permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

Elijah,
A few tips..
Find out which chemicals they are using and get copies of the labels.  The 
label is frequently a multi page document listing the directions for use 
including issues like what crops can follow applications and when.  This 
will give you a general idea on wait times for the safety of plants if not 
yourself.  Most chemicals are pretty well understood as to their tendency 
to break down (or not), so once you know what you have you can plan 
accordingly or do further research.  A good biologically active soil will 
deactivate many chemicals rapidly.  I have even seen accounts of high OM 
soils deactivating chemicals so fast they become ineffective.  If you can 
apply a lot of compost and work it in you should deactivate most of the nastys.
One can also do a bio assay.  Take a sample of the soil in question and 
attempt to sprout sensitive crops in a flat etc.  Beets and peas are 
particularly sensitive if memory serves; though the labels will give the 
best clues of the most sensitive crops for any given chemical.
One final bit of editorial comment - there are plenty of nasty chemicals 
circulating in the global environment, beyond basic precautions such as 
testing wells and bio assay of field soils, spending precious mental energy 
worrying about incidental chemical use in your neighborhood is missing the 
forest for the trees.  We need to take a broader look at non degrading 
chemicals where ever they are produced.  The latest road to hell is "not in 
my back yard".
Mark

At 05:33 PM 5/12/02 -1000, you wrote:
> We've been eyeing some land in Hawaii that's currently 15 acres of solid,
> chemically grown, monocropped papaya.  It's cheap, has an incredible
> location, and is surrounded by tall windbreaks and some avocados, coconuts,
> etc.  It's mostly surrounded by more papaya fields.  The current leasors are
> described as "conscious, but chemical users" and indeed, though they
> obviously spray some of the field, they mow a good deal of the grass in
> between the rows.
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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM