(Thomson, Illinois)--By now most Americans know that the real first
Thanksgiving had very little to do with what is shown in elementary school
pageants. What they may not know as much about is the story of the Pilgrims'
survival in the New World, the Native American Squanto who helped them and how
it all had a lot to do with the dirt underneath their feet. Even after surviving
through their first winter, the Pilgrims' fate was still very much up in the air
and dependent on learning to cultivate the poor soil of the area in which they
had made landfall. Squanto, a Native American who spoke English because he had
been kidnapped by early English explorers and taken to England, was sent to act
as an interpreter. Among other things, he taught them the now famous technique
of burying a dead fish in each mound of corn in order to fertilize it. Both
Squanto and the Pilgrims had no way of understanding the science behind fish
fertilization and the other techniques that were borrowed from the Native
Americans. That is exactly what Bill Heid, the president of the Thomson-based
"Solutions From Science" set out to explore in "Squanto's Secret Garden," a free
Thanksgiving eBook available at: www.squantosgarden.com. Heid has also developed
a new product called ProtoGrow that brings about the success conditions
engineered by Squanto. ProtoGrow, is an organic "super-food" for plants that
acts as an alternative to traditional, chemical-based fertilizers. It was
created to actually mimic Squanto's fish fertilization technique. "What a lot of
people don't know," says Heid, "is that the food the Pilgrims grew probably
tasted better than the food we eat today. And it was also better for them." That
is because fish, and all marine life are uniquely suited to giving the soil the
nutrients that will make it produce the best food. In addition to providing the
soil with vital nutrients like calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and
sulfur, marine life is the best source of trace elements. Trace elements are the
near microscopic amounts of different elements that are necessary for the human
body to survive and that poor soil often lacks. "Food can only ever be as good
as the soil you grow it in," Heid explains. In "Squanto's Garden," Heid looks at
what really happened as the Pilgrims learned to cultivate the land properly. He
also goes back far earlier to examine the problems of the soil in New England
through the area's geological history. By learning about the rocky, poor soil
conditions in the area and how the Native American's living there originally had
adapted their lifestyle to it, he is able to show his reader why the Pilgrims
came so close to failing. But it wasn't just the fish fertilization that saved
them. The Pilgrims changed from a large collective farm to the Native American
technique of using smaller "family" gardens that made optimal use of the pockets
of better soil. They also began to copy the Native American "companion planting"
gardens that helped to nourish the soil. Companion planting is growing specific
varieties of plants in the same space to benefit the plants and the soil. While
all of this information makes sense in a historical context, "Squanto's Secret
Garden" doesn't end there. Many of the soil problems that the Pilgrims had to
overcome are problems today because of over farming and soil depletion. Heid
refers to scientific studies that show how the nutritional value of fruits and
vegetables has diminished dramatically over the past 40 years. Other studies
show that organic fruits and vegetables are nutritionally superior to those
produced using traditional farming methods. The answer, Heid contends, is the
same now as it was in Squanto's day: using marine-based fertilization.
Specifically geared towards the backyard gardener, the second half of Heid's
book explains how to grow an organic garden using Native American planting
techniques and marine-based fertilizer to enrich and improve the soil. A variety
of companion planting possibilities are suggested along with layouts for three
traditional Native American gardens that suit different environments and soil
conditions. It culminates with a selection of English and Native American
recipes making use of garden produce that are based on what was actually eaten
at the first Thanksgiving. By reconnecting people today with one of America's
greatest heroes and his life-giving gift to the Pilgrims, Heid hopes to
revitalize interest in the forgotten gardening methods that gave birth to the
very first Thanksgiving. The story goes that Samoset and Squanto welcomed the
Pilgrims and then asked for beer. But in the end, it wasn't the beer the
Pilgrims had for the Native Americans, so much as it was the fertile gardens and
bountiful harvest the natives returned so freely. "I really want to show all
Americans why Squanto's Secrets worked for our Pilgrim Fathers and how his
life-giving secrets are even more valuable today. As Americans, we should all be
thankful for this great man." Solutions From Science is a small Illinois company
helping backyard gardeners grow healthier and better tasting fruits and
vegetables with alternative, marine based fertilizers.About the Author Bill Heid
is the President of Solutions From Science, a small Illinois company helping
backyard gardeners grow healthier and better tasting fruits and vegetables with
alternative, marine-based fertilizers. Check out the site here: Full Spectrum
Plant Nurition From the Sea.
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