Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Water spinach

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Nan Johnson" <nan AT olemiss.edu>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Water spinach
  • Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:10:57 -0500

Thanks for input re: heavy metals and Ipomea aquatica and fish emulsion. I will let the list know which, if any, brands of fish emulsion, actually check for heavy metals & can document their claims!

Re: Ipomea being noxious weed.....we are not planting it in lakes or ponds here, and our botanists say that this particular species will be winter killed here so they are not worried....the North Carolina weed may be another species (since, I am told, the feds are often not careful about identifying species correctly anyway...that is what I am told at least!)
We are not selling plants, we are just eating the leaves!!!
But thanks for the cautions!!! These leaves go for $10 a small bunch in Memphis in markets to Asian community!!!

nan j at dancing goats farm, zone 7b north mississippi


----- Original Message ----- From: "Adriana" <gutierrez-lagatta AT charter.net>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 2:51 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] Water spinach


Nan

I had conversation today at the university with a botanist re: the Ipomea
aquatica ("sea spinach") that I was growing in a bucket using some fish
emulsion.
That is interesting and disturbing about fish emulsion containing heavy
metals. You might contact the producers of several brand names of fish
emulsion and ask if they have an analysis of heavy metal content of their
product and how they assure consistency from batch to batch....

There are some organic hydroponic nutrients but they tend to plug up
emitters, etc., becuase they build up filamentous bacteria quickly. Others
tend to ferment and smell AND plug emitters. One option is to set up an
aquaponic system with tilapia or koi in high density tanks. Then you can
run the fish effluent through growing beds. I know of people who have grown
water spinach in this type of system with great success. Email me if you
want more information. But ...there's a BIG BUT that you need to consider:

THE BIG BUT:
Water spinach is considered an invasive species by the federal government -
it is illegal to possess it in Florida, Alabama, Texas and North Carolina
and penalties are stiff.

At the federal level, the regulations state "No person may import or move
any noxious weed identified by regulations of the Secretary into or through
the U.S. except in compliance with the regulations, which may require that
permits be obtained. No person may knowingly sell, purchase, barter,
exchange, give, or receive any noxious weed moved in violation of these
provisions or deliver or receive for transportation any advertisement to
sell, purchase, barter, exchange, give, or receive a noxious weed whose
movement is prohibited. ยง 2803. "
Defintion of "move? "Move": deposit for transmission in the mails, ship,
offer for shipment, offer for entry, import, receive for transportation,
carry, or otherwise transport or move, or allow to be moved."

I would do some homework on this before doing any commerce in this product -
some growers ARE producing it but they have applied and received permits
from the USDA. For more information go to
http://ipl.unm.edu/cwl/fedbook/fedweed.html.

Adriana
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm









Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page