Archive by Author

Thinking of Going “Organic”? Think Scientifically & Think Bottom Line

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D. As a sustainable/organic agronomist, one of the most disheartening types of calls I receive on a regular basis are the ones that proceed as follows. “Hi, this farmer Joe Smith, I’m having problems with weeds/insects/low yield etc. on my soybeans.  Of course I should expect lower yields, since I went organic […]

Science & Philosophy: Should Organic Growers Be Forced To Choose?

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D. The first issue to get out of the way is that the author is not anti-organic agriculture in its broadest definition.  I raised my children on a certified organic farm, have sold semi after semi of organic fertilizer commodities and blends and continue to work with organic growers on several continents.  The […]

Comments on Potassium Silicate

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D. First, a discussion of the issues involved. Since potassium silicate is composed of natural elements, the issue of being a synthetic, carbon based, toxic material similar to a pesticide is a non-issue. The next issue is that of being “manufactured”, thereby consuming “energy” in its creation. This is a philosophical […]

Cutting To The Chase

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D. As graziers, the bottom line is pounds of meat produced per acre. Then you can refine that by talking about price for pound for “quality” meat and cost of land, labor inputs, etc. Many growers pride themselves on efficiency and diligence in their choice of breeds, choice of forages, choice […]

New Sound Around

By Philip A. Wheeler, Ph.D. From the work of D. R. Carlson, there is no question that sound can stimulate plant growth. He and his Sonic Bloom System were the subject of an entire chapter in Secrets of the Soil, by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. Pioneering work always leads other to thought and experimentation, […]