[compost_tea] WAS: Another self appointed expert? NOW: Where's the beef?

From: Linda Smaltz <wormwomantwo_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 09:12:53 -0800 (PST)




--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, chris reid <reidchris_at_e...> wrote:

> It is my understanding that the book is essentially a summary of posts that

> Elaine has made to this board and perhaps elsewhere that Carole has

> collected over time. (Please correct me if I'm wrong here). It would

> therefore seem that the expertise is primarily Elaine Ingham's.

>

> I don't know Carole, but am confident Elaine would not let her name and

> copyright go on anything less than accurate information.

>

> The board archives are extremely difficult to use at this point. I'd say a

> major service has been done by collecting this information into one place

> and making it available. I don't much care the background of the person

> doing it --

 

I don't imagine you do care much about background, considering you have never brewed tea. Now before you misunderstand my motives please consider the face of ACT and it's most active proponents.

 

A Harvard attorney who has never worked in agriculture and was a user of Miracle Grow a scant 2 years ago.

 

A gold dealer turned manufacturer of machines, also without any Ag training.

 

A roofing contractor turned expert whose machine is basically a copy of a patented pond aeration system.

 

A casino (now there's sustainability!) gardener turned lecturer and expert.

 

A PhD in soil biology that can't interface or get along with her peers and has the only lab capable of providing relevant data! (Must be tough being the Atlas of ACT)

 

As near as I can tell there are but 2 or 3 posters with any Ag background. Were it not for Steve Diver and a couple of OZ farmers occasionally posting, the voice of experience would not be represented.

 

Let me remind you of a communication we had in December….

 

The whole

reason I started trying to create a best practices document was to

try to get people to post usable information. When I ask for more

data, some people act like it's "my" hangup for better testing or

more info.

 

I have actually been told, "AT some point you just have to make a

leap of faith." No, You (to the writer) may think that's what there

is to do, but I save that for church.

 

Am interested in serious dialogue on this topic. Let me know please

if you find a place that is doing it!

Here’s another of the dozens of off list communications I have had from large scale users and researchers (with credentials!)….

 

Linda,

Right on!! I was waiting for someone to say that. Hope you don't mind my cowardly off-list post.

I have recently decided to start testing with BBC along with SFI, instead of just SFI. I am also looking into the growing solutions nutrient packet.

Seems like some people take this thing a little too personal.

I am trying to find the appropriate balance myself, and have been in contact with some people from the "other" group of tea users. I am hopeful that by working with both groups, we will be able to efficiently learn more about useful applications of tea. I have no agenda other than to learn about CT and outreach what we find.

 

So unlike other people that have a vested interest in "making" tea work or sound good, I simply want to figure out what works and what doesn't work, but its sometimes hard with all of these vested-interest-tea-people making unsubstantiated claims.

Oh yeah while I'm on a rant, I like Hi_yield and think he brings a balance to the forum. And, I miss Jose too.

 

 

 

 

We want to incorporate ACT into our operation, but after several months of research, in the form of phone calls, email and list reading it’s no wonder the national organics program is not impressed by this rag tag group of want to be’s.

 

By the way the posting on Rollins was from a single source from a simple 30 second google search. I simply read the documents posted on the group page and searched for information. If you and others find the use of phrases like “nature tech researcher” not to be a misrepresentation of fact, so be it. Significant peer review and change is unlikely to happen given the current players and their credentials.

 

 

 

With that I will take my leave and order my Alms (the one that doesn’t get numbers but gets results!) machine and make this my last post.

 

Linda S.



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Received on Thu Mar 11 2004 - 13:52:47 EST

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