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Re: [compost_tea] Re: Sunday Message and Data



Hi Merla & Herb- You are taking on a major project and letting us know something of what it is like to fight off chemicals and replace  with Organics.  Your reports are interesting to me and I think others.  Please keep reporting how the project is going.  Bob

Merla Barberie <herbnmerla@supersat2.net> wrote:
Hi Bob,

We've had two meetings and we have 8 people besides Herb and Green and
me.  3 men and 8 women.  We need more, but this is a good start.  We're
going out today to plant a native grass mix of six different grasses and
yarrow on the two miles of bare ditched soil and to look at the test
plots at the end of the road.  Janet is going with us and she is a
no-nonsense hard worker and a good gardener and plans to work on the
road with her home school class of kids.

We are making our first 30 gallon batch of Bacterial-Fungal CT with the
Bitti right now as I write.  We started it in the unheated greenhouse
(Our cabin is too small to accommodate the 40 gallon drum.) at 2:00 PM
yesterday.  Here's what we used for the compost part:   4 cups BD
Compost, 4 cups Bio-Dynamic Barrel Compost, 1 oz. BD 500, 2 cups Alaska
Humus in two batches.  It was 38ºF last night outside.  It was clear.
You could see the moon and stars.

It's 54ºF outside right now, overcast.  It's a little warmer in the
greenhouse, but not too much since it isn't sunny.  We aren't set up yet
with an inverter in the van so I think we may use this first batch on
our own orchard and vegetable garden--everywhere.  We have to set the
barrel up in the van to start with and get that inverter so we can keep
running the Bitti until we put our wooden lid with the Shurflo pump on
the barrel and start to spray.

I do not know how much phosphorus and gypsum to put on the test plot
that Jose suggested.  I'd certainly like to do that one, but have no
idea how much is enough.  I recently sent him a private message, but
haven't received an answer so far.  I also wrote to a young man whom I
found last year in New South Wales.  He was finish ing up a doctorate in
Weed Control at the School of Rural Science and Natural Resources,
University of New England and had papers on the Net from test plots he
had done.  He helped us a lot on how to set up test plots.  He probably
has finished his thesis now and graduated and isn't there anymore.  I
think we're on our own by the seat of our pants.  We're just going to
have to do things as best we can using the OFRF "On-farm Research Guide.

Bob, we can't call in the state equipment.  Those guys just will tear
everything up.  I made the comment in Weed Committee that I hoped they
wouldn't decide to pave the rest of our road and tear up all our work.
Everyone nearly fell off their chairs laughing because the state of
Idaho and Bonner County don't have any money and there won't be any
paving here in the foreseeable future.

The important thing is to get organized.  One of our members is an
exper t in efficiency and time use.  She and I are getting together
tomorrow to set up our schedule.  I really need her input and I'm so
glad she came aboard at the second meeting.

We're trying to get the county to O.K. our spending some of our grant
money on a Forestgreen ecoweeder ("infra-red" flame weeder) "Lady."
<chemfree-weedcontrol.com>  I sent a couple of emails to Brad asking for
it and asked one of our members who is the co-owner and accountant of
Backwoods Solar Electric Systems to call him.  He's saying that they
probably won't buy it because of liability for fire.  (I'm laughing.)
We're talking about passing the hat if it doesn't go through.  Herb has
a torch that we can use if we can't get this.  The little knapweed
rosettes are popping up everywhere and there is a small window of
opportunity while they are vulnerable and before fire season starts.

It's coming together, Bob, thank s to you, and thanks to Jeff for Alaska
Humus from Gig Harbor.  Thank everyone for input on this.

Best,

Merla






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