The key to success when it comes to organic farming is soil fertility. In the words of Ron van Dijk: “healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy plant which in turn produces a healthy product”.  Therefore, rather than feeding the plants, Nature & More growers like Ron feed the soil and stimulate the life processes and micro organisms in the soil.  According to Ron, understanding the life of the soil is the first step to becoming a good organic farmer.

In 1995 ago Ron found out for himself how important the soil is “Due to the low market prices we could not afford to do everything necessary to sustain a healthy soil. We therefore reduced the use of compost and everything at first seemed fine. Eventually I noticed that the plants did not resist diseases anymore and did not yield as much. I had no idea, at first, but as soon as I applied compost again in adequate amounts the problems disappeared. I am convinced that soil fertility and plant health are connected”.

Important practices used by Ron and other Nature & More growers to maintain and improve the health of the soil include regular crop rotation (to allow soil recovery time and add useful nutrients and soil vitality), natural crop protection methods (to protect the soil life and plant health) and the use of compost and organic manure
 
Compost is not just a great way of “feeding” the soil and the plants, it is also a way of:
• Recycling waste products
• Improving the soil structure & fertility
• Suppressing diseases, providing plants and soil with important nutrients
• Increasing pest tolerance
• Gradually bringing back the natural balance of the eco-system
• Reducing water usage through improvement of water holding capacity by 50%
• Creating employment and economic development
• Reducing (ground)water pollution

Furthermore, when Rons’s organic tomatoes, aubergines & peppers are packed environmentally friendly materials (compostable or from renewable sources) are used. This is because there is firm belief that it makes no sense to pack environmentally friendly products in environmentally unfriendly materials like plastic (made from fossil fuels).  Ideally the packaging can be used for (industrial) composting however, when the materials are thrown away they will (as opposed to plastic) not pollute the soil.