permaculture

["Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>]

I agree with you on  questioning how sustainable rock dust or any outside
ammendment is.  The one being sold here comes from a large quarry in one
state, so there is a big hole being made there in favor of national
agriculture.  The proposal, which is much more sustainable, is to discover
the  rich rocks of every region and to use those, instead  of depending on
this one quarry, as is the case today, to supply everybody in Northeast
Brazil. I know the person who is at the head of this quarry, and   I
perceive no social problems from this particular  venture, whereas the rock
dust they are produciong is largely being used by small farmers who want to
get off chemicals, so I do not see anything unethical or antisocial in this
particular venture-- which does not mean I t hink it to be sustainable in
the long run.  But as this is a once-only ammendment  ( at least in our
case) and only for the plots which are doing more intensive organic
agriculture ( and not agroforestry),  the use is minimal...

We never used any outside amendment in our permaculture and agroforest work,
but I have been working in one region which is so severly degraded that we
have begun using the rock dust, with promising responses. We were unable to
get organic mass going before-- even the native brush was takinig years to
regenerate...It is a region subject to yearly wildfires. But I hope in the
future to perfect our management techniques so that even in these harsh
conditions we can revert the situation with no buy-ins of ammendments...

Marsha Hanzi
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia
http://www.geocities.com/oliarte



----- Original Message -----
From: Judith Hanna <jehanna@gn.apc.org>
To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2000 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: granite fertilizer? (fwd)


> I do know that using a combination of this rock dust and  rock
> >phosphate ( which we have here available), and a fermented "soup"of
manure ,
> >herbs, and these rock dusts, farmers are being able to get off chemicals
> >immediately with virtually no production loss...
> >
> >Marsha Hanzi
>
> Rock dust is likewise being looked at with interest in Australia --
another
> very old, exposed surface almost devoid f fertile top soil. However, rock
> dust etc is 'chemicals' too -- all matter is. It may be less processed and
> 'artificial' than other refined fertilisers.
>
> What information do you have on where and how your mineral supplements are
> mined? What is the environmental and social justice impact at that end?
> I've not seen any information on this, so am still unsure how
'sustainable'
> rock dust is as a fertiliser.
> Judith
> Judith Hanna
> jehanna@gn.apc.org
> 15 Jansons Rd, Tottenham, London N15 4JU
>
>
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