Market Farming

[Sojourner <sojournr AT missouri.org>]

Rose & Fred Lieberman wrote:
> 
> I'm looking for "free" mulching materials.  Many of you have suggested wood
> chips from utility companies, etc., as well as the bagged leaves from town
> collections.
> 
> As far as the leaves go...
> 
> With people using pesticides on lawns, should I be suspicious about taking
> bagged leaves from sources unknown?
> 
> How do pesticides react in the compost pile?
> 
> Or is this much ado about nothing?

You should be safe with leaves - most people in town don't bother to
spray the trees.  They're not likely to pick up much from just laying on
the ground - most people will rake and remove before lawn trucks can get
to them, plus I'm not even sure they're still spraying the lawns at that
time of the year anyway.

Grass clippings - allegedly the lawn chemicals break down in under a
year.  When I was a yup my ex-husband insisted on getting Chem-Lawn.  I
told Chem-Lawn I didn't want the herbicides but only a fertilizer (I
didn't WANT any of it, but the things we do for domestic peace . . .
it's not like he ever mowed the lawn or did any yard work anyway.)

They said they could do that but I've since been told that it was a lie
- they come out with a big huge truck full of the same chemicals that
they spray on EVERYBODY'S lawn, with all the gunk mixed up together.

And I was using those clippings on my garden.  Not to mention run off
and overspray.

-- 
Holly ;-D
Contrary Peasant
sojournr AT missouri.org