Re: [compost_tea] Re: Organic Certification

From: Robert Norsen <bnbrew_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 20:13:21 -0800 (PST)

Might be some very large existing chemical suppliers involved with Big contributions and strong "educational" budgets .When major corporations rule the electorate it is facism. It takes a lot of votes to equal a some millions of dollars in contributions. Just a guess. Bob

ericgoodenough <sfo_at_gwi.net> wrote:

So, the USDA/NOP is recommending that additional carbon sources (eg:
sugars and molasses, for example) would not be allowed? I think I
have read here that compost (using Dr. E's definition) combined with
some molasses (not too much) and adequate aeration can result in
beneficial CT. I buy that.

I think I've also read here that compost and high levels of molasses
(to instigate osmotic shock which holds back bacterial growth thereby
allowing fungal growth)and plenty of oxygen can also result in
beneficial CT. That makes sense, too.

Where is the disconnect? Is the USDA/NOP lacking the science, or the
willingness to acknowledge the science to back up the safety of
AACT? Are we dealing with a government agency (USDA) with an axe to
grind? Are we dealing with scientists with personality conflicts?
Are we dealing with a litigious society afraid of anything that
moves?

I've been getting mixed signals in this neck of the woods as well.
Is there anyone on the CTTF or NOP that is ready to come out and tell
us (at least tell me, offline) what's up and how we can protect this
tool before it's too late? (I have done, and will continue to do,
the letter writing and contacting of officialdom.)

Or, perhaps, is the ORGANIC label not what it used to be? There are
many who are already feeling that ORGANIC is a marketing tool and not
much more, and that a higher standard might be warranted.


-- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Kirk Leonard" <kirk_at_o...> wrote:
> Judi, Thomas, Tim and Group -- Thanks for WSDA info. Here's some
more
> detail. Excerpt is from "LC" note to Judi posted today.
>
> > ...compost tea issue. The "issue" is that a task force of the
National
> > Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is recomending that "compost and
> > vermiculture teas are still under review and are; therefore, not
> > eligible to satisfy section 205.203 (SIC, of the National Organic
> > Standards Act) at this time". <
>
> This statement is a lie. NOSB did not recommend this, and would
not today,
> imo. This statement was an inapproriate USDA/NOP edit of the
following NOSB
> Compost Task Force recommendation of 4/18/02:
>
> "2. Compost and Vermicompost teas
>
> The use of a liquid compost extract, or "compost tea", raises
special
> issues. The preparation and use of compost tea and compost extract
has been
> increasing in the U.S. during recent years. Organic producers
especially
> are interested in compost teas and extracts because the preparations
> reportedly provide some degree of control of foliar and root
pathogenic
> organisms. Various methods and practices have developed for
production of
> the teas or extracts since the practice originated some years ago
in Europe.
> However, recent research at the USDA Agricultural Research
Service's labs in
> Beltsville, MD and Corvallis, OR shows that certain approaches to
compost
> tea or extract preparation are conducive to growth of enteric
bacterial
> pathogenic organisms, such as enterotoxigenic E. coli and
Salmonella. The
> practices and procedures that lead to pathogen growth in the
prepared teas
> and extracts involve the addition of supplemental nutrients such as
sugars,
> molasses or other readily available (soluble) carbon sources during
batch
> production.
>
> The researchers did not observed growth of enteric pathogenic
organisms when
> compost tea or extract was prepared only with water and high quality
> compost. By high quality compost, they mean compost that has met
criteria
> for destroying pathogenic organisms, i.e., 131ºF for 3 days, or
compost that
> has less than 3 MPN salmonella per 4 grams compost (dry weight) and
less
> than 1000 MPN fecal coliforms. The critical determinant regarding
pathogen
> growth in compost teas and extracts is the addition of the carbon
sources
> like sugars, molasses, or yeast or malt extracts during
the "brewing" phase.
>
> Recommendation: Compost teas if used in contact with crops less
than 120
> days before harvest must be made from high quality compost
described above
> and not prepared with addition of supplemental nutrients such as
sugars,
> molasses or other readily available (soluble) carbon sources."
>
> Not all good news, but clearly supporting use of compost tea.
Clearly USDA
> is trying to propogate their own propaganda.
>
> On 10/19-20/02, the NOSB, with NOP reps spitting bitter pills about
it,
> unanimously agreed that a new Compost Task Force be created to take
another
> look at compost tea. They are still doing that, now called the
Compost Tea
> Task Force. This is a secret task force and they have said nothing
yet, so
> the suggestion that any NOSB task force has said anything other
than the
> recommendation above is also a lie.
>
> I believe NOSB and the current CTTF support compost tea, and OMRI
always has
> as far as I know. Where on OMRI site was LC pointing?
>
> The problem here is USDA/NOP want to make compost tea history,
banned,
> un-usable by NOP-certified organic operations, as far as I can
tell. Here
> is a summary (reports not available, interestingly) of
their "research" so
> far: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/michel/fateofpaths.htm. More
bogus
> research is on tap at Beltsville, too.
>
> Someday, there may be an opportunity for public comment on compost
tea at
> NOSB, when something comes from the CTTF. Presently, USDA have it
bound up
> in muddle and secrecy, ruling it's officially "raw manure."
>
> WSDA and other certifiers are ruling differently and taking a
chance doing
> that, btw. They could get whacked by USDA, so we need to be
prepared to
> come to their defense, and bombarding USNOP when there is an
opportunity to
> say something....
>
> Please alert your congressperson to this - and as Lawrence
suggests, if
> Bush-brains get re-elected, this, and all organic ag situations
will only
> get worse. Wish I could be more upbeat, but we have some work to
do to get
> through these goofy hoops.
>
> -- Kirk



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Received on Fri Feb 06 2004 - 23:46:37 EST

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