Throughout this spring series of blog’s I have shared how to make fish amino acid and water soluble calcium for a thriving natural farming practice.
Here I will detail how to dissolve calcium phosphate in a water soluble solution using two simple ingredients: grass-fed beef bones and organic fermented vinegar.
What is it?
Calcium phosphate is an essential mineral that supports the organism during the gestation period or the “change-over” stage. Time between the flowering and the fruiting of a plant can be viewed as a period of pregnancy where adequate nutrients are essential to the evolution of the next generation of the species. Healthier fruits and vegetables help to build healthier humans too.
You will notice that in our natural farming practice we use ingredients that you may find in the kitchen to make simple garden amendments that are effective, organic, non-toxic, and zero-waste. Humble proof that chemical fertilizers are nefarious products that have no utility in a regenerative farming practice.
Symptoms of calcium phosphate deficiency in plants:
Plant lacks structure.
Plant is susceptible to insect infestation and damage.
Plant develops flowers with poor structure.
Plant drops flowers before fruit has set.
Plant or fruit overgrows.
How to make water soluble calcium phosphate (WCP)
Tools:
1 -64 oz. mason jar or ceramic vessel
Porous paper or cloth & rubber band
1 - 750ml upcycled wine bottle & cork to store WCP
Filter
Funnel
Materials:
Bones from vertebrates such as grass-fed beef bones.
Fermented vinegar such as brown rice. We use raw vinegar made from sugar cane at Gingerhill farm.
Environmental Conditions:
Fairly stable ambient temperature of about 73℉ to 77℉.
Shaded place with no direct sunlight.
Method:
Collect grass-fed beef bones. Use bones that have been cooked and cleaned of protein.
Forage grass-fed beef bones that have been sun bleached. You may ask a neighbor rancher if you may collect old bones from their field. Or use grass-fed beef bones leftover from a meal.
If using bones that have protein, boil the bones to remove all protein and fat. Then place the bones out under the sun on a hot day to completely dry out any remaining proteins.
Roast the bones at a low temperature over charcoals.
This is a necessary step in order to remove organic substances from within the bones.
Roast the bones over hot coals on a barbecue grill, turning frequently so they char evenly without burning. Do not roast the bones over an open flame because the flame will burn the outside of the bones without cooking the inside.
Bones should be charcoal in color without brown or white spots. Brown or white spots indicate that the bones are not cooked thoroughly or have been burnt to ash.
When properly roasted, the bones will be very light in weight and will crumble easily. Break open the bones as you are cooking them to check if they are evenly cooked.
Break the bones into small pieces but be careful not to pulverize .
Fill the mason jar/ceramic vessel with 1 part bone charcoal pieces. Then incrementally add the vinegar. The proper ratio of vinegar to bone charcoal is 10:1 by weight.
For example you may use 500 grams vinegar to 50 grams bone charcoal.
Cover the container with cloth or paper and secure with a rubber band.
Allow to sit in a shaded area, with ambient temperature of about 73℉ to 77℉ for several days.
The process is complete when there is no more movement of the bones and no more formation of bubbles. About 3-7 days.
The finished WCP solution will be brown in color with no more bubbling activity.
Strain the liquid from the bones, passing through a strainer and funnel into 1-750ml upcycled wine bottle & cork.
Label & date the bottle.
Bones may be added to compost pile.
How to apply WCP in natural farming & regenerative agriculture
Dilute WCP with water 1:1000.
Apply diluted WCP to roots during initial growth stage of plants to help strengthen the structure of the plant.
Spray diluted WCP on leaves during periods of vegetative growth.
Plants with a strong skeletal structure will be more resistant to insect damage.
Over application will result in rigid, stiff plants.
Spray diluted WCP on leaves during periods of vegetative growth.
Helps flowering plants to maintain their flowering until pollination happens.
Give to expectant animals. Dilute 1 part WCP to 500 parts water. WCP helps to support the development of the skeletal system in the fetus.
Give to egg-laying hens. Dilute 1 part WCP to 500 parts water.
WCP helps to develop the skeletal system in the chicken and their chicks and helps build strong egg shell.
Non-toxic regenerative agriculture in the home
WCP is a non-toxic fertilizer and is safe for human consumption. You can go one step further when making bone broth, and utilize leftover bones to create a WCP solution for use as a health tonic. If you choose the create WCP as a health tonic, then be sure to use grass-fed bones, organic vinegar and glass vessels to ensure that the solution is food-safe. Do not use Heinz vinegar because it is made from petroleum. Nevertheless, these precautions should be applied to a natural farming practice because everything is connected. Finished WCP will be flat and sour in taste. If you choose to take this as a tonic, dilute 1 part WCP to 500 parts water.
Bones are sponges, and WCP tonic helps to pull toxins from bones. WCP works to rejuvenate bone tissue and to purify blood. Calcium phosphate is essential for building bone structure. It may help to alleviate the morning sickness that expectant mothers may experience during the first trimester of pregnancy when skeletal structure of the fetus is being formed in the womb. WCP may also help to rebuild teeth and bone structure in humans. As a disclaimer we are not offering any medical advice; rather this information is shared to encourage people to think of agriculture as part of a living and delicate biosphere. We challenge commercial agricultural dogma that insists that chemical fertilizers and petroleum dependent machines are needed to produce food.
The earth is our sacred home, the source of all life. Therefore, what cannot go in the body shall not go in the garden.
Resources:
Cho, Ju-Young. Natural Farming: Agriculture Materials. Cho Global Natural Farming, 2010.
https://naturalfarminghawaii.net/