Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

An organic master gardener program?  This is it, at least one starting
point, along with perhaps at most two or three other lists and precious few
websites. We're fortunate to have some very knowledgeable and experienced
growers here, and many working on these practices at home. 

Interesting. Has that extension guy ever wondered how in the *!@* they ever
grew in Alabama for centuries before commercial fertilizer and pesticides? 

But back to the organic thing, my own focus is also to be local,
productive, and above all sustainable for the family economically and
gastronomically ;-) Should such a program stop at organic or extend to
these other priorities as well?

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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

On 10/20/2006 at 9:10 AM Laura McKenzie wrote:

>Paul, conventional wisdom says that tomatoes won't set in the hottest 
>weather but for some reason my drought stricken tomatoes slowed a little
>bit 
>but never stopped setting.  I bought a large package of FEDCO "Mixed 
>Heirlooms" so that I could find what tomato does best in Alabama.  The 
>standbys Atkins and Homestead did exceedingly well (though they are a
>little 
>plain tasting) but the mixed seeds gave me some wonderful results.
>Speckled 
>Romans were spectacular.  Orange Bananas were great too.  Pik Red
>sputtered 
>out in the heat.  Juliette did terrific.
>
>  And yes, raised beds, no till production is much easier. Tell the folks 
>here that.  A friend told me that she visited the farmer's market in 
>Birmingham and asked a farmer if he sold organic. He told her it was 
>"absolutely impossible" to be organic in Alabama.  I can for certain tell 
>you that not one extension agent has ever encouraged me or given me
>helpful 
>advice and I've tried several counties.
>
>We need an answer to the "master gardener" program... an organic master 
>gardener program.  I want one started nationwide. I want to mentor others.

>I'm almost good enough to do that.   Who is with me?
>
>
>><>``    ><>``     ><>``     ><>``      ><>``    ><>``    ><>``
>Laura's Homeschooling, Garden, and Genealogy Site
>is found here: http://home.att.net/~ekyorigins
>``<><    ``<><     ``<><     ``<><     ``<><     ``<><      ``<>< 
>
>
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