Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals.
有机耕作就是不用任何化学肥料的耕作。
They focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease.
农民关心的是保持土壤肥沃并且免受病害。
A healthy soil reduces disease and helps crops grow strong and healthy.
健康的土壤会减少病虫害 并且帮助农作物茁壮成长。
Organic farmers, therefore, often prefer using natural waste from animals as fertilizer.
因此,有机耕作的农民通常喜欢把天然的动物粪便当作肥料。
They feel that this makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals and so more fertile.
他们认为这样会使地里的土壤更富含矿物质,因而也会更加肥沃。
This also keeps the air, soil, water and crops free from chemicals.
同时还可以让空气、土壤、水以及农作物不受 化学物质的污染。
Organic farmers also use many other methods to keep the soil fertile.
有机耕作的农民也使用很多其他的方法来保持土地肥沃。
They often change the kind of crop in each field every few years,
在同一块地里,他们经常每隔几年就换种农作物。
for example, growing corn or wheat and then the next year peas or soybeans.
例如,种玉米和小麦后来年再改种豌豆或大豆。
Crops such as peas or soybeans put important minerals back into the soil,
像豌豆或大豆这样的农作物 将重要的矿物质带回土壤,
making it ready for crops such as wheat or corn that need rich and fertile soil.
从而使之适宜于种植要求土地肥沃的农作物,比如玉米或小麦。
Organic farmers also plant crops to use different levels of soil,
有机耕作的农民还种植多种农作物来利用不同层次的土壤。
for example, planting peanuts that use the ground's surface followed by vegetables that put down deep roots.
比如,他们先种植生长于浅层土壤的花生,然后再种植生根于深层土壤的蔬菜。
Some organic farmers prefer planting grass between crops to prevent wind or water from carrying away the soil,
还有一些有机耕作者喜欢在农作物之间种草,以防止水土流失,
and then leaving it in the ground to become a natural fertilizer for the next year's crop.
并且把草留在地里,从而成为来年农作物的天然肥料。
These many different organic farming methods have the same goal:
这些不同的有机耕作的方法有着同样的目标:
to grow good food and avoid damaging the environment or people's health.
种植好的粮食,避免损害环境或者人们的健康。