Farmers found out a long time ago that critical feeding (feeding excessive amounts of 'synthetic' fertiliser) results in bumper yields. So who can blame them, when the world is run by the dollar, when they do exactly that year after excruciating year. Counting the dollars whilst the land behind them pays a devastating cost.

The full cost we can only guess at... but for starters much of the land now needs to be rotated, with some of it barely farm-able at all. Lots of locked out P and K, making land deficient in iron and other micros, nitrates almost literally poured into the water supply.

Dare I even mention soil bacteria and the recent e.coli outbreaks?

Are we really upsetting the balance and need to add back what we have taken away in an attempt to re-address it? Or, do we carry on as usual, chasing the dollar and slaughtering the bio-diversity?

Hydroponics has shown us that sterile growing and artificial fertilisation in the form of synthetic nutrients will result in amazing harvests. Maybe we should just get out of soil altogether?

I'd be very interested in hearing the thoughts of some of you here... thank you for reading.