Guest guest Posted March 5, 2005 Report Share Posted March 5, 2005 > Brix questions > > > > >Suze, loved your brix article in Wise Traditions. Thanks :-) > >Are most if not all high-brix growers organic, or is there such a >thing as conventionally grown high-brix plants? First let me say that I'm absolutely no expert on brix. If you want to ask the experts, go to the brix talk list - the list that my interviewee (Rex Harrill) runs. BrixTalk But I'll do my best to respond with what limited knowledge of the subject I have. From what Rex and some of the others involved in high brix farming tell me, no, most high brix farms are not organic. I don't think they're " conventional " either in the sense that they'd use conventional farming methods and products (fertilizers/pesticides/herbicides, etc). I think they probably fall more under the eco-ag umbrella. One of the ag consultants I interviewed (Rodney Heinen) DOES consult mostly with conventional farmers. He helps them transition to a more Reams style of farming, which in turn would mean they'd likely be cutting way back on conventional methods/products. I have no idea if there's any such thing as " conventionally grown high-brix plants " but if you mean using conventional farming methods/products I'd say that would probably only occur as an occassional fluke for a limited period of time if a conventional farmer happened to *inherit* fertile farmland, as Rex did prior to his learning about high brix farming. I'd imagine the conventional farming methods/products would eventually reduce the soil fertility so even if this farmer started out with high brix plants, it probably wouldn't last long. > >If there is conventionally grown high-brix, what would you choose >at a farmer's market: organically grown average brix or >conventionally grown high-brix, and why, or do you only choose >organic high-brix? That's a good question. I think it would depend on the difference in brix. If it was really minor I might go for the organic. But if it was significant, I'd go for the high brix conventional. According to Rex, Dr. Andersen (referenced in the article) found that high brix plants grown in toxin-laden soil contained LESS toxins than organic plants grown in " pristine " soil. IOW, a higher nutrient level/healthy nutrient balance in the plant apparently means it takes up less toxins from the soil. Having said that, I currently buy mostly organic produce from my local farmers' markets primarily because the conventional stuff I've seen often doesn't LOOK as good. I think I only brixed a few conventional fruits/veggies last summer and they weren't worth buying. This goes for most of the organic stuff I bought as well, however :-( Does high brix compensate for chemical >fertilizers? (They wouldn't need chemical pesticides of course!) I'm not sure what you mean by " compensate " ? Suze Fisher Lapdog Design, Inc. Web Design & Development http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine http://www.westonaprice.org ---------------------------- " The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. " -- Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher. The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics <http://www.thincs.org> ---------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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