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  • From: "Allan.Balliett" <allan.balliett AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] article by Allan Balliett (Allan.Balliett)
  • Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:40:51 -0500

Hey, John, Thanks for your interest!

OK. First principle would be to do your soil testing in the fall and apply your minerals before the first snow fall for maximum availability the following season.

Well, maybe you can do that NEXT season.

It's surprising how much of minerals applied to the soil with compost appears to be available to plants almost immediately, though.

We are going to be experimenting with some micronized inputs later this summer. They are supposed to be immediately available.

In order for the applications of mineral to be effective, you have to work with 'a system.' Minerals have to be in certain ratios with each other minerals or they get 'locked up' or 'under utilized.'

I work with the Albrecht method.

You can learn a lot about the Albrecht method on Michael Astera's website www.soilminerals.com. You can also access many of Dr Albrecht's books at www.soilandhealth.org. A subscription to ACRES USA: The Voice of Eco-Agriculture will keep you up to date on farming with the Albrecht method. You can also find a lot of archival articles on soil balancing on the ACRES USA site www.acresusa.org (check out the "toolbox " area)

If you've got a few extra bucks, you will want to pick up Astera's book from his website. It's a great one!

I should have mentioned: for Astera et al's info to work for you, your soil test has to be from an "Albrecht Lab.' Logan Labs is the one I work with. I'd recommend it.

Feel free to ask me more questions, here or off-line.

Thanks again

_Allan in WV

Allen, great article, and fascinating topic.

As they say on the radio call-in shows, "long time listener, first time caller." I've been lurking here for quite some time, soaking up everything possible to help me get started market gardening this year.

I'm sold on the principles of soil minerals and their relation to soil health. Do you have any recommendations on how to get started for a true beginner? I plan to get soil samples as soon as my field thaws and have them analyzed, but after that, how do i get from where I am to where I want to be? Are there any resources out there to help me choose soil amendments for specific crops, how/when to apply them, etc? Or is it more a matter of trial and error and learning lessons through the years?

Thanks!

John - a greenhorn looking forward to spring in snowy central Illinois




Message: 4
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:58:53 -0500
From: "Allan.Balliett" <<mailto:allan.balliett AT gmail.com>allan.balliett AT gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] article by Allan Balliett
To: Market Farming <<mailto:market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <p06230994c7a3914b6051@[10.0.1.2]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Hey, thanks, folks, for noticing and for being so generous!

I should point out that Larry Bohlen of "Natural Check"
<http://www.naturalcheck.com/lb_bio.php>http://www.naturalcheck.com/lb_bio.php is offering refractometers
(BRIX METERS) for something like $42 dollars. I bought one from him
in December because I couldn't find the one I'd used for the past 5
years (still haven't found it!) . The one I got from him for $42 (or
something like that) was the same quality (and probably make) meter I
had bought for $89 5 years earlier at an ACRES CONFERENCE. (And that
was considered to be a real deal at the time!) I've seen the exact
meters Larry sells for $90 at ag events recently.

I don't know how Larry can sell these meters so cheaply, but if I
wanted a refractometer, I'd jump on one of his.

Yes, I don't make a dime off from telling you this other than the
satisfaction of knowing that you can get a good deal and of knowing
that people will support Larry and his crazy pricing!

Thanks again, folks!

-Allan in WV


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