Subject: New Compost Tea Group

From: Jeff Lowenfels <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 10:15:54 -0600

This looks like a good group....just formed and obviously needed....

Cheers,

Jeff L

 We are proud to be making the following 
announcement...                                                       
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COMPOST TEA INDUSTRY COUNCIL FORMED
Bellevue, Washington

Recognizing that advances in compost tea making have created the need 
to insure the confidence of the growing consumer public using and 
brewing compost teas, several members of the industry today announced 
formation of The International Compost Tea Council.  "The ICTC  is a 
non-profit organization dedicated to the science and integrity of 
compost tea," explained Tina Peterson, the acting Executive Director 
of the group. 

The use of compost tea in organic gardening and farming as well as 
for yard care has grown dramatically in the past five years.  "It has 
only been recently that scientists have begun to understand, test for 
and document the full range of interactions of beneficial micro-
organisms in soils and their importance to plants. We want to make 
sure that this science is applied properly," Peterson continued.

"It has become obvious that an organization was needed to acknowledge 
and answer questions, provide supporting research and information, 
and try and unify the voices of this new industry," explained one of 
the incorporating members, Steve Burstkern, an independent tea 
consultant. "In addition to questions from the public, regulating 
agencies also need sound, scientific data," he added.

The modern day use of compost tea is an offshoot of better 
understanding of soil science brought about in the past 18 years 
largely a result of the electron microscope. Aerating a compost, 
water and microbial nutrient mix makes today's compost teas a vast 
improvement over passive, anaerobic compost and water teas previously 
used. 

It is out of this science that a new technology, though based on 
older natural methods, has been born. " The manufacture of aerobic 
compost tea and brewers and tea application itself have resulted in a 
growing industry. On top of everything else, we need to set a 
standard to insure the highest quality within our own industry 
first," added Leon Hussey, manufacturer of a home brewer and another 
of the incorporating members, "and an industry wide council is the 
way to do that best."

Membership is open to all individuals interested in compost tea, from 
the homeowner to the professional brewer manufacturer and all related 
industries.

Providing education and information for all levels of expertise is a 
key role for this group. The ICTC will be hosting seminars on compost 
tea and organic practices. Visit www.intlctc.org 
<http://www.intlctc.org/> for information and science on compost tea, 
events, news, information, standards and membership requirements.