For a good article on manure tea, see:
http://www.rittenhouse.ca/hortmag/Bruce/ManureTea.asp
In 'Bama they used to drink it:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/features/wabc_strange_070202manuretea.html
Is 'manure tea' when made from properly composted manure a problem? Methink=
s not....
Is 'manure tea' made from heated, dried manure a problem? Again, methinks n=
ot...
Would manure tea, made from fresh manure and applied to raw salad crops, be=
a problem? Yes indeedy....
Would compost tea, made with inadequately composted manure, in an inadequat=
ely aerated brewer with nutrients added, and applied to salad ingredients, =
be a problem? Might well be.....
So do we need QA/QC protocols for making compost tea for application to raw=
consumption crops? Yes, that seems reasonable....avoidance of inadequately=
composted manure would be sensible....
Do we need to kill all the birds so they never crap on our crops?
That would be a fecophobic 'Silent Spring' scenario too monstrous to contem=
plate....
Does anyone know why the dawn chorus birdie likes to start under my window =
at 4:30 AM this time of year??
;-)
Frank---likes birds, but wishes his own little wild alarm clock feathered f=
riend would start sleeping later again...
----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Norsen
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2003 1:23 AM
Subject: RE: [compost_tea] Re: Soak in a Bucket CT NO NO NO
Mike and Kirk - Your treatment of "Manure in a bucket tea" does not con=
sider the potential danger to the entire Aerobic compost TEA development.
Scenario - church pot luck serves a great salad. x members subcome to E=
-coli. E-Coli takes a kids life and another kids liver. Gardener is suspe=
ct cause. E-coli is taced to "Compost TEA" that was used to water the let=
tuce. Is the press going to clearly explain the exact nature of the compo=
st tea and that it is one kind or another and if they did, would the public=
e carry the message to the market place and select AIR BREWED COMPOST TEA t=
reated produce to buy ? ( ABCT)
Not likely. 10 years of Elaines work is down the tube. My brewers would=
never get sold. Good Bye friends of this list. We are history
After your messages I realize the most important thing we must do is figh=
t like hell to eliminate all use of and association of compost tea from ana=
robic liquid products Inspite of mixed results for eons it is a hazard tha=
t needs to go away. Aeration is not expensive. What is called TEA is on =
the shelf at reputable nurseries. Sealed in bottles. The high profit pro=
duct of a giant municiple composting company. Is there any test data to p=
rove it has value, is alive and is safe? Further we need to improve assura=
nce that what is being brewed by all of us and our customers and farmers ar=
e truely aerobic.
If we allow the easy acceptance of hazargous or ineffective products to b=
e on the market or brewed at home and called by a common name - CT - we ris=
k the entire program. The better health. The conservation of soil and the=
land. The rivers and lakes. The ecology. The improved farms. The straw=
berrys, bananas,the oaks and palm trees.
When compost tea includes a broad range of liquids some of which can be =
hazardous then the USDA has no choice but to say treat it like raw manure. =
.
And you guys? I guess they would be hiring at Montasanto. From your res=
ume you could leave out any mention of your work with ABCT. Bob
PS I hope I have worded this in a way to start some useful thought. Kir=
k and Mike, you have devoted much to this list. I respect you. I was read=
ing your messages calmly but thought after.---- Having a common look alik=
e name and really very similar looking liquid, one of which can be hazardou=
s is a problem that could take a big bite from every ass in this program. =
Government agencies are obligated to eliminate this risk. A broad ban on=
CT will reduce our already micro freeboard Wonderful as ABCT is, watchin=
g Elaine and others in this program, I know this is program is still on a =
hill, pushing hard, up. Jeff and Wayne have moved Anchorage to the point =
that it is locally on a level, well accepted CT is being used and paid f=
or at true value. It makes the CT business possible. I think there is a =
lesson there. Get it right, then In word, PREVAIL Bob
Mike Bosko <mjbosko_at_jmtsystems.com> wrote:
Mike recalls "Rodale's Organic Gardening Magazine...always speaking of =
the
'soak in the bucket' (anaerobic) method." Are you surprised? He think=
s
this is bad. I don't.
Hey Kirk, chill.
I don't recall saying anything about it being "bad".
It is anaerobic, is it not? Never said that was bad tho - just that i=
t is what is often preached in the magazine. I believe I said something to=
the matter of suggesting someone write an article regarding AACT; The acti=
vely aerated alternative. Adding food to the compost tea, aerating it to h=
elp grow even more anaerobic microbes - In my opinion it does seem to be th=
e better alternative -you get more good stuff, from the same bucket.
I read the magazine, and still practice the bucket method, but was exci=
ted to hear about growing even more 'good stuff' in the tea using the AACT =
methods. I truly think that the readers of OG would be very interested in =
learning about AACT as an alternative to the 'bucket tea' that I had mentio=
ned.
Did you happen to read further into my message? I question everything.=
I try to make a stand for the common guy out here, not wanting to spend a=
bunch of cash on making teas, wanting it to researched to make it more sim=
ple and then, in turn, to get it in use more often. That goes for Compost-=
anything.
-Mike
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Received on Sat Jun 28 2003 - 10:53:30 EDT