Bug Balance

This was published in the 2/13/2020 edition of The Fish Wrap.

Have you ever thought about the word pesticide? -icide means ‘killer’ so pesticide means pest killer, herbicide means plant killer and homocide means human killer. On Regenerative Life Farm, we are promoting life instead of deploying death. So what do you do when you notice some bugs eating your beloved tomato plants?  Go after the bad guys with genocidal rage?!

In a garden, all the bugs are not bad guys. It’s actually the other way around, most of them are good guys.  Bugs seem like bad guys when they eat your growing vegetables, but they play a vital role in the complex ecosystem of the garden. Some bugs are the clean up crew, eating less healthy plants and playing an important role in nutrient cycling.  A lot of the bugs are eating other bugs, the predator bugs.  All of which come in waves throughout the year. When you disrupt the cycle of the one you disrupt the cycle of the whole system.

As plant health improves, more complex nutrients are produced within the plant.  Bugs have sensors that help them judge the nutrient density and complex chemical bonds within plants. More and more types of bugs become unable to digest the plants as their nutrient density increases.   A bug will bypass healthy plants and chow down on weaker plants with more easily digestible leaves, leaving the healthy plants to thrive!

This natural culling process takes place throughout nature and within our own bodies. You might feel pesticidal when you see a bug on your tomato plant. But releasing a killer into the garden disrupts the natural and complex systems already in place. Feed and support your healthy plants and leave the rest to the clean up crew! Those healthy, nutrient dense plants will be better for you and taste great!