Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us>]

The folks affected were my friends Rachel and Eric of Waterpenny Farm 
(Sperryville, VA). The herbicide in question goes under the trade name 
of "Grazon" or "Graze-on" something like that, don't know the chemical 
name. And yes, it is so inimical to plant life that it's able to *kill* 
garden plants even after passing through the digestive system of the horse.

I too don't know how long breakdown takes. But it's something to be on 
guard against. In the contemporary context, all sources of organic 
matter from the outside should be judged guilty until proven innocent.

~Harvey

Patricia Ruggiero wrote:
> Yarrow wrote: 
>   
> > I add kitchen waste from 1-3 households to my compost. . .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.
>
> 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.
>
> Pat
> Central Virginia, USDA zone 7 


--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

My book, THE MODERN HOMESTEAD POULTRY FLOCK, will be published next year by 
Chelsea Green Publishing.