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    HUMUS: the black gold of the earth
    HUMUS: the black gold of the earth
    HUMUS: the black gold of the earth
    Ebook134 pages2 hours

    HUMUS: the black gold of the earth

    By Veronika Bond

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Humus is the most precious resource on earth. Our survival depends on it, and it is running out. Dramatic losses of fertile soils are caused mostly by human activities. But humans can also help regenerate humus.
    'HUMUS, the black gold of the earth' is an invitation to become EarthKeepers. If we want to take care of Mother Earth, then we must get to know her better.
    What makes her come alive? What kind of food does the soil need? In what environment can the soil-population grow and thrive? These are some of the questions explored in this book.
    Everybody can do something to take care of our soils and keep the earth alive. It is easier than you might think.
    LanguageEnglish
    Publishertredition
    Release dateMay 23, 2018
    ISBN9783746920696
    HUMUS: the black gold of the earth

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      Book preview

      HUMUS - Veronika Bond

      HUMUS

      deep soil for life

      Veronika Bond

      HUMUS

      the black gold of the earth

      a book about

      an endangered species

      and things we can do to save it

      Title: HUMUS

      Subtitle: the black gold of the earth

      Author: Veronika Bond

      Editor: Joshua Bond

      Cover design: Savannah Theis

      Publisher: Tredition

      Website: www.thehumusproject.org

      © 2018 Veronika Bond

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

      The material presented in this book is intended for educational purposes only. No expressed or implied guarantee of the effects of the use of the recommendations can be given nor liability taken by the author.

      978-3-7469-2067-2 (Paperback)

      978-3-7469-2068-9 (Hardcover)

      978-3-7469-2069-6 (e-Book)

      to the soil mother

      and to my mother

      Humus is the real black gold.

      ~ Friedensreich Hundertwasser ~

      Contents

      Prologue

      Introduction

      Chapter 1: The Earth Kingdom

      A brief history of humus

      Humus gets mixed up

      Topsoil

      Compost

      Humus

      The very alive

      Chapter 2: The Soil Mother

      Mother soil

      Humus gives fertility

      Humus gives protection

      Humus gives balance

      Humus gives stability

      Humus gives energy

      Humus gives food

      Humus gives health

      Humus gives life

      Chapter 3: The Creation of Humus

      The edaphon

      Humus: a slow act of creation

      Organic humus by observation

      Biodynamic humus by inspiration

      The right conditions for humification

      Chapter 4: The Extinction of Humus

      The rapid loss of humus

      Natural and manmade erosion

      The feeding habits of plants

      Destruction and exploitation

      Domino effects

      The real value of humus

      Chapter 5: Composting as an Art Form

      The creativity of humus

      Understanding compost as a medium

      Experimenting with compost

      Art is more than technique

      Growing your own mixed media

      The greatest of all crafts

      Chapter 6: The Sacred Worm

      Reverence for the earthworm

      Earthworms as soil builders

      Breeding earthworms

      The gold standard of humus

      An entourage of loyal supporters

      Chapter 7: Clay, Rock, and Lava

      Tools for earthworms

      Nutrients for plants

      Medicine for the forest

      Food for the soil

      Sustenance for life

      Detox for the garden

      Chapter 8: Schools of Composting

      Many ways, one journey

      Slow compost

      Classic organic compost

      Container compost

      Biodynamic compost

      Permaculture compost

      Surface compost

      Bed compost

      Humus storage ditches

      Fast track compost

      Worm compost

      Terra Preta compost

      Bokashi compost

      The Golden Rule of composting

      Chapter 9: The Wholeness of Humus

      The colloidal state

      Humus as a hologram

      The way of love

      Paradise Islands

      About the Author

      Appendix

      1 - Creating Humus

      2 - Food for the Edaphon

      3 - Compost Activators

      4 - Maye Bruce’s Homoeopathic Preparation

      Glossary

      Bibliography

      Links

      Prologue

      If the soil is ill, all living beings suffer. The remedy must start there.

      ~ Maye Bruce ~

      In October 2017 a firestorm swept across Central Portugal. Approximately two thirds of the area was burned, most of it in one single night. Within a few hours, miles and miles of countryside, forests, houses, people, animals, livestock, small holdings, gardens, livelihoods were consumed by flames.

      How could that happen? Apparently ‘500 fires started on Sunday night independently of each other and got out of control because of Hurricane Ophelia coming over the Atlantic’. But 500 fires don’t start spontaneously like that, not even in soaring temperatures at the height of summer.

      Was it human negligence? Was it arson? Are the eucalyptus plantations in this area the root cause of the problem? Many questions remain open.

      Then the second wave of questions came: Will this happen again? Can we do anything to stop this and protect ourselves? What, if anything, can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?

      The morning after the firestorm I built a new compost heap. The air was filled with smoke and ashes. In the woodlands next to our house and across the road small ‘volcanoes’ were still smouldering, spewing fumes and flames. Arranging organic materials from piles which had miraculously survived the fire was the most comforting activity of the moment.

      They say, the soil is more fertile after a fire. But, what if there is no soil left? We see black pines and olive trees stripped bare, collapsed on top of the skeleton of rocks, the naked bones of the earth mother exposed.

      Two months after the fateful night I read a headline in The Guardian — Mass starvation is humanity’s fate if we keep flogging the land to death. In the article, George Monbiot points out that the trouble begins where everything begins: with soil. The UN’s famous projection that, at current rates of soil loss, the world has 60 years of harvests left, appears to be supported by a new set of figures.

      In other words, when ‘the world has no harvests left’ there will be no fertile soil, no crops, no food, no fodder, no animals, no trees, no materials to burn. The earth will be ‘burnt out’.

      Fires of increasing ferocity and voracity are flaring up all over the world. Think of Australia, California, Italy, Spain, Tasmania… These are not ‘natural wildfires’. They contribute to the loss of fertile soil in many ways. Other causes for soil erosion are the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, deep ploughing, deforestation, overgrazing and last but not least our personal food habits.

      10 years ago my husband and I bought a Quinta in Portugal, partly because we wanted to have a go at growing our own food. In the night of the firestorm, many lives were changed. For us, it catalysed a fundamental change of perception. An old key question had been: How can we grow more food during more months of the year?

      From the ashes of disaster a more burning question has arisen: How can we help our soil mother recover and heal her suffering?

      This book is written in response to that new question. The soil is the mother of all living creatures. The olive trees, sheep, farms, humans who lost their lives in the fire and those who survived that tragic night — we are all her children. What can we do to make sure our soil doesn’t get reduced to ashes — or dust — as the case may be? Our very existence depends on finding answers to this question, fast.

      The Buddhists say, ‘all suffering can be healed through understanding.’ This book is a contribution towards a better understanding of soil as a living organism. An improved understanding of another living being is the foundation for any healthy relationship. ‘HUMUS, the black gold of the earth’ is primarily about earth, soil, compost and of course humus, the lifeblood of the living soil. Paraphrasing Amy Stewart, ‘there is

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