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Re: [compost_tea] Refactors.



I'd really suggest that people in North America suppot Bob Pike when 
they decide to buy a refractometer. He is the man who is probably the 
most responsible for bringing the meaning of BRIX to the attention of 
farmers and definitely the man who has done the most to create 
instruments (or offer instruments) that give reliable readings under 
field conditions. (Using as little sap as possible is an important 
indication of value in a farm-use refractmeter. You'll agree with me 
the first time you try to gather a sap sample from foxtail.)

Bob's web page is at:

http://www.pikeagri.com/

He's always willing to talk to you on the phone. (Avoid the staff if 
you can. They are relatives and never seem to be focused on the 
phone.) He's always willing to talk to farmer 1-to-1 at trade shows. 
(See him and Elaine next month at the ACRES Conference.) It's really 
good to keep what money we can within the movement that is creating 
this new awareness of what food is and how it can be grown more 
effeciently and not allow our fragile alternative economcy to be bled 
off by lowball entrepeneurs who offer nothing more than an 
unsupported commodity. (The same goes for CT testing. It looks like 
there will be many non-SFI foodweb labs by next year. I'll always 
send my tests to Elaine, because she has given much of herself to 
bring this movement to where it is. )

I bought a cheap imported refractometer via the internet. I've never 
used it without a sense that it would fall apart. The case it came 
with is wretched, hard to close, hard to open. Of course, if the 
plate cover seems to be prone to failure, how can I feel condfident 
about the accuracy of the readings? (Relative accuracy may be 
important for my own work, but when I start selling by Brix, I want 
to know that I'm not lying.) Pike sells stuff that's reliable in all 
spheres. (I dream of owning one of those 'one drop' electronic units 
this coming season!)

Sorry for the sermon. Because of the holiday, I guess I thought this 
was Sunday.

-Allan

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