[compost_tea] RE: ACT Re: ACT & USNOP

From: Kirk Leonard <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 12:41:49 -0700

A "Tea Up" is what I'd call what we're talking about. A practical activity
associated with ICTC conferences all over the world, I'd hope. Part of
important education efforts. Could be lots of fun. As I recall last
month's great ICTC event, it occurs to me we should be doing them as far and
wide as we can, and everyone who has a tea machine or an application
apparatus they want to "tea up" ought to be invited to show and tell and
test it, provided they pay for materials or testing or contribute to the
event. Tea machine makers and professional applicators, especially.

I agree with Jeff, again, and with Mike, and would add: Let's do more
local/regional tea meets, introduce ACT to new folks, show and tell, compete
some, work with folks on their own teas and composts. Every farm market,
garden club event,
county or state fair ought to have an ACT presence, too. If you can replace
SoilSoup in a retail nursery, that's super! What did you do?

As for test consistency, in establishing good data, I'd suggest not only
naming the machine or stating home-built specs as applicable, but providing
compost test info, be it a seasonal batch or the tea batch - if you really
want to get a bead on it, you could send a compost sample along with the tea
sample, I suppose. Doc would love that, I'm sure:-) Whatever, knowing
about the machine and the compost, in addition to nutrients, would really
help understanding the tea results.

Recognizing we on this listserve are apt not to organize (sorry Chris,
appreciate your efforts) and over half use home-built machines, I'm not sure
how to get where this thread has led... still noodling on variables. But I
would point out that getting together locally to bring an ICTC conference
and a TEAUP to town or county or country is easy to do if you work with
other local folks, decide you want to do that, line up sponsors and space,
connect with ICTC. Doc E might show up, too, if you schedule it well ahead,
as she's suggested. Others - Jeff, Paul (SFI-NY), probably Kirk W... I'm
just guessing here but believe they and others can also anchor events.
Nobody can do the delightful Doc E but Doc E, of course, but there are other
folks who can do their own thing and be informative and engaging just as
well.

On USNOP and ACT (clearly I am obsessed...:)- If your Congressperson is a
member of the House organic caucus (7/4/03 and 8/10/03 CTG posts) they
should certainly be interested and responsive to your questions about the
status of compost tea and the NOP. Call and ask. Not a big deal. Five
minutes? If your US Rep is not a member of the House organic caucus, why is
that? Asking questions, not even expecting answers, is good enough.
Pursuing answers politely (five minutes a month?) is even better. Let them
know what you think! It's a local phone call, the number is in your phone
book. Initially, calling works better than email. Getting Compost Tea
approved without restrictions by the United States National Organic Program
is important. Please contact me offlist if you have questions or comments
about this issue you don't want to post.

Kirk L








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Received on Sun Aug 31 2003 - 16:12:33 EDT

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