Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Patricia Ruggiero" <ruggierop@earthlink.net>]

Yarrow wrote: 
> I add kitchen waste from 1-3 households to my compost, so that is my
> main source of unidentified inputs. Oh, and the occasional bagful of
> coffee grounds from local coffee shops. And the bales of hay that are
> donated to the community garden in the fall. But besides that, my
> compost inputs are garden waste from organic gardens.


The hay can be contaminated with those herbicides previously mentioned.
About 2-3 yrs ago it happened to an organic market gardener in central
Virginia.  The couple bought hay from a local farmer to mulch half their veg
beds.  A few days later the plants showed signs of stress.  Extension Agent
said it looked like chemical poisoning.  Very soon the problem was traced to
that hay.  Volunteers removed the hay, but I never did read if they got it
off soon enough to avoid poisoning the soil.  The food crops were destroyed.

Whether the herbicides break down during composting, I can't say.

The story was in the newspapers in this area, but I don't think I have the
article or any links to it any more.  

Pat
Central Virginia, USDA zone 7