permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 6/7/2012 10:38 PM, Gasper Family Farm wrote:
> Are we not facing a peak in the supply of mined phosphate? This is one of if
> not they key yield and plant health limiting nutrient; and also the hardest
> one to get outside the mine. Other than the mandatory recycling of
> phosphorus from humanure, are their any other permanent solutions for
> sourcing phosphorous for the farm (on a broad acre scale)?
>
> Pete
>
> On 05/11/2012 07:54 PM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:
> > It should seek to
> > reduce off farm inputs. Natural, mined phosphate and other minerals will
> > likely be needed from time to time as crops deplete levels of nutrients
> > needed for healthy livestock and plant production. If enough acreage is
> > available the other major nutrients can for the most part be generated
> > on site and later recycled.

Buy your rock or colloidal phosphate now, from any existing dealers, 
Fertrell and others, while you can. The best American rock phosphate, 
Carolina Black is no longer being sold as ground raw ore as Fertrell was 
used to buying to put in their blends. Door got slammed in the faces of 
the natural-organic-sustainable farming community by the new owner of 
the mine near Bath, NC. They only sell phosphoric acid for synthetic 
fertilizer blends, miscellaneous industry uses (great metal cleaner and 
de-rusting agent) and soft drinks. Natural mined phosphate comes from 
Florida, Tennessee, Idaho and possibly other States. Get what you can 
while you can and apply it on your land for long term use. This is a 
better product than bone meal. Compost what you can in order to recycle 
phosphorous, reduce erosion on land, cycle water and nutrients between 
systems and farm and garden sites on property, reduce or eliminate off 
site migration of nutrients, especially phosphorous.

I do not know about any peak situation in phosphate production. I have 
heard that is exists underground all along the eastern US coast in great 
quantity; just need to mine it to get it out, if environmental permits 
can be had. It also comes from Morocco which may have the best in the 
world or is equal to the NC Black Rock Phosphate (an old standby 
component of Fertrell fertilizer blends for many years, excellent products.

Such are the times we live in.

LL