"Remineralisation" - an excellent source of trace elements

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	Remineralisation

The following article is from Remineralize The Earth. Since most rock formations contain, for the most part, traces of all of the 92 natural elements of the Earth, all of the statements in the appended article are, with one exception, true.

However, the statement that, "the soils of the entire world have become severely demineralized by erosion over thousands of years" is not quite true. Nothing would grow anywhere anymore if this were true - and even the materials used to 'remineralise' the soil would be severely trace element deficient. It is true though that the odd element here or there - such as phosphorus in the Rocky Mountains, or iodine in the "goiter belts" - has become a bit deficient in some soils.

The chief culprit is our modern agriculture which knows of and maintains only 8 (!!!) trace elements - or trace minerals - in its soils. Due to this deeply ingrained 150 year-old ignorance, all of the other vitally important trace elements are now severely deficient or even absent in all chemically farmed soils.

Powdered rock is therefore, in most cases by far, an excellent and long lasting source of the complete natural range of the 72+ trace elements. It will actually "remineralize" chemically farmed soils. And the very positive, and often spectacular results obtained by those people who have used and are using it, are absolutely valid, and may be fully expected.

Due to the traditional and long standing dismissal and neglect of all but the handful of known trace elements by our sciences, these people also do not know that the real cause of trace element deficiencies in agricultural soils is this long standing ignorance and neglect of the over 60 'unknown' trace elements by our sciences. It's the full natural range of the 72+ natural trace elements in powdered rock which work these 'wonders'.

And while the remineralisation of agricultural soils with powdered rock works literally 'wonders' in clay soils and rich loams, it can further lower the relative level of organic content in predominantly sandy soils. Increasing the organic content of sandy soils along with the addition of powdered rock, will result in highly productive soils well supplied with the complete range of the 72+ natural trace elements.

Finally, please note - and since rock dust is a perfectly good 72+ trace element "fertilizer" - that it will generate the same substantial increases in health, yield, disease and insect resistance of crops, as described in these pages.

And furthermore, if produce grown on such remineralized soils is consumed on a daily basis, it will also convey the same massive health benefits and robust disease resistance, as described in these pages, to these lucky people.

"REMINERALIZE THE EARTH", Spring, 1993.

This information is condensed from the writings of John Hamaker, Don Weaver, Larry Ephron and Joanna Campe.

Soil Remineralization:
Plants, and especially so our crops, need a balanced "diet" just like people do. Too much of a good thing can be very harmful. That's a problem with compost, manures, and chemical fertilizers; they release too much of some nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorous) and not enough of others (such as the many trace minerals). And to make matters worse, they are very soluble in water, which means that crops are FORCED to absorb them, throwing our crops out of balance. Powdered rock, on the other hand, dissolves very slowly, and so it cannot cause an imbalance, nor can it pollute the ground water or streams. It could make a world of difference.

The soils of the entire world have become severely demineralized by erosion over thousands of years. Crops require a continuous intake of minerals, just as we do, and for very similar reasons -- calcium to build structural support, iron to carry oxygen, and so on. Crops growing on mineral-depleted soil do not get enough nourishment and so become smaller, less-abundant and less hardy, more vulnerable to the insects, worms and fungi they are prey to.

Remineralization causes a phenomenal growth of the microorganisms in the soil. It increases the nutrient intake of crops. It counters the effects of soil acidity, prevents soil erosion (just for that reason it would be worth applying rock dust), increases the storage capacity of the soil, contributes to the building of precious humus complexes, has anti-fungal properties, and when you spray it on crops it repels insects as well. Crops and trees become highly resistant to insects, disease, frosts, and drought. Remineralization also enhances and speeds up the process of composting, so if you're composting for your garden, consider putting on some rock dust. It can be even more effective than just directly applying it to the land.

For Forests:
The results of long term experiments released in 1986 showed that in a forest where pine seedlings were remineralized, after 24 years the wood volume was four (4) times higher than in the untreated area.

For Agriculture:
The best source of soil minerals is simple crushed gravel dust. In 1976 John Hamaker spread gravel crusher screenings on part of his ten acres in Michigan. The following year, in an area of sparse rainfall and dry summers, and with no irrigation, his corn produced 65 bushels per acre, compared to yields of under 25 from other local farms.

Moreover, when independent analyses were done, Hamaker's corn was found to contain 28% more protein, 47% more calcium, 57% more phosphorous, 60% more magnesium and 90% more potassium than the same type of corn grown with chemical fertilizers nearby.

Twenty years ago the USDA published studies which showed that cement kiln dust (a less-satisfactory source of minerals) also produced better crops, but they couldn't understand "which element" in the dust was responsible and dropped the matter.

Don Weaver grew 18-foot pole beans on remineralized soil (Jack and the Beanstalk?) and got two to four times the normal organically grown yield. Alan LePage of Vermont grew a crop of carrots averaging 1-1/2 feet long. And there was no insect damage to any of these crops. Hamaker estimates that on fully remineralized soil, American agriculture could grow four times as much food as it is capable of now -- or the same amount of food at about one-fourth the cost -- and with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

The Nutritional Aspect:
When we eat food grown on depleted soil we too, like our crops, lose our natural resistance to disease. All the degenerative diseases have been on the rise in America in recent decades. Dietary fat, cholesterol, salt and overly-refined foods seem to be major factors, but a serious deficiency of minerals in our food may be another. Mineral depletion of soils has been found to be directly correlated with death rates. And deficiencies of only one of a number of trace minerals -- copper, iron, selenium, etc. -- have been found in laboratory studies to be associated with an increased risk of cancer. You may want to grow more complete, nourishing food for yourself and your family."