Ramial Chipped Wood
Food is one of HFI's focal points. With growing issues questioning the ability of food sustainability for our Nation, as well as our Nation that feeds the world, HFI is taking a global challenge and is strategically implementing cost effective actions at the local level.
California's Central Valley is a major area for agricultural food production. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Central Valley (San Joaquin Valley included) provides 25% of produce to the American population, on 1% of the nation's farmable land.
Genesis Organic Farm and Good Seed Organic Farm, located in the San Joaquin Valley, have agreed to collaborate with HFI to create a pilot educational model, using Ramial Chipped Wood on both a small and a large scale.
Problem: The Valley is facing impacting environmental issues that are posing great problems for sustaining one of the Nation's major food sources.
-
Water shortage and reduction of water table capacity
-
Land subsidence (or sinking) caused by over mining water sources
-
Soil Degradation and Nutrient Depletion due to over-irrigation
-
Air Pollution due to stagnation
Solution: Ramial Chipped Wood, a raw material high in nutrients that rebuilds the soil, is a proven solution that will reverse these negative environmental effects.
-
Water is retained in the chipped wood, increasing the soil water holding capacity.
-
The application of chipped wood, recycled renewable energy, will build a layer of naturally occurring compost. Over time, the earth's soil will be rebuilt by the attributes of this covering.
-
The chipped wood restores the natural organic components of the soil, allowing the microbial environment to replenish the nutrient levels.
-
Agricultural equipment is used on a less frequent basis, reducing emissions. Airborne dust particles are greatly reduced from the ground covering.
Other international test projects using the theory of Ramial Chipped Wood had the following results:
-
Substantial water economy plus biological and chemical water management by the organisms present in the soil.
-
Yield increases up to 1000% mass for tomatoes in Senegal; 300% mass for strawberries in Canada; 400% mass in dry matter of corn in both Cote d'Ivoire and the Dominican Republic, and 30% mass in dry matter content for potatoes in Canada.
-
Reduction of the negative impacts generated by some disease-causing agents, for example, under tropical conditions, complete control of nematodes, the worst and most costly pest in vegetable gardens.
-
Noticeable resistance to drought.
-
A remarkable enhancement of properties detected by the human senses in fruits and vegetables.
-
An increase of 0.4 to 1.2 pH unit in acid soils, and a decrease in the range of 2.0 in alkaline soils. It seems that the pH is controlled by the enzyme systems.
-
Reduction of conductivity in saline soils.