helpscropsgrowstrongandhealthy.Organicfarmers,therefore,oftenpreferusingnaturalwastefromanimalsasfertilizer.Theyfeelthatthismakesthesoilintheirfieldsricherinmineralsandsomorefertile.Thisalsokeepstheair,soil,waterandcropsfreefromchemicals.Organicfarmersalsousemanyothermethodstokeepthesoilfertile.Theyoftenchangethekndofcropineachfieldeveryfewyears,forexample,growingcornorwheatandthenthenextyearpeasorsoybeans.Cropssuchaspeasorsoybeansputimportantmineralsbackintothesoil,makingitreadyforcropssuchaswheatorcornthatneedrichandfertilesoil.Organicfarmersalsoplantcropstousedifferentlevelsofsoil,forexample,plantingpeanutsthatusetheground’ssurfacefollowedbyvegetablesthatputdowndeeproots.Someorganicfarmerspreferplantinggrassbetweencropstopreventwindorwaterfromcarryingawaythesoil,andthenleavingitinthegroundtobecomeanaturalfertilizerforthenextyear’scrop.Thesemanydifferentorganicfarmingmethodshavethesamegoal:togrowgoodfoodandavoiddamagingtheenvironmentorpeople’shealth.AnearlyfarmerpioneerSomepeoplethoughtJiaSixiewasaluckyman.Hehadworkedfortheemperorandwhenhegotold,hewasabletogohishometowntorelax.JiaSixie,however,hadotherplans.HehadalwaysbeeninterestedinagricultureandintendedtodosomethingtomakeChinesefarmingevenbetter.JiaSixielivedinthesixcenturyAD.HewasborninYiduinShandongprovinceandworkedinGaoyang,whichisalsoinShangdong.Asherodethroughthecountrysideonhisjourneysforhisworkhelookedoutatthefields.Someofthemweregreenerandhadmorecropsthanothers.Somecowsandsheeplookedhealthierthanotherstoo.Hewaslostinthough.Whatcouldafarmerdotogetgoodcropsfromhisfields?Surelytheremustberulesthatwouldhelpthem.Hethoughthecouldusehisknowledgetofindoutthebestwaysforfarmerstogrowcropsandthenwriteabooktohelpthem.Indoingsohecollectedinformationfromfarmerswhodidwell,studieditanddidexperimentstofindthebestway.Forexample,hestudiedwaysofkeepingseedsandadvisedfarmerstochooseseed-headswhichhadthebestcolor.Thenhetoldthemtohangthemtodryallwinter.Thenextspringtheseedsshouldbeknockedoutoftheirseed-headsandplanted.Hestud