By Kristina Cat November 1, 2024
Sapropel, what?!! A year and a half ago, I had no clue either.
From Home Garden in Lithuania to Acres of Arizona Desert
So… I’m a newbie in agriculture. While I can brag about knowing how to grow my own food (oh the lovely springs and summers of my childhood, pulling weeds in my parents’ garden, pouring the smelly mixture of cow manure and compost on those veggies, and collecting potato bugs to later cook them over a fire in a tin can…), I am no expert in commercial farming. I am in awe of the amazing farmers that pour their hearts into their crops despite of the economic and political pressures, ridiculously low crop prices and exorbitant input costs. Then add the consumer demands and the nature patterns. You know where I’m going.
But this blog is not about that (you don’t need me to tell you about the challenges of modern farming). Instead, I aim to share insights I discover in the process of learning about soil and plant health, growing crops, regenerative farming and how it all relates to our health. So let me start by sharing a story from the co-founder of Sapropel Organics, the manufacturer of Humuson Complex products, Gytis Mikalkenas.
A Swampy Lake With No Fish
It started over a decade ago with two guys that love to fish wanting to buy a lake in Lithuania. They picked one out for a great price, sight unseen. Excited, the fishermen went to their precious lake to catch some fish, only to find out that the lake they purchased was swampy and lifeless. Pissed off, the men went to a local bar to drown their sorrows into beer. An older gentleman, sitting at a table next to them, overheard the cries of their shitty luck and couldn’t help approaching them. He introduced himself as a former professor of the local agriculture academy and advised them that they were sitting on a gold mine and that this lake had something even more precious than the fish.
And so, the journey began. They quickly realized that sapropel, a type of organic sediment that accumulates at the bottom of dead freshwater lakes, like the one they just bought, is formed over thousands of years from the decomposition of plant and animal matter and is incredibly rich in nutrients.
Gut, Soil or Skin?
Turns out, this material is a rich source of organic and mineral compounds, including humic and fulvic acids, lipids, enzymes, vitamins, and much more. Of course, this was not news to the beauty and pharmaceutical industries, offering a range of supplements, mud masks, body wraps, and other skincare and medicinal marvels. If you’re curious about its application in cosmetics for its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, check out this article on Therapeutic Potential of Freshwater Sapropel Extracts. Because the body can easily absorb the nutrients in sapropel, it’s known to improve body circulation, relax muscles, unclog pores, stimulate recovery processes and even strengthen the immune and neural systems.
Although drinking and bathing in mud was adventurous, our men were more interested in its use as a fertilizer. So they dedicated the next six years to researching this resource and finding ways to make it more better and more bioavailable than the competition.
Special Kind of Mud
What’s unique about sapropel is that its humic substances are more effective in fertilizers than those derived from coal or lignite. You can download the comparative analysis of these humic substances here. The reason they are so effective is because they are the closest in their structure and properties to the natural humic substances found in the soil. Humic substances enhance nutrient uptake by plants, ensuring that crops get the essential elements they need to thrive.
Besides the humic and fulvic acids, sapropel is composed of organic compounds, including biologically active substances (such as amino acids, nucleotides, nucleosides, peptides, carbohydrates, bitumes, fatty acids, fenols and more), alkaloids, amines, vitamins, and phytohormones. It also contains a variety of inorganic compounds such as silica, calcium, and iron. Phytohormones have an effect on plant growth and differentiation and coordinate plant growth and development.
This unique composition makes sapropel ideal for creating fertile soil. Its ability to retain moisture makes it a valuable resource in areas prone to drought. The high organic content helps to improve soil structure, aeration, and microbial activity, creating an optimal environment for plant growth.
Lake, Nature, Fish and Technology
Stumbling upon this wonderful substance inspired those guys that just wanted to catch some fish to develop a unique technology. Their innovation not only preserves the nutrients in sapropel but makes them more bioavailable by polarizing the molecules. Unlike their competitors, they do not use high heat, ensuring that the active enzymes and proteins remain effective. They are committed to harnessing the power of sapropel to create sustainable agricultural solutions. Humuson Complex products are designed to provide farmers with a natural, effective way to improve soil health and boost crop yields.
But the coolest thing about this story is that the process of mining sapropel not only helps create unique Humuson products but it restores the biotop of the freshwater lake from which it is mined, preventing it from drying out. This leads to the restoration of fish populations, beetle colonies and other important participants in the lake’s ecosystem. Moreover, the restoration of the lake’s ecosystem leads to the increase of carbon dioxide uptake from the environment.
So there. Maybe these guys will get to catch some fish after all.
Up Next…
What does gut health have to do with the soil health? More than you’d think. Stay tuned to learn about the connection in the next newsletter.
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