413)586-6064
E-mail: ReminEarth@aol.com
mailto:ReminEarth@aol.com
Earth Regeneration Society
The Earth Regeneration Society works to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)
buildup.
If you are interested in learning how remineralization helps stimulate plant and
forest growth to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and what you can do to help, write
or call for free information packet.
Earth Regeneration Society
1442 A Walnut St. #57
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: (510) 849-0183
Fax: (510) 849-4155
Y. Rado, "The Wonders of Powdered Gravel", REMINERALIZE THE EARTH, 1994.
THE FACTS:
Nearly all soils on earth are thousands of years old. They
are generally quite "sick" and depleted. Finely ground stones
and gravels, applied to such soils, can literally restore them
by supplying a broad range of minerals......minerals which
have been slowly lost through the ages, by erosion, leaching,
and farming.
A soil which has an abundance of minerals really "comes
to life." Billions of microbes flourish, by feasting on the
mineral elements, and they, in turn, supply the plants, worms,
and so forth, with the basic compounds needed for health.
The earth's soils haven't always been in such poor shape, as they are now. Five
thousand years ago, the situation was quite different. Back then, the soils had
an abundance of minerals. The result was an incredible richness of LIFE,
everywhere.
The trees in the forests of Europe grew so huge -- oak tree trunks were often a
hundred feet tall, to the first branch! Imagine an entire an entire forest of
such trees, or having much of the earth covered with them. Well, that's exactly
how it was. But now, after thousands of years of leaching, erosion, farming,
overgrazing, ....plus the more recent assaults with chemicals, the soils are a
mere shadow of what they once were.
The symptoms of mineral depletion are everywhere, and getting worse each year.
The forests are actually dying in many areas. Crops are diseased, insipid,
insect infested, and nutritionally "bankrupt." Soils are compacted, nearly
lifeless, and easily eroded away. Plants and trees are stunted, sickly,
sensitive to frosts and droughts.
People and animals are in similar shape. You really ARE what you EAT! Everything
from susceptibility to AIDS or cancer, to "learning difficulties" can usually be
attributed, largely, to the condition of the SOIL.
How It Works:
Powdered rocks and gravels are Nature's "fertilizer." Glaciers and volcanoes are
the primary methods She uses to produce the powder. But those methods are very
slow, and the job of re-mineralizing needs to be done right away. We need to use
efficient machines to grind gravel into powder, so that the soil life can get to
the minerals that are trapped in the rocks
When powdered gravel is applied to the soil, a marvelous thing happens. The
microbes in the soil (and in the guts of earthworms) "digest" the powder, and
extract whatever useful elements they find. The higher plants then extract the
mineral rich juices from those microbes, and pass them down the line to the
animals.
Given an abundance of minerals (like zinc, copper, calcium, etc.), and water,
the soil microbes, earthworms, plants, and animals THRIVE because the minerals
are critical to every function of living things. The worms bore miles of
tunnels, which aerate the soil. The microbes work extra hard to glue the soil
particles into spongy "crumbs." The plants develop huge root systems, which
resist drought. Insects are repelled by the healthy juices of the plants. Foods
become more flavorful and satisfying. Both yields and quality increase. The
plants become more heat and frost resistant. Diseases become rare events. And so
on. The minerals are truly the FOUNDATION of all life on earth!
Plants need a balanced "diet" just like people do. Too much of a good thing can
be very harmful. That's a problem with compost, manures, and chemical
fertilizers; they release to much of some nutrients (like Nitrogen and
Phosphorous) and not enough of others (such as the many trace minerals). And to
make matters worse, they are very soluble in water, which means that the plants
are FORCED to absorb them, throwing the plants out of balance. Powdered rock, on
the other hand, is practically insoluble, and so it cannot cause an imbalance,
nor can it pollute the ground water or streams. It could make a World of
difference.
A BRIEF PERSPECTIVE
On Soil Remineralization and the Climate
"A BRIEF PERSPECTIVE On Soil Remineralization and the Climate", REMINERALIZE THE
EARTH, Spring, 1993. This information is condensed from the writings of John
Hamaker, Don Weaver, Larry Ephron and Joanna Campe.
Soil Remineralization:
The soils of the entire world have become severely demineralized by erosion over
thousands of years. Plants require a continuous intake of minerals, just as we
do, and for very similar reasons -- calcium to build structural support, iron to
carry oxygen, and so on. Plants growing on mineral-depleted soil do not get
enough nourishment and so become smaller, less-abundant and less hardy, more
vulnerable to the insects, worms and fungi they are prey to.
Remineralization causes a phenomenal growth of the microorganisms in the soil.
It increases the nutrient intake of plants. It counters the effects of soil
acidity, prevents soil erosion (just for that reason it would be worth applying
rock dust), increases the storage capacity of the soil, contributes to the
building of precious humus complexes, has anti-fungal properties, and when you
spray it on plants it repels insects as well. The plants and trees become highly
resistant to insects, disease, frosts, and drought. Remineralization also
enhances and speeds up the process of composting, so if you're composting for
your garden, consider putting on some rock dust. It can be even more effective
than just directly applying it to the land.
For Forests:
The results of long term experiments released in 1986 showed that in a forest
where pine seedlings were remineralized, after 24 years the wood volume was four
(4) times higher than in the untreated area.
For Agriculture:
The best source of soil minerals is simple crushed gravel dust. In 1976 John
Hamaker spread gravel crusher screenings on part of his ten acres in Michigan.
The following year, in an area of sparse rainfall and dry summers, and with no
irrigation, his corn produced 65 bushels per acre, compared to yields of under
25 from other local farms.
Moreover, when independent analyses were done, Hamaker's corn was found to
contain 28% more protein, 47% more calcium, 57% more phosphorous, 60% more
magnesium and 90% more potassium than the same type of corn grown with chemical
fertilizers nearby.
Twenty years ago the USDA published studies which showed that cement kiln dust
(a less-satisfactory source of minerals) also produced better crops, but they
couldn't understand "what element" in the dust was responsible and dropped the
matter.
Don Weaver grew 18-foot pole beans on remineralized soil (Jack and the
Beanstalk?) and got two to four times the normal organically grown yield. Alan
LePage of Vermont grew a crop of carrots averaging 1-1/2 feet long. And there
was no insect damage to any of these crops. Hamaker estimates that on fully
remineralized soil, American agriculture could grow four times as much food as
it is capable of now -- or the same amount of food at about one-fourth the cost
-- and with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
The Nutritional Aspect:
When we eat food grown on depleted soil we too, like the plants, lose our
natural resistance to disease. All the degenerative diseases have been on the
rise in America in recent decades. Dietary fat, cholesterol, salt and
overly-refined foods seem to be major factors, but a serious deficiency of
minerals in our food may be another. Mineral depletion of soils has been found
to be directly correlated with death rates. And deficiencies of only one of a
number of trace minerals -- copper, iron, selenium, etc. -- have been found in
laboratory studies to be associated with an increased risk of cancer. You may
want to grow more complete, nourishing food for yourself and your family.
A Global Perspective On Climate:
The problem of soil demineralization also has a global perspective. It is known
that the Earth's soil becomes demineralized during each interglacial period, the
relatively short 10,000-year warm period between each 90,000-year major Ice Age.
Consequent decline and death of the world's forests and other vegetation which
occurs cause great quantities of carbon dioxide to be given off. The level of
carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has been rising exponentially for the
past century. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap excess heat from
the sun, potentially affecting the world's climate.
It is also well-known that when the glaciers advance and then recede during each
recurrent Ice Age, they grind down rocks in their path, and that their
mineral-rich dust is blown far and wide over the surface of Earth,
remineralizing its soil and causing plant life to thrive again.
John Hamaker has supplied one missing piece of the cosmic puzzle to provide an
explanation, long sought, of the awesome 100,000-year cycle of major Ice Ages.
Hamaker points out that the greenhouse effect occurs primarily in the tropics,
which get the most sun, rather than in the polar regions which get very little.
When this happens, the temperature differential between the tropics and the
poles increases, resulting in fierce wind systems, hurricanes, tornadoes and
storms.
The moisture picked up by these increasing storm systems also is transported to
the higher latitudes, where it gets deposited as snow and ice, eventually
bringing on glaciation and the next Ice Age. This has been happening in recent
years, with record snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and a shortening of the
growing season, by weeks in some places, a pattern which is also accelerating
year by year. Hamaker estimates that within a few decades the growing season may
have decreased so much that millions of people will starve, in the rich nations
as well as the poorer.
Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to
Vineyard in Solano County, California
Cannard, Bob, "Rock Dust Application Brings Large Improvement to Vineyard in
Solano County, California", Distributed by EARTH REGENERATION SOCIETY, 4 July
1992.
"The four-acre vineyard had been heavily over-cultivated and heavily degraded.
The soil supported weeds about three inches tall that went to seed very early in
the season.
We chiseled the ground, broke it up by mechanical compaction -- ripped it up
about 18 inches -- and we planted cover crop on the ground and fed the whole
vineyard, including the cover crop, by broadcasting application of about 500
pounds of crushed basaltic rock and 200 pounds of crushed oyster shell rock,
which is a calcium resource. The rock was broadcast (spread) equally over the
four acres -- right on top of the soil maintenance crop as well as underneath
the grapevines -- using a small, standard tractor spreader about six feet wide
driven between the rows.
We did this for three years. In the first year, the cover crop went up to about
2 feet, and in the third year it went up to about six feet, but it did not
mature. It was not mowed or cultivated until the final crop was totally mature
in June, at which point it was mowed. It was so thick and lush and vigorous.
The grapevines, which had problems predominantly associated with nutritional
deficiencies, were manifesting a whole range of disorders, but mainly one that
is labeled as "utypa". The leaf surface was small, the fruit yield was low, the
cane diameter was very small; there was heavy predominance of fruit rot
(botrydis and mildews on the fruit), even with a fungicide spraying program.
I was there a couple of days ago and the place is absolutely green and lush.
There is no evidence of "utypa" decline in the vineyard. It has an excellent
crop of firm, plump berries -- a really beautiful crop. It's a really stunning
turnaround.
The vines are in rows, 6 x 10 foot spacing, and 12 years old. The ground was not
very well prepared when they were planted -- on well cropped, heavily compacted
soil. It was chiseled or ripped a little, but not very well to start with, and
then they subsequently went into annual clean cultivation -- year in and year
out for the first five years -- which caused it to collapse. The vines were
going to die. (Clean cultivation means that no weeds are allowed to manifest and
grow. They are killed as quickly as possible -- as soon as the soil dries out
enough to get a tractor in.)
The owners plant one crop a year of Chardonnay grapes, and they will continue to
apply smaller quantities of rock dust annually. We've declined 100 pounds per
year per acre. We're now at about 200 pounds per acre, and I think we'll
continue in the same fashion.
The object is to give the earth many, many small meals -- you don't want to OD
it by giving it to much all at once. If you place more raw crushed alkalis than
the system can absorb, it won't do any good and can actually be deleterious. You
want to use enough to feed the system, and giving it many light meals is more
effective."