Organic soil to me is not about materials, it's about systems.
I'd rather see conventional farming with less harmful inputs rather than more harmful. On the other hand, in midwest dairy country here in the US, tremendous harm is being inflicted on the environment (and the water table) using exclusively organic means. Too many cows, too many shitpiles, too many carcasses. The chesapeake is being choked by chicken shit (sorry, had to say it). Manure is not innocuous, and the surface of this planet can only support so much in one place. Moreover, we now have impervious surfaces that concentrate runoff. It's the death of a thousand cuts.
Trichgnomes, I've been on the ropes with a few folks (even in this thread) regarding your "bottle pushing" methods. I'm one of these "bottle pushers" occasionally, and will continue here and there..
Stoned, in nature all annuals and biennials die after reproducing (or attempting to reproduce). It is an evolutionary strategy that has paid off big time. Sticking around to compete with your offspring would defeat the purpose. It's something worth reading about.
They even have little tricks to further ensure a chance to pass on genes. Ever notice a bean (for eating) that doesn't get soft like the others when you soak it, just hard as a rock even after soaking overnight? Annuals often produce a small percentage of really tough seeds that don't sprout - until two seasons later. Should a disaster befall the "normal" seedlings, wiping out the whole generation, the super tough seed is insurance.
Stoned, I share your sense that genetics is what makes things go round, but it's been implied lately that a balanced organic soil needs to be flushed or it will have a pernicious effect on quality. I find this position nonsensical for many reasons posted here, and don't even share the aesthetic position that curing on the plant is the holy grail of quality.
But people want to see yellow plants at harvest, or they won't believe. Could be this one yellowed as a result of cold, which actually only supports my position that any stress will tax the plant and bring on early death (including the water torture many use when they flush). Those taking an organic and biologically centered view of soil need to run more runs in soil that cycles nutrients, with plants that die on time. Proof is in the pudding.