Dirty secrets of healthy soil | Peter Rutherford | TEDxPittwater

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Everything we eat comes from soil! What is it? What is healthy soil? How does the life in soil, (ie microbes and worms etc), impact on the way food plants grow? Is our human health related to the type of soil that our food is grown in? How do we create a truly healthy society? Ingleside's Peter Ruthrford will share his life’s journey from 20 years of ‘chemical farming’ to 20 years of ‘organic growing and teaching', answering these questions and giving us insights into the relationship between ‘healthy soils’ and healthy humans.
Everything we eat comes from soil! What is it? What is healthy soil? How does the life in soil, (ie microbes and worms etc), impact on the way food plants grow? Is our human health related to the type of soil that our food is grown in? How do we create a truly healthy society? Ingleside's Peter Ruthrford will share his life’s journey from 20 years of ‘chemical farming’ to 20 years of ‘organic growing and teaching', answering these questions and giving us insights into the relationship between ‘healthy soils’ and healthy humans.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@cdnerin]

I've been saying this for years now & nobody believes me in my neighbourhood. They think I'm crazy because I want all of their dead leaves, their grass clippings, I have 5 compost bins, I have 2 compost heaps, I scatter grass clippings all over my garden soil, I dig trenches in fall & fill them with all the annuals & garden plats that are done for the year (they're usually pretty much gone by the following spring). The guys at the eco-station in my town think I"m nuts because I come in to TAKE grass clippings (everyone else dumps them off). I think that we can complete change our farmlands if only more people could be encouraged to make use of their food scraps & used coffee grounds & NOT bag the grass from their lawns!

[@b_uppy]

Be careful about the clippings, etc. you add to your compost. It can be sprayed with stuff that can have a deleterious effect. Same thing with manures from farms. If they use wormers that can be transferred to your garden and kill off the very organisms you wish to bolster.

[@b_uppy]

Lars Hildebrandt Just looked up Casoron. It is allowed in Canada and easily can affect some plants for 6 months. Roundup's inert ingredients can cause harm, btw. Don't assume that people use chemicals correctly, either. Making sure the grass is chemical-free is good policy. Btw I use much of the same strategies you do but with caveats.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

I raid my forest and collect the leaves from the forest behind me!all free mulch and compost buffet

[@juliamarple3058]

CanadianErin No , but you shouldn’t dig the soil. It releases the carbon, and disturbs and damages all the micros and worm etc.... No till. No till. Also, grass clippings when fresh are too acid, so should be rotting down first.

[@fionnrichards8394]

A fantastic, heartening talk. Thank you Peter.

[@aquasurfer9]

I bought a house 27 years ago and it had dead trees on it, nothing would grow. I added dirt and it didn't help much. I bought 1000 red wiglers (worms) and they did their magic after a few years. No pesticides used and now have 20 foot mountain laurel and grass. The grass I used is a native to texas called buffalo grass. Isn't green like st augustine but gets into the soil, doesn't need watering, and the deer love it. I mulch the grass so the leaves from the trees get ground up and the nutrition from the leaves refertilize each year. Great video.

[@infiniteadam7352]

Working with and understanding soil has been a huge part of my recovery from drug addiction. I have spent so much time learning about soil and plants, its incredible how over a year later I am even more fascinated.

[@Emiliapocalypse]

A gardener friend and I like to say "eat dirt!" whenever we say our goodbyes.

[@TheogRahoomie]

I really enjoyed this. I farm my soil and it grows my beautiful garden for me in return.

[@michaelgagnon1635]

It is amazing to me that many of the solutions to our ecological challenges are so powerfully simple. This Ted Talk opened up my thoughts on how soil is to the earth like blood is to the body. The both must be healthy.

[@glenmorse9533]

Thank you, that was music to my ears. I have been working with my soil now for a few years, and this is really giving me purpose for living. I love working building the soil naturally, and every bit of information I get just thrills me. I really want to expand our worm composting now that you mention it. I can see having a lot more worms composting during the winter time especially. That will give me something to do in the winter time for the garden. I can always find leaves and scraps to feed them.

[@Murrayt-vu3cq]

Glen Morse research lichen and its purpose. rain hail shine

[@glenmorse9533]

Thank you, I looked it up. I had several loads of wood chips delivered last summer, and noticed lichens growing on the wood chips, and also in some of my gardens. I did not know what lichens were at the time, but left them alone. Some were bright yellow. Thank you, and I will do more research on lichens.

[@MushrooManny]

@@glenmorse9533 how do worms survive the winter? Im speaking from nevada where it gets too cold.

[@glenmorse9533]

@@MushrooMannyWe keep our worms inside the house; they are contained, and there is no oder. They are in a back room. I do have fly sticky paper up to catch any fruit flies, but there are not to many around. In the summer we move some to the outside compost piles.

[@MushrooManny]

@@glenmorse9533 do you have a garden inside? Or do you just compost inside?

[@mreubanksclass]

Thank you for sharing this. Such an important message.

[@SoilHealthpk]

Love this presentation - Bravo

[@DIYSolarandWind]

I'm slowly going off grid. I'm looking for a place to homestead in the springtime.

[@tanimashraf]

Magnificent!

[@MrLuie68]

I'm glad that you made this decision. Being you a chemist.

[@DrNidrog]

Brillant!!

[@mkerby6306]

Loved this all even to the end... let’s contemplate as we smell the soil in our cups...our lives....smell...who are you? ....you’re a walking bag o soil... true but also funny! Bravo! “Eat dirt and thrive!” -Zach Bush

[@phondo2]

This is beautiful. I just planted my heirloom plants I started from seed into my home organic garden. Love walking barefoot in my awesome nutrient rich soil with loads of earthworks and my own organic compost. I even saw a praying mantis today!

[@thumbalina1568]

I understand ❤️

[@karendyment8977]

that explains a lot. I was raised on a dairy farm, and my favorite smell is a freshly plowed field. Never really knew why, increases your serotonin. who knew???

[@chikiwiki0807]

Actually Ploughing/Tilling the field reduces organic matter which leads to dead soil.

[@down2one313]

I thought he was going to cry at the end.

[@marcoursi6062]

that's why I'm happier when I make my compost... :D.....

[@juliamarple3058]

This isn’t so much about soil, but more about using composting. Related, yes, but aeration by digging is harmful to the soil. There is a better way to aerate the soil naturally by plants roots and no till, no dig. Otherwise, good talk.

[@Jonrocat]

i understand kids should be around soil more but there's a very important reason why there's a warning on every bag of commercial soil you buy in Australia, that says not to inhale anything fom the bag, and most even recomend the use of dust masks.

[@harrytoyshirt4146]

Audio in and out when he turns his head--distracting. Good subject, though. It's a shame we don't care more for our soils.

[@John-ww3ji]

Kailaaaaa 😂 🤣! From the dirt we were made,live and thrive..and we shall also return to it. Go natural soil..forget the chemical.

[@NickTheHunter]

“Cancer cells cannot live in the alkaline environment.” Which call can?!?!

[@mkerby6306]

Cancer goes dormant at >/ =7.365 pH, most cells do great at this and better at above. Exception to better at that level is low stomach cells which are the only cell that can withstand the 1pH extreme acidity whose function is to contain the digestive juices and enzymes and so they die quicker (and hopefully are replaced quicker) than any other cell in the human body. Hence, alkaline water doesn’t really help. But that doesn’t mean to drink any old poisoned water. Now we must talk about the balance of the minerals/electrolytes in order to truly hydrate your cells...another day. Keep the Good Going!

[@roelvanoosterhout624]

My crabs

[@abubakarbinkhalidkhalid5504]

Hey our great grandfather is make of soil and water (Adam). Read Quran you find its all they

[@bahilleli]

Healthy people are NOT more alkaline, there is no such thing as a singular "body pH" - for example: our stomach pH is acidic and fluctuates (it can be 100,000 more acidic than our blood!), our blood pH is ALWAYS b/w 7.35-7.45 else it's a medical emergency, our intestines are alkaline (pancreatic juices containing bicarbonate wash food as it exits our acidic stomach and enters our intestine)... The only one of any import is our blood pH and it has nothing to do with diet, it's fully regulated and controlled by our lungs which aggregate and facilitate the exhalation of acidic CO2... and kidneys which produce bicarbonate out of 2 of the most plentiful chemicals in ALL HUMANS: Water (H2O) & Carbon Dioxide (CO2))... Also - you seem to equate "chemicals" with something negative... What exactly do you think children, not to mention 'sugar, spice and everything nice'... are made of?

[@mikerodgers7620]

This is a freak. I am not eating soil.