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  • From: Allan Balliett <igg AT igg.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] treated wood in greenhouse
  • Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:42:05 -0500

I've searched for this answer and gotten mixed results--seems to depend on which certifier one uses. The greenhouse tables are constructed with treated lumber. The tables are about 10 years+ old & covered with wire on which the nursery trays sit--starndard greenhouse set-up. Is this enough distance from an organic certifier's viewpoint?? Or will they want the wood replaced, covered up, etc, etc?? (I'm still trying to figure out who certifies in this area, got a couple of leads, but no responses to phone calls yet.)

Liz - You certifier my differ, but for DEMETER certification, pressure treated wood inside the hoophouse is not going to be accepted. old or new. (As Far As I Understand It.)


Also, most of our pasture posts are locust but a few have been replaced with treated lumber. There are none within about 200 feet of possible growing space, and like the greenhouse tables they're 10 yrs old+. Will we need to replace these or adjust a buffer zone??

This would fly with Demeter, except, I believe, that any new posts, other than corner posts, could not be arsenic-style treated posts (no one seems to be willing to 'approve' the EPA-approved pressure treated wood, which, I believe, is what you get if you by a 6x6 at Lowe's nowadays. This stuff, one would assume, is 'ok' for certifiers.) Corner posts, even new corner posts, under Demeter, could be even arsenic treated. I assume there is a "30ft from the growing area" stipulation to that, but, gosh, it's pretty easy to have your corner posts 30ft from a bed.

To digress:

Here in the mid-atlantic, locust is dying out, affected by a heart wood fungus, which, if it hasn't prematurely killed the tree, essentially destroys all of it's traditional 'rot proof' characteristics.

Mark Purdey, of BSE fame, will be speaking at PASA this year. I'm sure he'll talk about the changes contaminated rain is bringing to soil, drastically affecting the nutrient uptake of native and cultivated plants.

-Allan Balliett



& thanks for all the earlie r responses!





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