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  • From: "maury sheets" <maurysheets AT verizon.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Now......GMO sweet corn
  • Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:27:22 -0400


"I will also argue that be it conventional or organic you will deplete your
soil resources"


True, that is what is happening now in most places, but it does not have to
happen in either scenario. One little rule to follow: Whatever you take
out of the soil, you must put back in an equal amount. You will be
sustainable for ever at that point. Nature does it, or we would all not
exist after all this time if it wasn't that way. It does not matter what
organic biomass or mineral plant nutrients (organic matter being the most
important) you put back, just that you do it. If you harvest 130 bushels of
corn on an acre, you put 130 bushels of organic matter back on that acre.
If you also take the stover for silage, that amount must also be put back.
The only question is: Do you have the wherewithal to do it because it is
not easy, especially as the area gets larger.

Maury Sheets
Woodland Produce
South jersey




-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Richard
Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:09 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Now......GMO sweet corn

"Additionally, in the Rodale studies previously cited..."

I downloaded Rodale's "Full" FST Report and I have yet to see the data that
backs up their claim.

My experiences planting heirloom corn (Kruggs Yellow and Boone County white)
and beans (Black Turtle) on three acres or more is that the yields are far
less than conventional and much more highly prone to weather conditions,
mainly because of weed and cultivation issues. Once weeds get in your labor
requirements to get them out go through the roof and it becomes, in some
cases, more economical to simply plow them under. Keep in mind that I am
selling corn at 25-150.00/bu (based on milling the corn and selling between
.50 and 2.50 a pound). I know that amy sound ridiculous, but its true.
Translate current methods of growing corn these days. How do you hand
cultivate 6000 acres with an unskilled labor pool that demands 10.00 an hour
or more?

I will also argue that be it conventional or organic you will deplete your
soil resources. One simply does it faster than the other. The problem is
population. The math simply does not add. I have no idea what the solution
to that is nor do I want to play "Global Earth Lifeguard" but at some point
we will need to do so. The alternative is continued divide between the
"have" and the "have nots".


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