[compost_tea] Re: What I think is important
Who knew Aldous Huxley had joined the group? (:>{)
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "B Blake" <bbdallas100_at_...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for that Wormgold info Matt. It was real juicy.
> Getting to this Post I was studying the Daily (or whenever)
> Post Digests long before actually joining the Group.
>
> Can you imagine if ALL the Posts from 2002 on were a FREE Book :-)
> Was fortunate to be able to talk with a few old Poster's from the
> past including a real favorite of mine.
> We laughed when I said that I appreciated all the microbes and all they c=
ould do but after shooting the shotgun
> (the shotgun approach where there may be hundreds, thousands
> (or more) of species that you don't even know their names)
> I really didn't care.
> He laughed and said "we really don't care either."
>
> In other words we were both looking for more that what the few microbes t=
hat would survive may or may not do on the leaves
> and/or in the soil. Nothing against it. That's nice, that's nice
> AND that's nice too. BUT is that all there is?
>
> There is a whole lot to learn from examining machines and techniques
> from the past and trying to understand what really went down. Something y=
ou think is brand new may actually have already been
> tried out by remarkable extremely qualified people
> and became Lost "Secrets of the Ancients" :-)
>
> It's not new to think about what effect the 'Tea Broth Nutrients'
> have on the plant leaves and plant roots. After the microbes do their tra=
nsformation of nutrients routine their usefulness is DONE
> in some scenarios.
>
> Any microbe stew just for the sake of the microbes themselves would be a =
separate Tea
> that could continue with the hours of testing dogma loved so much.
>
> The Compost Tea 'Feeding Machines' operating in the Trillions
> would care less about the multi-million dollar testing sensation and woul=
d be testing the machines effectiveness (IN HOUSE) on the Plants themselves=
with never ending waves of possibilities.
> Like Bobby was talking about with actual food.
>
> As it turns out after a tremendous amount of digging this
> 'feeding strategy' was just getting rolling at the PhD level until
> a death came.
> Then it slipped through the cracks until now.
>
> It may be time to break up the routine and have more than one single comp=
etition if and when there is that level of comradely again.
> Look at the Post numbers in 2004 compared to 2011.
> It's time to shake this badboy up.
> It's coming.
> Old dudes move cool and slow plus like a little warmer weather :-)
>
> While I'm talking about the Ph D's they started inventing some interestin=
g test machines around 2003. You hear things about
> fantastic breakthroughs coming but it's never from the shotgun.
> 9 out of 10 times it's individual bacteria being isolated
> and/or manipulated.
> A Plant Spray that jacks up growth by around 40%?
>
>
> Bill
>
>
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, Matthew Graeff <phishphan12_at_> wrote:
> >
> > Tad,
> >
> > Wasn't your Dad head of the ICTC (International Compost Tea Council) a =
> > few years back? Whatever happened with that?
> >
> > I think a certifying council is a great idea, and SFI was supposed to =
> > be the be all end all of that, I think. It seems they were corrupted =
> > along the way, and that may stop newer brewers or people that got
> > burned for thousands of dollars in tests to be very skeptical of
> > certification of any kind.
> >
> > No, there doesn't have to be a competition, but that may attract more =
> > flies than just another convention. Have an ACT brewer category,
> > extractor, hybrid (both ACT and LCE). I would compare it to a beer =
> > festival. You know not everyone's going to win, most people are just =
> > there to catch a buzz. :) I think it would be cool to get there and =
> > get down to the nuts and bolts of ACT versus explaining it to everyone =
> > and their sister that walks up to you the basics of ACT (unless you =
> > enjoy that of course).
> >
> > Getting the standards down for testing I think would be the biggest =
> > hurdle, other than getting everyone in the same room.
> >
> > I could be totally off on all this, but I think it sparked a
> > discussion within the group.
> >
> > Matt
> > On Feb 1, 2012, at 1:33 PM, Tad wrote:
> >
> > > I've been following the recent posts regarding a competition between =
> > > commercial tea brewing units. With the right controls in place (it =
> > > sounds like they were not there according to Steve at the Texas
> > > event), it could have some benefit.
> > >
> > > However, rather than a competition, I think a certifying agency or =
> > > some industry standard would be far more beneficial to ACT as a
> > > technology. There are many different designs that make acceptable =
> > > tea, meaning they extract the organisms into the liquid medium and =
> > > provide adequate aeration to keep dissolved oxygen levels above 6 mg/=
> > > l. Granted, some will be more efficient, cost-effective, or more
> > > aesthetically pleasing, but provided the above conditions are met =
> > > then a brewer design could potentially qualify.
> > >
> > > An agreed upon definition about what ACT is and isn't, what it's
> > > purposes are, main benefits, and what claims can be made that are =
> > > proven to be accurate and not based on conjecture or anecdotal
> > > evidence/opinion.
> > >
> > > How many brewer manufacturers actually own and use a microscope and =
> > > dissolved oxygen meter to test their tea quality, and base their
> > > recommendations upon that data? I see crazy claims all the time.
> > > Some companies claim you can refrigerate your ACT for up to a week =
> > > (Vermicrop), or brew continually as long as you want, adding compost =
> > > and foodstocks, but never actually testing the tea with a microscope.
> > >
> > > If we want to legitimatize our industry, we need to establish
> > > conventional methodology that is supported by accurate data and
> > > direct microscopy. Otherwise, all we have is some bubbling brown
> > > liquid, with no idea if it contains the proper sets of organisms, =
> > > with good diversity and biomass.
> > >
> > > I think once we have some standard for our industry, the next step =
> > > would be to collaborate on the subject that Bobby eluded to: How can =
> > > we improve our ACT (based on brewer design and inputs) to maximize =
> > > plant growth across a variety of media and environmental conditions?
> > >
> > > I'm sick of hearing that ACT doesn't work because people use a 10 =
> > > gallon aquarium pump and airstone from Petco, or listen to claims =
> > > that are unsupported by any data or microscopy.
> > >
> > > My 2 cents,
> > > Tad Hussey
> > > www.kisorganics.com
> > >
> > >
> >
>
Received on Wed Feb 01 2012 - 19:43:47 EST
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: Tue Feb 07 2012 - 13:58:17 EST