The Vegan Society

Promoting ways of living free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment.

Vegan-Organic Growing

Foot and mouth, BSE, health concerns, environmental worries and concerns for animal welfare have brought conventional growing methods into the spotlight. This has led to serious calls for a switch to sustainable non-animal farming and grow your own schemes.

Farmers all over the world are, however, locked into reliance on chemicals and animal by-products and do not know how to extricate themselves from this if they wanted to. Vegans buying or growing their own food may also believe that the prospect of growing organically without animal derived material is impractical or downright impossible.

This highlights a dilemma faced by most vegans all over the world: we don't want to consume animal derived food but the fact is that animal manures and slaughterhouse by products are used extensively to grow our groceries - especially if we buy 'organic.' Indeed, vegans have been accused of hypocrisy over this very issue by those who say that animals are essential to the production of food, whether or not we choose to eat them. So are vegans hypocrites? Is there anything we can do as individuals?

Well, yes there is something we can do. Firstly, we can understand (and tell other people) that animal free food growing is not only perfectly possible, but also environmentally essential. All life ultimately depends on plants, and the plants do not have to be wastefully passed through an animal in order to work. Those who say that animals are an essential part of agriculture have been conclusively proved wrong by the commercial growers who use animal free techniques and by government sponsored research into the subject. Animal based agriculture is in fact harming the world's environment. Governments and the public around the world have only limited awareness of these facts; although of course various governments have at least taken some positive steps, such as the encouragement of farmers to develop woodland industries in certain parts of the UK.

Then we can think about growing our own and we can do this using animal free techniques, which are not difficult to master on a small scale. Instead of spreading animal manures and slaughterhouse waste products onthe land we can use time-honoured techniques such as composts, green manures and crop rotations for growing over 60 different vegetables in our UK climate. We can also grow perennial crops including perennial vegetables like artichokes and asparagus, perennial soft fruit like strawberries, raspberries and currants and tree crops like apples, cherries and nuts.

You will certainly not be alone! Various groups exist to help out and many are listed below. The Vegan Organic Trust (VOT) and the Movement for Compassionate Living (MCL) are vegan led groups able to help the home grower. These and other groups offer their members advice, guidance notes, contacts with other groups and individuals, and regular magazines. In addition, they give a wealth of information about the many things that are happening worldwide on the animal free food front. They give a really practical insight into what individuals and groups can do for themselves. The Vegan magazine also regularly runs a full page on the subject of vegan organics. Of particular interest both VOT and MCL are currently producing books for growers and gardeners with comprehensive information about animal free growing. You can keep up to date on final publication dates through their magazines.

Whether or not we grow some of our own food at present, it is still possible for us to support the organisations that promote animal free growing, and thereby lend a hand in the movement towards a cruelty free world. The option of buying animal/cruelty free food is open to very few of us at the moment, unless we live near to one of the small number of commercial vegan organic producers.

There are one thousand million reasons for taking the steps mentioned above; this being a conservative estimate of the number of sentient creatures killed just in the UK every year to provide food and raw materials for the UK population.

VEGAN-ORGANICS - THE BASICS

Vegan-organics is, briefly, any system of cultivation that avoids artificial chemicals and sprays, GMOs, livestock manures and animal remains from slaughterhouses or fish processing etc. Alternatively, fertility is maintained by vegetable composts, green manures, crop rotation, mulches, and any other method that is sustainable, ecologically viable and not dependent upon animal exploitation. This will ensure long-term fertility, and wholesome food for this and future generations.

Whilst conventional cultivation farming relies on synthetic chemicals and animal products, traditional organic production also generally relies on animal wastes and by-products. Both can be seen to have the exploitation of living creatures in common, with conventional agriculture also leading to terrible health, social, economic and environmental problems. Vegan-Organic methods involve none of these drawbacks. Many people who are not themselves vegan or vegetarian are coming to appreciate these benefits of animal free growing.

Growing without cruelty

Organic growing involves treating the soil, the growing environment, and the world environment as a resource to be husbanded for future generations, rather than exploited in the short term. The maxim of organic growing is to feed the soil and the soil will feed the plants.

Vegan organics means doing this without any animal products at all, which is not difficult when you know how! The guidelines below do not attempt to be fully comprehensive. The Vegan Organic Trust has produced comprehensive standards, which will apply to commercial growers and will also be a reference for home growers, who can choose to apply them to whatever extent they wish. Of course, spreading the message involves everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge, and this is where the various vegan groups come in.

Here is some advice about growing your own crops

First of all, remember to use appropriate protective clothing; some materials such as limestone, can irritate the eyes and skin, as can some plants such as comfrey (not to mention nettles!).

Preparing the soil

Most bacterial activity and soil organisms live in the top few inches of the soil helping to create drainage and build up fertility. Constantly digging the soil and exposing it to erosion from the elements disturbs the natural balance resulting in the loss of availability of organic matter and the breakdown of soil structure. When cropping you need to constantly replenish soil organic matter levels by the addition of plant-based composts, mulches and by using plants grown to improve fertility i.e. green manures. With the exception of green manures, digging is not necessary for incorporating materials as organic matter spread on the surface will soon be dawn under by worm activity and plant nutrients will be available at root level and not be buried out of reach.

It is advisable to dig heavy clays as exposure to frost and rain can result in a more workable soil, especially over winter. Compaction, caused by standing or running the wheelbarrow over the soil when it is too wet, can be avoided by making permanent beds that are never stood on. These can be timber lined as raised beds, with soil from the paths being placed on the beds to raise them. Where soil has been compacted it may be loosened by forking.

When clearing land for the first time it is important to remove all the perennial weeds such as bind weed, couch grass, ground elder and horsetail whose roots are deep and wide spreading. Dandelions, docks and thistles have a long taproot. You remove them through a process of digging a trench, a spade depths across an area. Work backwards by pushing the soil continually forward, almost like a sieving process so that you can inspect every part of the soil and remove all the weeds. Do not stand on your new soil tilth!. Finally when all the weeds are removed rake the soil level with the back of the rake to reduce hillocks and mounds. All weeds will re-grow from a small piece left in the ground so it is important that you are thorough.

After digging, the soil will soon be covered by germinating weeds blown in or brought in by birds etc. therefore it is important to manage weeds so that they do not out compete the crop. Weeding is a constant task for the vegan organic grower but it is always easier to hoe small weeds when they are at the white stringy stage rather than having to up root established weed clumps by hand which is far more arduous.

Weeds are not all bad as they contain nutrients that have been brought to the surface level via the roots. Rather than waste this valuable resource, annual weeds [if not seeding!] can be composted and perennials can be chopped and added to water to make a liquid feed, as outlined below.

Mulching and no dig

Mulching is the method of applying organic matter to the soil surface, providing a constant supply of material to break down, suppressing weed growth, ensuring more even soil temperature and moisture. Mulch can be applied at any time except when the soil is frozen or dry.

When using no dig methods, weed-infested sites can be cleared by firstly covering with a barrier e.g. cardboard boxes, flattened and wetted, newspapers (avoiding toxic coloured inks), carpets or coconut matting (only those made from natural materials such as hessian and cotton avoiding synthetic mixtures and foam backing). A sufficient quantity of organic material is then spread over the barrier. Plants can be planted into holes cut into the barrier. Any weeds growing out of the planting holes can be removed by hand. After two years of covering weed-infested land, most perennial weeds should have died off.

Organic material

Obtaining sufficient organic matter is often the most difficult aspect of vegan-organic gardening. These are some potential sources.

Green Manures

There are many plants that can be grown in order to increase the fertility and humus content of the soil. Basically you sow the seed and allow the plant to grow then cut it down before it flowers. Many gardeners will then incorporate this into the soil, though it is also possible to either let it break down in situ or to remove it and compost it. A number of green manure crops, in particular peas, beans, clovers and winter tares will enrich the soil with nitrogen as well as providing organic matter. Green manures have many benefits and can be grown as catch crops in land that would otherwise be empty. Species to consider include buckwheat, cereal rye, winter tares, clovers, and alfalfa. Winter tares are good for heavy soil and lupins are good for light sandy soil types.

Liquid Feeds

When properly carried out, organic systems should not need supplementary additions as the soil provides all the necessary nutrients. However, getting enough potash for your luscious fruiting crops - tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers may prove difficult. It is possible to buy vegan liquid feeds or you can make your own much more cheaply. The process is simple; you fill a container, e.g. water butt with a tap, with plant material such as comfrey, nettles or weeds. You then fill the container with water (and you will be surprised how much water will fit in) and leave it for a week or two. It will then be very smelly, and you dilute it by perhaps 3-1 with water and then pour it on the soil around the plants. Alternatively you can increase the dilution and spray it over the leaves of plants, preferably in the evening or on cloudy days. See VOTs Information Sheet no 1 for fuller details.

Human Manure

Composting human manure properly requires great care and skill and should only be attempted if you really know what you are doing. While many consider humanure an essential part of a closed system, others would only use faeces from vegans free from chemical intakes, and some would reject this altogether. Your own urine is a strong and easily handled fertiliser, dilute it and use it to activate the compost heap; or add it to a small straw bale until the bale is saturated, (perhaps using it as an outdoor strawbale urinal) then cover the bale and after 6 months or so you will have a heap of excellent compost.

There are some materials that we would not recommend: -

Pests and Diseases

Crops grown in a soil containing high levels of organic matter and plant nutrients with a good soil structure and texture, will be healthy plants, and will therefore have a greater resistance to "pests" and diseases which tend to attack weaker, sappy plants.

There are many organic sprays available for treating pests and diseases in plants. These are not recommended because whilst they are not based on artificial chemicals, they can still be poisonous (e.g. copper sulphate) to non-target insect species, many of which are very beneficial in the garden. If you want to consider the alternatives to spraying, then it is important that you adopt a holistic approach i.e. use all of the following growing suggestions to increase your likelihood of healthy crops. Think of 'pests' as 'competing organisms' and you will feel better towards them!

Rotations

Pests and diseases spread in monoculture. It is important that you adopt at least a four course rotation. A typical example is to split your garden into four plots:

  1. Potatoes and curcubits (courgette, marrow, squash)
  2. Legumes (peas and beans) and alliums (onions and leeks)
  3. Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprout, turnip, radish, swede, oriental salad leaves)
  4. Salads, roots and miscellaneous (lettuce, chicory, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, sweetcorn)

Each year the crops are rotated into different parts. So in Year One potatoes are growing and they will be followed the next year by peas etc. VOT can provide information about incorporating green manure leys into rotations.

Providing habitat for predators to live

Providing permanent predator belts, including incorporating undisturbed perennial plants, shrubs and trees for insects and beetles to overwinter are all good ideas. Hedges are the best example of this. It is also possible to provide annual predator belts by leaving uncultivated strips between beds. Beneficial insects, birds and mammals will not inhabit your garden unless they have a water body in which to drink and places to shelter. Think about hedgehog shelters, log piles, bark piles (favoured by ladybirds) compost heaps, lacewing hotels and bird boxes.

Planting attractant species for beneficial insects

By planting aromatic species amongst your other plants you will find that the incidence of pests and diseases will fall. Camomile, garlic and many of the Mediterranean herbs are very useful here. Plants such as borage, limanthes (poached egg plant) echium and members of the umbellifer family (let several parsnips run to seed) attract predatory insects such as hover flies, parasitic wasps and other insects. Phacelia will attract bees and hoverflies and growing marigolds on the bed perimeters will help reduce greenfly. Companion planting and mixed cropping increases the biodiversity of plants and the insects it attracts

Physical barriers and tempting the slugs!

The dreaded slugs (and snails) are bound to get any vegan organic grower down. It is very important to try and be as tidy as possible in the immediate growing area. Leaving things lying around, for example, will give slugs a place to shelter. You can take advantage of this by, laying rhubarb leaves on the ground to attract slugs to shelter there - it is then a simple matter to collect the slugs up and move them, especially after dark with a torch. Bear in mind that slugs and snails have a homing instinct and will return if you do not move them far enough away! Other things you can do are to place a circle of bran around tender plants; copper tape around plants or guttering around beds filled with sharp stone can be effective. For flying pests use physical barriers like netting, fleeces, pop bottles as cloches and collars around brassicas to prevent the cabbage root fly laying its eggs.

Grow Perennial Species Where Possible

The gardening world, especially when it comes to growing food, is becoming aware of the advantages of perennial crops. Thanks to the pioneering work of amongst others, Ken Fern, Plants For a Future, and Robert Hart's Forest Gardening techniques.

There are plenty of perennial food crops available. These are much easier to grow - once established they will come back of their own accord year after year. Very little research has been carried out on perennial food crops, but if you would like more information on this then we recommend you to contact Plants For A Future. This organisation is vegan-organic; they have carried out extensive research into alternative food crops and other useful species.

How do we know that horticultural products are animal free?

It can be very difficult to ensure that purchased material such as compost is truly free from animal by-products; the word 'organic' often means that poultry manure, fish emulsion or slaughterhouse by-products are included. Question the manufacturers carefully; consult the Animal-Free Shopper or Vegan-Organic Trust. The Organic Gardening Catalogue (see below) lists animal free products.

One common problem is obtaining vegan-organic compost for potting plants, raising seedlings etc. this can be obtained by post from the Organic Gardening Catalogue (see below) but is costly to obtain this way. A good easily available product is B&Q multipurpose organic compost; this is peat-free, GM-free and free from animal ingredients (it says so on the bag! But its also been checked out by Vegan-Organic Trust). To use this for raising small seeds first sieve out any larger bits of material and try mixing a little sharp sand with the compost before sowing. See also suppliers below.

And what about worm composters?

Indoor or outdoor 'wormeries' are promoted as a means of using up small amounts of household waste. For vegans these are not such a good idea because unlike ordinary compost heaps, the worms cannot move to the soil and worm populations are often killed by neglect.

And it's not just fruit and veg.....

Indoor plants, flowers, shrubs and in fact every growing thing can be cultivated using the above methods. Roses shrubs and trees can be mulched and fed using vegan-organic composts and liquid feeds.

It is possible to make a smell-free liquid feed for indoor plants using seaweed meal. Put three flat tablespoons of seaweed meal into two litres of water, preferably in a glass bottle; leave to marinate for two to three weeks or more. Every month in the growing season feed plants with one mugful of this brew in two litres of water, shake the bottle well before use. This brew may not be very high in available nitrogen and/or potash, which pot plants do not usually need too much of.

Resources

Organisations and groups promoting vegan-organic growing





All the above groups would appreciate a SAE with enquiries.

Books available from The Vegan Society






Other useful books



Gardening columns



Websites

Apart from those mentioned elsewhere, try these:


Seeds and supplies





Other useful organisations and groups


This information has been compiled by volunteers from VOT