Market Farming

["Wiediger, Alison" <awiediger AT HART.k12.ky.us>]

Word of experience, be careful with those samples. You might want to send
some to a private lab.  On my parent's farm several years ago, we had a
glyphosate overspray that killed about 250 field grown mums from the "farm"
next door.  They sprayed on a windy day (they always seem to spray on a
windy day) - you could see the path of the spray where it killed the
vegetation in the fencerow, and the mums beyond it.  We called the county
extension agent and professors from the ag department at the university.
When they saw the damage, they all agreed it was glyphosate damage and took
samples to send to the state university's lab.  Then, we started talking
about the dollar amount of the damage.  Funny, once they found out those
"few little flowers" were quite valuable ($3.50 each at selling time),
probably much more valuable that the small soybean field that started the
problem, the lab report came back that the plants had died from a disease -
and a disease that mums don't even get!  Talk about foxes in the henhouse -
you cannot totally trust university and extension personnel in many places -
they will protect their own interests (large agribusiness) whatever it
takes. 'Course, Kentucky is WAY behind in sustainable agriculture, and
likely to stay that way for a LONGGG time.  Just be cautious.

Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm

> ----------
> From:         Joan Vibert[SMTP:joan AT windwalker-farm.com]
> Phil - I'd also try your state agriculture department.  We had drift a few
> years back and our state agency has a zero drift policy on pesticides.
> They sent out someone and took tissue samples.