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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: activism98201@verizon.net, livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Sustainable Production of Fresh-Market Tomatoes and Ot
  • Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 20:39:41 -0600


Let me recommend that link for anyone interested. Read the whole piece,
New Tools for Organic No-Till - Introducing a cover crop roller without all
the drawbacks of a stalk chopper. Here’s the story of how good neighbors
designed and constructed a front-mounted cover-crop roller that allows you
to knock down a weed-suppressing mat and plant through it, all in one quick
pass.

To your question, Mark, I can't figure how we'd push a smaller version
around, given it needs a certain weight for effective crimping. But I'm
thinking outside the box here. They're still working on major row crops,
and plowing or discing to put in the cover crop. Yet we know that turning
the soil brings up weed seeds. I can't say what the ultimate solution would
be for field crops, but no-till is practical and profitable for home and
market garden beds. Weeds become less of a problem when you don't turn the
soil every spring or oftener.

Further, the typical field crop farmer across the country is barely
breaking even, and it's not unusual to find farmers working a job in town
or spouse working just to pay bills. That's not living. So I'm sorry,
Rodale, but you guys are still just tinkering around the edges, selling to
the middleman, and you won't save family farms that way.

But there is hope in the proven cost cutting practices I listed, and in
season extension techniques and marketing direct for retail prices.
Regrettably, all these farmers in debt to the banks and government
programs, forced to put up the farm as collateral just to borrow for seed
and expenses, or on contract to Campbell Soup or Tyson, are locked in for
life and can't get off the treadmill. Remember, this country does not feed
the world, not anymore. We import more than we export, and we haven't even
been hit with the post-Peak oil prices yet. Conventional agriculture is
going to die a slow, painful death. We are the cutting edge of
survivability and sustainability.


paul tradingpost@lobo.net

Beware of all enterprises that require government help.
-- me

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 8/15/2006 at 4:30 PM Mark Nagel wrote:

>No chemicals here.
>
>http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/1103/notillroller.shtml
>
>I know that this isn't a small-scale solution, but perhaps it could be
>scaled down?
>
>
>-Mark Nagel
>Everett, WA
>
>=====================
>From: TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net>
>
>
>The USDA piece from August 1997 below carries this advice, along with some
>good advice about hairy vetch and other cover crops:
>
> "The vetch mulch suppresses weed emergence for
>the first month after mowing. As the vetch vines
>decompose, weed seedlings will eventually
>emerge through the mulch and require control
>with postemergence herbicides. An application of
>0.5 pound of active ingredient of metribuzin per
>acre will probably be needed approximately 3 to
>4 weeks after transplanting to control the vetch
>regrowth and the emerging weeds, whichever
>appears first. It is important to make this application
>promptly, when the weed seedlings are first
>sighted or the vetch regrowth begins to threaten
>the tomato plants. An additional postemergence
>application of a registered grass herbicide may be
>necessary to control late-emerging grass weeds.
>Consult product labels for specific information.
>In all likelihood, disease and insect control will
>require fungicides and insecticides."
>
>There's a better way to control weeds. Anyone?
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>[snip]
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