Page 20 - Barefoot guide

STORY

DON’T POISON OUR FRIENDS

“But Ruth,” Martha said, “Don’t you need fertilisers to make the vegetables grow? My brother is an
agricultural extension officer, and he says you can’t grow food crops without fertiliser, pesticides and
weed killers from the agricultural supply company.”
“Look, Martha, do you see how dark and moist it is? The soil which has chemical fertiliser from the
agricultural supply stores becomes dry, dusty and dead! It’s not a living bed for the plants to grow in
because the good microbes have died... because the chemical fertilisers destroys much of the organic
matter in the soil they need to live. These fertilisers give the plants the minimum nutrients to grow
quickly, but not all the nutrients and minerals that your body needs for good health.”
Ruth bent down and took a scoop of soil again.
“As for the pesticides and weed killers, they don’t just kill pests and weeds, they kill our insect friends,
like the ladybird and butterflies, and all our lovely soil friends. Often the chemicals stay on the leaves and
get in your body when you eat them. Over the years, they poison your gut microbes that are so essential
for good health, weakening your immune system. So, you won’t be protected against getting a serious or
fatal case of COVID-19 and other diseases.”
Ruth bent to pick up a ladybird from the leaf of a tomato plant.

“This is one of our best friends. It helps to keep the aphids down, and other nuisances. We wouldn’t
want to poison you, my dear…” The ladybird opened and closed its wings, as if agreeing, then flew away.
Martha laughed.

“It’s a balance, Martha. The caterpillars eat some leaves, but the butterflies help to pollinate and grow
strong seeds. The birds help to keep the caterpillars down, and because we have so many different plants,
even if one is eaten another one will be fine. It is growing food using living microbes and in harmony with
natural methods instead of using chemicals from the agricultural supply stores which poison both the
soil microbes and the plants, which in turn poison the good gut microbes in our bodies.”

Chemical sprays, powders and fertilisers:

• Kill the healthy microbes in the soil • Poison your body slowly over time
• Kill insect friends • Are not needed if you use natural
methods to grow crops
• Pollute ground water and rivers

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