In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Uncle Matt’s Organic described how it uses numerous environmentally friendly practices.
The company said use of cover crops in its groves helps control weeds and promotes healthy soil. The complex root systems from the cover crops nurture robust biodiversity in the soil. This ecosystem provides water retention, nutrient availability and carbon capture.
Use of cover cropping, along with carbon-based natural fertilizers in the grove, helps eliminate groundwater pollution, the company added.
Uncle Matt’s stated that by avoiding synthetic chemical pesticides, it’s protecting the natural species in groves. From spiders, wasps and bees to the underground microbial community, each species plays a crucial role for healthy above- and below-ground biodiversity in the grove.
Feather meal, peanut meal powder and cottonseed meal are among some of the natural fertilizers the company uses to build nitrogen content in the soil. It also uses vinegar, neem oil and clove oil to help control weeds. These bolster nutrient-rich soil rather than depleting it, the company said.
Uncle Matt’s said that by managing the ecology within farms and taking a holistic approach, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. “Our farms promote carbon capture through building beneficial soil organic matter via cover cropping, the use of carbon-based inputs and encouraging robust biodiversity throughout our farm,” the company stated. “This growth over time actually captures more carbon dioxide rather than increasing greenhouse gas emissions.”
The company said it avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers in its groves, opting for natural, carbon-based sources for all nitrogen and phosphorus inputs. It added that carbon content provides a slow, biologically mediated release of nutrients, which eliminates leaching and excess runoff.
Uncle Matt’s supplements its approach to soil health with compost. “This is a healthy way to nourish soil and plants while also being friendly to the planet,” it stated. “The use of compost encourages biological diversity which ultimately creates carbon capture in the soil and assists in both the breakdown and retention of nutrients.”
“We’re able to conserve water through a combination of all our organic practices,” the company added. “One specific method is that we allow weeds to grow tall rather than eliminating them completely. When we mow them down, they provide stubble for the soil surface which helps conserve water by eliminating bare ground. If rain encounters bare ground, then this could lead to runoff or leaching.”
Uncle Matt’s said it is also earth friendly in its processing and packaging practices, and by having all of its products certified Glyphosate Residue Free by the Detox Project.
Source: Uncle Matt’s Organic
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