Discover the Secrets of Soil Mineral Balance!

New Expanded Edition v1.3 released May 2010

Discover the Secrets of Soil Mineral Balance
and Create Your Own Ideal Soil!
New Expanded Edition v1.3 released May 2010

The secrets of soil mineral balance that create ideal soil, plant, and animal health are revealed here for the first time.  The amazing results that can be achieved by balancing the major cation minerals Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium in the soil according to the teachings of Dr William Albrecht and Dr Carey Reams have changed the world of agriculture.  This knowledge has taken the focus away from merely trying to achieve high volume yields to achieving the highest yields of the highest quality and nutritional value, while building optimal health in the soil, the crops, and the people and animals that rely on them for food.

There are no more depleted soils once you discover these secrets; the soil just keeps getting better and better year after year, and all without the use of any sort of toxic rescue chemistry.  As Dr Albrecht was known to say, "Well fed is healthy."  A well-fed soil leads to well-fed crops and well-fed people and animals.

Professional agronomists charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to consult with you and apply their specialized knowledge of soil nutrients and  minerals in order to achieve the perfect balance in your soil.  Though we feel they are well worth what they charge, some of us would prefer to have the knowledge and be able to do that for ourselves and others.  There are also many home gardeners and small farmers who simply don't have the financial resources to afford the expense of a professional soil consultant.  The lack of knowledge or money need no longer keep any grower from having the ideal soil.  For only $29.95, about the cost of a single laboratory soil test, this new one of a kind book teaches you everything you need to know to perfectly balance all of the major and minor mineral nutrients in any soil!

Is this difficult to do?

Not at all. The only reason more people have not balanced the minerals in their own soil is because this information has never before been made available to the public.  Understandably, trade secrets are just that, secret.  With the publication of this book, they are secret no longer.

If you can add, subtract, multiply and divide, (or use a calculator) and you know or are willing to learn some very simple and basic chemistry, you will have no problem learning to balance all of the essential minerals in your own soil.  All you need are the results of a standard soil test,  a pencil and paper or a calculator, and the easy to understand information in The Ideal Soil.  That's all.  You can write the perfect mineral prescription for your soil the first day you own the book.  All of the information you need is right there, including

*Full instructions on how to read a soil test and understand everything it is telling you

*Easily understandable examples of the simple calculations needed

*Full explanations of why you are doing what you are doing

*The Ideal Soil Chart that shows you exactly what you want to end up with

*Tables that list the mineral content of every commonly used USDA Organic approved soil mineral amendment and fertilizer ingredient.

The New 2010 Edition also tells how to:

*Accurately calculate true exchange capacity using the soil test results from any lab anywhere in the world. These are the formulas used by William Albrecht himself. We believe this is the first time this information has been published; this is the real key to making the Albrecht ratios work.

*What to do about high pH and high salt soils

*How to estimate the available Nitrogen in your soil based on its organic matter content

*How to apply these principles to established orchards and perennials using the Fertile Mulching Method

Every thing you need to know to write the perfect soil mineral prescription for your soil (or any soil anywhere) is included in The Ideal Soil.

Are there other books like this out there?

There are not.  While there are hundreds and hundreds of books about both organic and chemical-based agriculture, and even a dozen or so about sustainable Eco-Agriculture, The Ideal Soil is the first and only book that actually tells the reader what the perfect balance of minerals in the soil is, and the only book that shows exactly how to calculate the perfect mineral balance for the soil you are working with.  It is also the only book that we know of that gives the reader a chart listing the mineral content of every commonly available USDA Organic Approved mineral amendment and fertilizer ingredient.  One could purchase every other agriculture and gardening book in existence and not come up with this information.  The simple fact is, no one else has ever before written a book like The Ideal Soil.
FREE PREVIEW!

Read the Introduction HERE

Read Chapter 1 HERE
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What about landscaping, lawns, golf courses, and parks? 
Will The Ideal Soil help grow stronger, healthier landscape plants?

The Albrecht/Reams cation balancing principles work anywhere in any soil or climate for any type of plant.  The Ideal Soil Chart shows the ideal ratios and proportions of all of the important mineral nutrients to each other, but in most cases, these are not exact ratios, but a range of acceptable proportions.  Any balance of minerals within that range will give excellent results.  The Ideal Soil is not just a one-size-fits-all recipe book; it gives you the knowledge you need to adjust the mineral balance to allow for the preferences of plants that are naturally adapted to certain soils and environments.

Different soil types, from adobe clay to sand to mucky peat will all need a slightly different cation mineral balance in order to perform best; this subject too is covered in The Ideal Soil.

You can create the perfectly balanced soil for any type of landscape or environment.   The plants will need less water during dry spells and will have few or no problems with disease or insect attack.  A perfectly healthy plant has a strong immune system and is highly stress resistant.

A unique opportunity for a new recession-proof career?


Once your friends and neighbors see your results, the quality and appearance of the plants and crops, the health of the land, and the nutritional value of the food grown using the Albrecht/Reams principles they will naturally want to achieve the same quality for their own farms and gardens.  Every community on the planet needs someone who knows how to balance the soil for perfect health. Every community on Earth needs a soil physician as much or more than it needs a medical physician or a veterinarian.  When people and animals experience perfect nutrition, perfect health follows naturally.

Yet, simple as it may be, not every grower or gardener is going to be willing to learn to read a soil test and write a soil mineral prescription.

Your willingness to learn and apply the knowledge in The Ideal Soil can soon make you the local soil health expert, and should you wish, open up a whole new career as a professional soil consultant.  As a matter of fact, the worse an economy gets and the fewer jobs there are, the more people want to and need to grow their own healthy food.  Those who know how to grow nutritionally superior food, solve problems, and greatly enhance the health of their community are respected and will always be in demand.

Are these mineral balancing principles compatible with USDA regulations for Certified Organic Growers? 

Every principle and idea in The Ideal Soil is designed for and compatible with Certified Organic crop production.  Healthy, sustainable farms and gardens in harmony with Nature are the future of agriculture everywhere.  The Ideal Soil calls for no dangerous or toxic chemicals, and the mineral amendments and fertilizer ingredients suggested and listed in the book are allowed for Certified Organic use under the USDA National Organic Program Final Rule.

Can I use The Ideal Soil to balance the minerals for my pasture or orchard?

Yes you can.  These principles work and work well for any type of crop anywhere (even including commercial tree farms).

How about updates?  Will the book change?

The basic principles of cation mineral balance will not change.  We anticipated that some changes and additions would be made during 2009 to make the book better based on the feedback we got about this first edition of December 2008.  Everyone who purchased the first edition received the updated and revised May 2010 2nd edition absolutely free in their email soon after the 2nd edition was published, and anyone who orders the new 2nd Edition will receive an e-book version of the 3rd edition absolutely free.

FREE PREVIEW!

Read the Introduction HERE

Read Chapter 1 HERE

$29.95
139pp 2.4mb PDF E-Book

order this book

OR
Get the Spiral Bound 139pp Manual $34.95
Priority Mail Shipping Worldwide

Printed on high-quality 28 lb paper with a clear protective front cover and heavy washable back cover, the spiral bound edition of The Ideal Soil opens flat and is designed to be used as a laboratory and workshop manual.

$34.95

Priority Mail Shipping Worldwide!

Choose Shipping Option below, then click on "Buy Now"

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Amazon.com reviews HERE

 "...brilliant, profound, concise.....it has cut a clean path through the jungle of misunderstanding and misinformation that surrounds the growing of food."  Gary Kline, Black Lake Organic, Washington USA

"Seems you have  refined Albrecht's best guess".
Steve Solomon, Tasmania
author "Gardening When it Counts".

"From the day I got it bound til now, it has been open on my desk right next to me, I've carted it off to work to reread at lunch. I've handled it so much that I have to take it back to the print shopto get new covers. They both fell off."
Frank E., Arkansas, USA

"Your ability to take alot of great information from a very wide group of authors is impressive, you are to be commended on your library and ability to put it together.

I think you did the best job that I have seen so far."
Mike Kraidy, Int'l Soil Consultant, Peru mike@ofarmer.com

" I just received your handbook last night and I am really enjoying it…I feel like I am discovered an amazing new knowledge that I cannot believe I and my fellow farmers have not been aware of."
Robert deLeuze ZD Wines, LLC
zdwines.com

"Great book.  I really appreciated the clear concise format, the everything affects everything else logic "
Greg M., Tucson AZ, USA

"I've enjoyed reading this material. I've read many other books about soil properties, but this book took care of most of my questions."
Dave Hansen, Grass fed beef rancher, Nebraska USA
http://www.oakviewbeef.com

"Thank you and God bless you.  You have written a great book."
Dave Rogers, High Brix Market Gardener
NY USA

"This is the most concise, well written, and understandable explanation of soil analysis and soil minerals that I have ever seen. It makes the subject simple and gives people the confidence that they can do this themselves.  If I had the money, every library in the county would have a copy.  People need to read this book!" 
Heidi U., Olympia, Washington USA

"This is an excellent resource. I highly recommend it. I just got it yesterday and was up late into the evening reading it and read it while commuting to work today (dangerous, I know). It is excellent, I can't get enough of this book."
Mike C, Oregon USA

"I'm only on page 26, first time through (I'm sure I'll read it several times), but I just had to write and tell you how thrilled I am with it. Even at this early stage I can see that it is going to provide the knowledge I need to build my soil to world class."
A.M.,  Indiana USA

"It seems to be just what I needed to make sense of Soil Analyses for my kiwifruit orchard. I read it from start to finish this afternoon. Thank you."
A.L., New Zealand

"My compliments on the Ideal Soil book.  I read it more thoroughly and the layout of the soil test report combined with working through the calculations is very good.  I've amassed as much alternative soil fertility info as anybody and Ideal Soil will be one of my top reference guides."
Steve Diver., Texas USA
steve@sustainablegrowthtexas.com

"First chapter of a superb book, for once by someone who has a clue what they're writing about. http://www.soilminerals.com/TIS_Ch1.htm"
R.P., UK

" I have not had a chance to study in depth but after just looking through the pages I am floored with the wealth of information that you compiled."
Holly B., Washington USA

"I have been studying soil content for several years and the book is the best I have read.  I am recommending it to the appropriate friends."
MHA, Tennessee USA

"I found it everything it was claimed to be and more."
Bill S., Wisconsin USA

"Thanks for such a great book. I have looked at many of the soil books out there and yours was able to put the information into a easy to understand format."
Jeb Thurow. Healthy trees and Garden service LLC
Olympia WA USA

" After reading the first edition, I decided to implement what I learned and spread the elements according to my computation. I noticed sudden change in the soil and observed that it has become darker and looks very rich and fertile. My plants too are showing very good responses and they are standing with more vibrance."
Gennodin Nilong, Philippines

 

Agricola's Best Guess:
The Ideal Soil Chart version 1.8
(New April 2010)

The Ideal Soil book and The Ideal Soil Chart are the result of an eleven-year ongoing research project undertaken by the lead author to answer two questions:

Question #1: What balance of minerals and other nutrients are needed in a food crop to provide perfect nutrition and health to people and animals?

and

Question #2: Exactly what balance of minerals and other nutrients are needed in the soil to grow this perfectly nutritious healthy food?

In order to answer these questions it was necessary to go back and review every important work on soil mineral nutrients, starting with the classic Chemistry in its Applications to Agriculture and Physiology first published in 1840 by the German chemist and agronomist Justus von Liebig, and then searching for clues in everything written on the subject since.  Used bookstores were scoured for obscure farming magazines and books from the1800s and early 1900s.  Friends, colleagues, and acquaintances were quizzed about what knowledge they had and what books they recommended.  No field of agriculture was left out of the search: Biodynamics, Permaculture, Organiculture, and the SoilFoodWeb literature all made significant contributions.  Every book in the Acres USA catalog about farming and Eco-Agriculture was referenced; the standard college texts on soil fertility and soil mineralization were also studied for clues.  For the nutritional aspects, the same thorough review and study was done, from the 1920s work of Weston A. Price to the newest findings in both the mainstream and alternative health and nutrition fields.  The internet was searched again and again looking for obscure reprints and hidden gems until finally a pattern began to appear.

At the same time, the various ideas and discoveries were tried out on real farms and gardens.  Working with Gary Kline, the founder of Black Lake Organic garden center in Olympia Washington, and drawing on Gary's vast experience and many contacts, trials were done, various mixes were made, pastures, fields, and gardens were divided and different mineral combinations were applied to each part.  Animals were observed on pastures to see where they preferred to graze; milk samples were taken from dairy cows on different parts of the pasture and tested for their brix levels.  A full range of garden crops were grown on various soil types using different mineral balances, orchard soils were tested and the missing nutrients were added, and all along the guiding principle was Dr Carey Reams' wise advice: "See what you are looking at".  Some mistakes were made, fortunately none too serious or long-lasting, and the knowledge gained from those mistakes was applied to the next crop and the next year.  The Ideal Soil Chart was drawn up and revised again and again as more knowledge was gained from reading and trials.

The end result of this ten-year reasearch project is The Ideal Soil Chart, Agricola's Best Guess version 1.8, the centerpiece of The Ideal Soil.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that anyone has cross-referenced all of the major and minor mineral nutrients in the soil and shown their correct proportions and relationships to each other.  All agronomists and mineral-savvy growers know that Boron is necessary for Calcium metabolism; the question has been, how much Boron in relation to how much Calcium?  And what about Copper and Zinc?  Yes, they are synergists/twins, but what is their correct proportion to each other and their relationship to Phosphorus, Potassium, and Magnesium?  Those and many others are the questions answered in this simple one-page chart.  It is our considered opinion that The Ideal Soil Chart alone is worth at least ten times the cost of the book.  The information simply isn't available anywhere else.

FREE PREVIEW!

Read part of the
Notes and Introduction to
Agricola's Best Guess V 1.7
HERE

$29.95
139pp 2.4mb PDF E-Book

order this book

OR
Get the Spiral Bound 139pp Manual $34.95
Priority Mail Shipping Worldwide

Printed on high-quality 28 lb paper with a clear protective front cover and heavy washable back cover, the spiral bound edition of The Ideal Soil opens flat and is designed to be used as a laboratory and workshop manual.

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The Ideal Soil: A Handbook for the New Agriculture

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Ideal Soil

Chapter 1: The New Agriculture

Chapter 2: Cation Exchange

The Idea Soil Chart v 1.8

Notes on the Idea Soil Chart v 1.8

Chapter 3:TheMajorCations:Calcium,
Magnesium, Potassium, and Sodium

Chapter 4: The Major Anions: Phosphorus,
Sulfur, and Chlorine

Chapter 5: The Minor Elements: Boron, Iron, Manganese, Copper, and Zinc

Chapter 6: Trace Elements

Chapter 7: Writing the Soil Prescription

Epilogue: The Three-Legged Stool

$29.95
139pp 2.4mb PDF E-Book

order this book

OR
Get the Spiral Bound 139pp Manual $34.95
Priority Mail Shipping Worldwide

Printed on high-quality 28 lb paper with a clear protective front cover and heavy washable back cover, the spiral bound edition of The Ideal Soil opens flat and is designed to be used as a laboratory and workshop manual.

$34.95

Priority Mail Shipping Worldwide!

Choose Shipping Option below, then click on "Buy Now"

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Appendices:

 ●    Soil Sampling Instructions

 ●    The Ideal Soil Chart v 1.7

 ●    Mineral content of USDA NOP Organic fertilizer ingredients

 ●    Soil Report Blank

 ●    Kelp typical analysis

 ●    Kelp meal analysis II

 ●    Clay phosphate analysis

 ●    Annual uptake of Potassium, Magnesium, and Sulfur

 ●    pH and nutrient availability

 ●    Carey Reams’ Ideal Soil Recipe

 ●    Conversion factors

 ●    Notes on Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and B

          ●    Copper

                    ○    Bordeaux mixture

                    ○    Burgundy mixture

          ●    Zinc

          ●    Iron

          ●    Manganese

          ●    Boron

References cited (Bibliography)

Recommended Reading 

Mineral Content of Vegetables
by Bear, Toth, and Prince 1948
(with a new introduction and comments by Michael Astera)

Primitive Diets: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Iron content in the diet of isolated peoples worldwide, 1939.  WA Price

New in the 2010 Edition:

Calculating Total Cation Exchange Capacity TCEC using the Albrecht/Brookside method

Estimating Nitrogen Release ENR from Soil Organic Matter and Protein

Dealing with Excess: Alkaline and High Sodium Soils, and When There is Already Too Much:

Alkaline Soils (above pH 7)

Agricultural Gypsum Uses

Leaching Excess Sodium

The Fertile Mulching Method for Orchards and Perennials

Reviews from Amazon.com

Soils Science for Dummies , June 21, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars
By John O'Brien (Olympia, Washington)

If the "for Dummies" juggernaut ever gets around to selecting an author for "Soil Testing for Dummies," Michael Astera is a shoo-in. Building on the shoulders of early 20th century soil and other agricultural scientists, Astera articulates the process of interpreting soil testing as taught by such giants as William Albrecht and Sir William Howard amongst others who are acknowledged as the great thinkers and doers of what is now fashionable to call "sustainable" agriculture. Astera teaches that the health of the soil is pivotal in growing healthy food, which is what's needed to have healthy animals, healthy people and ultimately a (possibly) healthy planet.

Using his recommendations and soil test interpretation, our local community garden grew in the first year in excess of 30,000 lbs per acre of chemical-free, tasty produce. I had similar results with other home gardens by following the principles laid out in this book.

Whatever you do, don't build a raised bed, add lots of compost, plant "organic"seeds expecting to "live happily ever after," and then when the stuff tastes mediocre and is riddled with bug holes come to this knowledge to "fix" the the deficiencies. If you want to grow healthy food this is the place to start.
*****

First and only book to help , June 21, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars
By Nobis77 (Tennessee)

Perfect. Covers a huge and grossly neglected portion of agriculture - the interwoven mineral fabric that supports everything else. The first book you should get if you or others depend on your soil for life and livelihood.

Starts by building a radically different and much more "in-depth" understanding of what healthy soil is compositionally (it's mineral portion) and how that portion then works and changes than can be found in reams of organic texts or could EVER found in conventional ones. It does this in about twenty pages, a perfect in-depth to understandability ratio.

Subsequent chapters build with details on major groups of related nutrients, how to interpret a good soil test for them, and finally how to then put together a recipe of the most economical mineral ingredients that will fix and optimize your land's soil.

Not covered is the Carbon, Nitrogen, and biological cycling that goes on in healthy soil (though this is quite frankly covered at exclusive and absurd lengths in a fleet of good organic texts). Also it can be reasonably speculated that, with all the right mineral building blocks in-place (and assuming you're not doping you land with various 'icides), the building, balancing, and cycling of these three will largely take care of themselves.

If it had a chapter of equal excellence summarizing and fitting-in these three it would be the only book you'd ever need to learn soil fertility, but even as it is it's the perfect answer to what's been missing from gardening and agriculture.

(based on first edition)
*****

Wonderful all-in-one resource on soil management , June 22, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars
By Anonymous (Midwest USA)

I have purchased several books on soil management, but Mr. Astera's book "The Ideal Soil" is far and away the best resource I've seen on the topic. It discusses the essential (and often ignored) factor of Soil Mineralization: i.e., what minerals should be in your soil, and in what proportions. It may seem basic, but if the minerals aren't in your soil, then they won't be in the foods that you grow there, either. "The Ideal Soil" lays out exactly what minerals should be in your soil - in what amounts - what each one does - and how to achieve the proper balance in a detailed & practical way, whatever the soil you're starting with.

Ensuring that your soil contain the needed minerals, in the correct balance, has many benefits, including:

- Creating ideal soil "crumb," texture & pH
- Supporting the beneficial soil life (microbes, earthworms, etc.) needed to condition your soils
- Nurturing healthy plants that can fend off diseases, insect pests, etc. on their own - without needing constant inputs or chemical interventions from the gardener!
- Better tasting produce
- Higher yields
- Healthier produce, complete with the many nutrients & minerals that your body needs.

The best thing about this book is that it lays out exactly how to achieve great soils in your own plot, step by step, starting with the soil that you have today. It will be immensely useful for savvy gardeners, and farmers, and even those who raise horses or livestock on pasture. (Because healthy soils = healthy, productive pastures = lower feed cost + healthy animals.)
*****

Here's The Dirt , June 24, 2010
5.0 out of 5 Stars
By R.Smith (Lummi Island, Washington)

All dirt is not created equal. One of the challenges of gardening is to try and build ideal soil, soil that will provide a healthy medium for growing food that has the highest possible nutritional value. Most gardeners get the idea that we have to feed our garden to enrich it with nutrients that the plants will incorporate into our food. We add manures or compost (or both) plus fertilizer and hope that we have the right mix. Hopefully, we know where our additives come from because a lot of what you buy at the home and garden center isn't just manure--it's crap. You'll think you are improving your soil but you could be making it worse.

Part of what we are trying to accomplish is to build the soil/life web but this is only part of the goal. Rains leach nutrients from soil. Beds can be protected over the winter by heavy mulching or even covering them with black plastic. At some point, though, in our quest to improve the nutritional value of our produce we need to take a hard look at the mineral balance of our soil.

The details of soil science get a bit complicated for me but the gist of it is there are lots of chemical actions taking place in the garden and it's important to have the right balance of minerals to get the best results from your efforts. Michael Astera is the go to guy these days for soil science.

The nice thing is that you don't have to understand the details. You just need to buy into the concept that a soil system, not unlike the human system, has to have the proper balance of nutrients to function properly. It's pretty simple and not cost prohibitive to have your soil tested. Even without a professional evaluation you will begin to see where your soil has deficiencies. You can get someone, even Michael Astera, to evaluate your test a give you a prescription.

Even if you have no scientific bent you will find the information in The Ideal Soil accessible, informative, even transformational.
Highly recommended for every gardener.

 

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