In the northern hemisphere a new gardening season is upon us!
Right now thoughts of seeds, soil and the potential for fresh fruit and veggies may be dancing through your head. But as you prepare your garden plot for this season, or contemplate creating a garden for the first time, perhaps it is also the perfect opportunity to contemplate what “natural” and “organic” truly mean.
Many new gardeners may be surprised to find that blood, bone meal and fish emulsion are all considered “natural” ways to fertilize organic gardens. These substances are obtained from slaughterhouse floors or mass fishing operations… and they reek of the industries which they support.
There is another way to garden though, without animal inputs (including manure!) It is often called veganic, vegan-organic or stock-free gardening. There are heaps of different gardening styles housed under these labels, so you’ll have plenty of options to explore, for the benefit of our fellow animals, our health and the health of our planet.
Beginner’s Guide to Veganic Gardening
Vegan-organic gardening avoids not only the use of toxic sprays and chemicals, but also manures and animal remains.
Just as vegans avoid animal products in the rest of our lives, we also avoid using animal products in the garden, as fertilizers such as blood and bone meal, slaughterhouse sludge, fish emulsion, and manures are sourced from industries that exploit and enslave sentient beings.
As these products may carry dangerous diseases that breed in intensive animal production operations, vegan-organic gardening is also a safer, healthier way to grow our food.
Guide to Composting
Compost is any gardener’s best friend. For new veganic gardeners though, it is not only your best friend, but the building block from which your vegan garden will grow.
As you build your own compost pile, bin, or tumbler, you’ll learn to love this nutrient-rich pile of possibility.
The soil and humus that are created from your scraps do more than just reduce unnecessary additions to the landfill. They are also essential to revitalizing your garden and providing your household and garden plants with the nutrients they need to thrive.
Veganic Gardening Resources
As the Veganic (Vegan Organic or Stockfree Organic) movement continues to grow, many online resources have become available for new and experienced gardeners and farmers who are interested in these sustainable and ethical growing methods. This blog includes a list of resources for those interested in learning about veganic organic growing.
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