My first inkling of the influence of earth's minerals on human food came about 40 years ago when I was on GB's Dover Coast and I had my first taste of what was to become one of my favorite cheeses- Cheshire. The sea salt, the calcium rich soil adjacent to the chalky cliffs and the selectively bred cows, (mustn't forget them) produce a milk and ultimately a cheddar cheese that is unlike any other. I've had similar experiences w/ wine- an earthy undertone that elicits the distinct and unmistakable aromas of the rolling hills around Tuscany, Chianti or Sonoma County.
After reading and digesting the Argricola interview and extending my understanding of +/- ion relationships in solution to include the cation exchange capacity, (CEC) of soil, (what a novel concept!- lol ;-) I have more to say than what I could put into one post and more to learn.
Our neolithic ancestors may have moved to the farm, but they didn't leave the hunter-gather behind. I would posit that re-mineralizing one area of the earth by redistributing materials that were mined from mineral rich deposits located in another is an extension of our inherent hunting and gathering make-up. Our species spent 10's of thousnads of years on the hunt before we settled down and began planting in rows. Manipulating and adapting to our surroundings to meet our survival needs is simply what we, and on a broader level, what all organic species are mandated to do.
The train- consuming less fuel and transporting more by working w/ gravity instead of against it is still hard to beat when it comes to human invention. I don't know how much the US is currently spending on warheads, but I imagine there could be enough money ferreted out of military expenditure to create a railway network and sub networks that were efficient and comprehensive enough to distribute minerals and re-mineralize our depleted farmlands. The prices of manufactured goods would, by extension, also take a hit.
