[NAFEX] Weed prevention idea now newspaper toxicity

dmnorton at royaloakfarmorchard.com dmnorton at royaloakfarmorchard.com
Wed Feb 18 18:40:40 EST 2009


For all of our vegetable plantings, we have gone to Plasticulture.  We maintain a 6 row garden with rows being about 50 feet in length.  We cannot afford to pull our personnel from the orchard to "weed" our garden and found the plasticulture works great.  If anyone is interested in plasticulture, Penn State has a terrific web site devoted to only plasticulture at http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/.  For photos of its use in vegetables go to http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/IMAGES/field/index.htm.

Dennis Norton
Royal Oak Farm Orchard
Office (815) 648-4467
Mobile (815) 228-2174
Fax (609) 228-2174
http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
http://www.revivalhymn.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Road's End Farm 
  To: North American Fruit Explorers 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 2:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Weed prevention idea now newspaper toxicity



  On Feb 18, 2009, at 2:28 PM, Mark Angermayer wrote:


    I continue to hear the possible that newspaper ink could contain toxic materials. Does anyone out there have a definitive answer?


  Not a definitive answer, but for what it's worth, the most recent copy I have of the OMRI generic materials list (of items permitted / restricted / prohibited for use in certified organic systems) says that newspaper is restricted, as follows; "Glossy paper and colored inks are prohibited. Paper may only be used as a mulch or compost feedstock."

  So they appear to have had a significant problem with something in glossy paper and colored ink; and some lesser difficulty with the plain black inked paper, or some other reason why plain paper should not be used as, I suppose, livestock bedding -- I can't think what else you would use it for, other than mulch or compost.

  (Well, I use it under the barn swallow nest to make cleaning the mess up easier. But I don't think the certification people are concerned about that.)

  Lately the newspapers I get sometimes have colored pictures scattered through the paper; sorting them out would certainly add to the time needed to lay the newspapers down.

  --Rivka
  Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly
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