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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] Re: Market-farming digest, Vol 1 #120 - 11 msgs

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Re: Market-farming digest, Vol 1 #120 - 11 msgs
  • Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 18:25:48 -0600

Paul Bransky wrote:
> Hi Rick--long time no see. I have no idea what you mean by
> the quote above. Could you be more specific? Which "newer
> technological practices" are "scientifically" proven to be easier on
> the environment than which organic practices?

Hi Paul,

Always nice to see a customer of Misty Ridge Farm Golden Jersey Beef:)

The trend toward no-till is an area the organic has not been able to match.
I used to be a bit skeptical about how much better the herbicide approach
was in some cases. As you know, we live in the "driftless area" and we have
significant erosion problems on HEL here. Our farm has FSA determined HEL
like many farms, and we have to farm it in approved manners. Even then the
"t" level is exceeded with many tillage practices that are FSA approved.

We decided several years ago we were going to go to 100% (not including
forested areas) grass based farming. So we greatly exceed most organic farms
that do row cropping. In fact, it is not even slightly close.

But the same thing is true for conventional tillage as well. When I saw how
intensively some organic practices were are few years ago, I was shocked.
Also, the huge carbon sequestration release that those organic practices
cause. I am speaking primarily of constantly going back and killing the new
weed growth for several weeks in order to get a weed free bed of salad
crops. That sort of thing. There is no other solution for now.

But like everything else, there are trade offs and organic has many good
points but also some problems as well.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams





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