North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: FW: September 5 newsletter

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This piece from the cranberry growers newsletter, from Wisconsin, just makes me sick - the USDA is deliberately destroying fruit and growers are not even allowed to compost it.

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From: Teryl Roper <trroper@facstaff.wisc.edu>
To: cranberry-list@bluto.uwex.edu
Subject: September 5 newsletter
Date: Wed, Sep 6, 2000, 7:26 AM

FRUIT DISPOSAL

With the USDA imposed grower hold back, Wisconsin cranberry growers will be required to dispose of about 400,000 barrels of cranberries for the 2000 harvest.   Representatives from the WSCGA, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Northland Cranberries, Inc., Cliffstar Corporation, Clement Pappas Company and Ocean Spray Cranberries have worked together to create these fruit disposal guidelines. These guidelines are meant to assist Wisconsin cranberry growers to find acceptable and economical means to dispose of the unmarketable fruit.  Through land spreading, cranberries would be considered an organic soil conditioner, containing essential plant nutrients and organic matter that would improve soil tilth and increase organic matter content of soil over time.  The residual product would also contain vines and leaves remaining from harvesting.  It is estimated that less than 450 acres or about 2 acres per grower will be needed to comply with the USDA volume regulation and comply with environmental standards.

UNACCEPTABLE OR PROHIBITED PRACTICES

...snip
Composting of Fruit
This is not a permitted or viable practice.