The Planting Calendar is all about cosmic rhythms related to the sun and our moon. The planting calendar keeps us conscious of the moons phases. The calendar guides us in working with these rhythms. Our planet and our moons rhythms also play a critical role on the micro cosmos that is our soil. When you look at soil under a microscope you are looking into another universe that is infinite! Or is it? How deep can we look?

 Farming by the moon is all about working to bring life back into the soil. All efforts are focused on feeding the soil and working with natural cosmic energies. The goal is to produce food with increased nutrition that gives us more vitality and better health. The soil and the life in the soil is part of a micro cosmos. The farmer works to restore and create a soil environment with beneficial microorganisms living in it. This living soil is considered essential in providing us with quality nutritionally dense food. 

The modern industrialized practice of utilizing synthetic fertilizers  pesticides, fungicides etc are literally killing the soil. So what about us? 

Plants grow with synthetics because they are given the essential elements known to be in fertile soil. Basically these are formulations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and minor elemental minerals. What is not considered is the beneficial microorganisms. These synthetic products earn huge profits for chemical companies and create an non-sustainable food production system. 

Once again, please hear this. The synthetics kill the life in the soil.  The one exception in my opinion is a quality time release encapsulated fertilizer in soil that is well amended with organic material. 

The so called modern agricultural methods focus only on mass food productivity of little nutritional value. Profit is the only motive!

Naturally fertile soil is the result of recycling organic materials. Animal manures, green manures and brown dried organic matter are just part of the materials that help create healthy living soil. Ocean kelp and natural mineral rock dust also play a major role. 
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We all have a responsibility to mother earth and how we treat her will ultimately determine how she rewards us in more ways than we can imagine. 

Farming by the Moon is not a new concept. It is in fact an ancient practice. 

​Pliny the Elder, the first-century Roman naturalist, stated in his Natural History that the Moon "replenishes the earth; when she approaches it, she fills all bodies, while, when she recedes, she empties them."   

Our moon is responsible for our ocean tides, sea levels and also many other natural forces involving reproduction in humans, animals and plants.

Specific farm chores performed according to the phases off the Moon has its benefits. I recall my Grand Dad telling me to plant seeds when the Moon was full in the evening by moonlight. He believed that during this phase the powerful forces of the Moon dramatically improved seed germination of above ground crops like fruit trees, tomatoes etc.. Every time I followed his advice my seeds would germinate faster and produce stronger seedlings. I also felt more energized and optimistic the next day. I recall awakening one morning about 6:45 am in April greeting the sunrise with a smile and loaded with energy and enthusiasm. 

Generations of farmers have passed along the wisdom of farming by the Moon. Ancient farmers did not use synthetic, patented fertilizers and somehow managed to survive and thrive for generation after generation. 

My Grand dad was not an ancient farmer of course and anyone farming prior to World War II had little need for synthetics. That old Grand Dad of mine lived to be 97 years of age and strong as an ox! The knowledge of wiser older men and women should be respected and so should the power of Moon light and Earth rhythms!

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