[Market-farming] manures/GAP training

Road's End Farm organic87 at frontiernet.net
Wed Mar 3 13:05:09 EST 2010


On Mar 3, 2010, at 1:41 AM, KAKerby at aol.com wrote:

> I didn't do any research per se; I was just repeating what they told  
> us in class. I was mainly wondering of other folks who had gone  
> through GAP training had heard the same things.  I must say that it  
> seemed pretty straightforward in class but you all have brought up  
> excellent points.  Many of which cast some doubt not only on the  
> results but also the implications/management solutions.
>
> I still have the contact info for the researchers and I'm debating  
> with myself whether to pose some of these questions to those  
> individuals, just to see what they'd say.  I'm particularly  
> interested in the beneficials issue, since clearly these E coli  
> don't exist in a vacuum.  Ways and means for out-competing other  
> bacteria is something we've seen in other natural systems (such as  
> promoting desirable bacteria in fermented products).  It would seem  
> perhaps a beneficial "recipe" for soils treatment would be the more  
> constructive approach than simply banning materials altogether.
>
> If I did pose those questions, I'd be curious what specific  
> questions you all would want me to ask?
> Kathryn Kerby
> Frog Chorus Farm
> Snohomish, WA
>

1) Did they test specifically for pathogens, or only for E Coli in  
general?

2) In how many different locations, and in how many different years,  
did they run the tests?

3) Do they know of other studies done in this area, and what were the  
results of those studies?

4) Have they themselves done, or are they doing, other studies in this  
area? If any others are completed, what were the results?

5) Were all results from all studies they know of published, or only  
selected studies and/or results? If only some, what were the selection  
criteria?

6) What were the climate and weather conditions?

7) What were the soil types?

8) What was the organic matter content of the soil, and what was its  
other nutrient balance?

9) Had the plots previously been organically managed or conventionally  
managed? For how many years had they been so managed? If they had not  
been in farm use, what was the previous use for the past few years?

10) Were the plots conventionally or organically managed during the  
trial?

11) What was applied to the plots during the trial besides the manure  
and seed? (including all soil amendments, pesticides, any  
sterilization techniques?)

12) What had been applied to the plots during the previous couple of  
years?

13) What tillage and harvest techniques were used?

13) What, if any, tests were done to determine what other life  
(bacterial, fungal, worm, etc) was in the soil? If any were done, what  
were the results?

14) In addition to soil life, what living creatures had access to the  
field during the trials?

15) Was irrigation used? If so, what was the source of irrigation  
water, and what if any tests were done on it?

That should do to go on with . . .

(I should note that at least some of this may well be answered in the  
study itself. If little or none of it is addressed in the study, that  
would be a huge red flag in itself.)



-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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