[compost_tea] Re: TESTING, STANDARDS, AT WHOSE COST?

From: hi_yield1 <hi_yield1_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 20:50:55 -0000

Yes Chris that is all I want. Some way of verifying the live product
I'm buying is truly alive, quanity and quality. A cheap field scope of
some kind would be great helping to confirm just that. When I buy
neamatoads I look to see if I bought a live or dead bag of worms.10x I
have used two diffrent brewers and their products. One this year and
the other last year. I will not mention product names!! I saw no real
noticeable improvements in my side by side testing. I did however get
good results using very small amounts of nitrate fertilizers with my
organically enriched soils. Yet I read other peoples stories about
their remarkable results on all fronts. Are 50 degree soils to cold to
keep my brew alive and thriving once I apply it? I add alot of compost
and organic soil addmendments to my garden each fall. Because of that
have I reached an equilibrium of sorts? Not all plants are endo and
ecto dependent so just how much of a difference is made with these
types of plants? I know alot of mircrobes exists naturally in our
soils and sometimes wonder if the creation of an artificial
environment to multiply them is at this point and time best done in
the Lab. not in someones backyard? With all of that said I will
continue to try. Thanks and take care hi_yield.
                                                                    
In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, chris reid <reidchris_at_e...> wrote:

> Hi_yield1 said: Mandatory testing and standards should be required
by those
> selling CT products. At their cost not the consumers. Maybe testing
of our
> CT
> sauce should be free for everyone out there. Then just maybe we
might be
> able to come up with some good sound repeatable data.
>
> reply: As far as manufacturer paying for some initial tests, well,
if
> you're willing to add a couple hundred dollars onto the price of the
> brewers, maybe that's actually an interesting marketing approach for
> somebody to try. It would certainly expose people to the process of
testing
> and the benefits of testing their tea.
>
> Or maybe SFI could consider offering a test series called a
"beginner pak"
> for first time customers, have a coupon sold with the brewers to
discount
> their first few brews and some of the soil assays and introduce
customers to
> what they can get from testing.
>
> No matter how you look at it though, it will *always* be at the cost
of the
> consumer, at least at present likely to be reflected in brewer
prices and
> ingredient prices you and I can't afford. For that to be different,
I think
> what would have to happen is: agricultural researchers would have
to get
> funding for "independent" research. As Paul Sachs indicated
recently,
> Cornell appears to be hinting at whether he will "ante up" for
further
> compost tea research. That was a real eye opener for me as to how
research
> appears to be funded these days. By those who are interested in its
> outcomes! Elaine's efforts to identify an affordable microscope
that would
> work for learning to do assays on site (or at least not always in a
lab) is
> another area in which there will eventually be a breakthrough, if it
hasn't
> happened already.
>
> Maybe Steve Brustkern could talk about any efforts ICTC (did I get
that
> right) could take around product testing requirements - maybe an
ICTC seal
> of approval? Short of regulation, that would be helpful. I
definitely see
> a need for more help to be provided to the consumer by someone other
than
> the manufacturer. Even industry groups are suspect, sad to say.
Yet
> regulation can also dampen innovation, by cementing requirements in
place
> that may be discovered to be counterproductive, barking up the wrong
tree,
> and then everyone manufactures to meet the regulations, not to make
the best
> product. I would love to believe that ag extension services could
come
> around and provide such a service, but their funding seems to have a
lot of
> strings attached these days, too, and they seem (to make a broad and
unfair
> generalization) constitutionally unable to un-warp their minds from
an NPK
> chemical perspective. Asking an ag extension agent to look into
organic
> stuff seriously is about like asking them to enter an alligator
swamp at
> night blindfolded. Filled and fraught with terror, fear, the
unknown, and
> the risk of getting their a** bit off.
>
> If I hear you correctly, hiyield1, you're looking for solid answers
and not
> hype, and you want to be sure the information you are receiving is
accurate
> and the results replicable. That sounds to me like you're talking
about
> using a well tested brewer, a well tested recipe from the
manufacturer, and
> having the ability to determine that you've accurately replicated
the
> conditions (compost, ingredients, temp, pH, brew times, sequence of
> additions), knowing that when you do, your results will probably be
in a
> range comparable to the manufacturer's tested range. and when you
can't, the
> results may vary from the mfr test results.
>
> Another way to look at the risks of working with compost tea in its
infancy
> was voiced to me by Paulette Mouchet of this list, who commented
that it is
> very exciting to be at the beginning of a technology and have the
> opportunity as a lay person to interact with other pioneers in the
field and
> with pioneering scientists and be part of the discoveries. There
are risks
> involved in deciding to participate in such a technology in its
infancy
> (even though compost teas have been used for a long time,
attempting to
> quantify what they do and be able to replicate results is relatively
new).
> It's something some are interested in, and some are not. We all
make our
> own decisions here.
>
>
> Chris


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/0PSxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




Received on Mon Nov 17 2003 - 17:11:41 EST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:14:52 EST