Compost Teas: 24 hour, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts

["Tina Peterson" <tina AT hendrikus.com>]

I passed this information on to Elaine yesterday, and she asked that I also send it off to everyone on the listserv.

 

Here is some information that I received when I called the NOSB today in search for the original testing results on the work the Compost Task Force had accumulated.

 

I spoke with Robert Pooler, Agricultral Marketing Specialist for the NOSB. Very helpful, very fair, very nice man. In referring to the recommendation, he told me that it is just a recommendation, not a proposed ruling, and that it may not become a ruling, just a guideline. So that was good news, but certainly no reason to let off the steam in giving them feedback.

 

He said that the NOSB is now beginning to receive feedback from people who are not happy with the recommendation. He mentioned that he had just received information from John Nielsen (sp?) of North Carolina as to why the recommendation was not appropriate. Robert takes this information and then passes it on to the right parties in the Crops Committee to be sure it gets reviewed.

 

He did say..it is IMPORTANT, that all the information disputing the recommendation and why it is not correct, needs to come in ASAP. After August 1st the NOSB will be strictly looking at Materials Reviews, and will not have time until after September to look again at the compost tea recommendation changes, which is basically too late.

 

As I said, I called to ask for the testing data that the Task Force gave to the NOSB in making their recommendation. It appears that the Task Force still has all that data, the NOSB just received the recommendation.  Either Owusu Bandele and/or Eric Sideman were on the Task Force, and they are both on the Crops Committee. That's who I have to contact for the test data.

 

Robert Pooler is a good man to send information to besides the Crop Committe. He will also be sure that the data gets to the right person and is reviewed. I also think it is good for Robert Pooler to be aware of how much is coming in against the recommendation. He says that regardless of whether the information came in before the recommendation, or after, the recommendation has to be based on reviewing all the data that comes in, so we should definitely send in our data.

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that we need to do whatever we do ASAP for them to review it. And Tom Jaszewski is right in his email - we get futher by being professional and concerned...when I spoke to Bob Pooler, he was very receptive and extremely helpful. I do not think the NOSB wants to go with the wrong recommendation, however, please note that either Eric Sideman or Owusu Bandele of the Crops Committee were on the Compost Task Force, so thought should be taken in addressing them so as not to create defensiveness on their part.

 

 

Tina C Peterson
Business Manager
HENDRIKUS SCHRAVEN ORGANICS