All genuine organic farmers grow their crops in harmony with nature. Instead of killing microorganisms with chemicals they create a sustainable environment and a healthy eco-system. Rather than depleting the soil of nutrients and poisoning it with artificial fertilizers and pesticides etc.  Farmers are reverting back to traditional techniques as well as implementing relatively new practices such as Permaculture and Bio-Dynamic Growing. Building and maintaining healthy soil is key. In half a cup of healthy soil there are more microorganisms than there are human beings on this planet. Composting crop left overs and animal manure is an effective way to achieve this and all genuine organic farms should have a soil-building program. Most people know that plant roots absorb nutrients from the soil but it is a lesser-known fact that they also release nutrients back into it. So growing the same crops in the same field over and over again is really quite silly. Rotating crops in a particular way helps to keep soil healthy and well balanced. All genuine organic farmers should grow a large selection of different crops. But Mono-cropping (growing only one or very few types of crops) has other negative impacts too. It attracts fungus, harmful bacteria, pests and unbalances the entire eco-system. In nature there is always a multitude of different plants growing together, referred to as bio-diversity. Organic farmers try to copy nature as much as possible. ‘Intercropping’ is a practice that refers to different crops being planted together in close proximity. ‘Companion Planting’ is another technique, which refers to crops that are grown together because they that are mutually beneficial. They can provide shade and nutrients or protect each other from pests. Entire studies have been carried out on the subject and each farmer has his or her own secret favorite combination. To make the best possible compost it is vital to practice mixed-farming; combining crop and livestock farming. Although this is in our view a vital component in organic farming, this is not always practiced. There’s an easy explanation as to why we believe this is so important: The farm grows fodder for the animals, which are kept in large open enclosures and the manure they produce is composted. The compost in turn is used to add nutrients to the fields, and so it goes – the cycle of life. Organic farms should only use heirloom seeds, ideally collected at their own farm. This isn’t always practiced but you should ask your local farm if they have a seed bank. It’s really important to protect traditional vegetable varieties and refrain from using industrialized modern varieties such as Hybrids or Genetically Modified Seeds. There is a dedicated section on the importance of Seed Saving below. Genuine organic Farmers also try to protect our resources and aim to use as little water and electricity as possible. In Europe many farms use renewable energy. In the Middle East this trend is still in its infancy but we do our bit in other ways such as carrying out most works by hand and wherever possible, drip irrigating all lands to save water & resources.