[compost_tea] Little microscope classes
On the topic of monitoring your own tea, the little microscope manual is ju=
st about ready, and we're ready to start training people with the little mi=
croscope.
The first classes are May 28, which is a Friday, and then the next Friday, =
which is June 4. We'll see what demand is like before setting up any =
more classes.
These classes are for people wanting or needing instruction on what they se=
e using their microscope. We can order, and properly set up for you, =
the microscope you want, OR you can bring your own.
You need a microscope with 4X, 10X, and 40X objective lenses (that 40X lens=
is critical), 10X eyepieces (not 15X eyepieces, please. You may thin=
k more magnification is better, but it is empty magnification, because it d=
oesn't give the resolution you need. Confused by that statement? =
; Come to the class, ok? Seeing is understanding in this case). =
You need a microscope with a N.A. 2.5 (or greater) ABBE condenser, with an =
iris diaphragm. ABBE condensers should come with the iris diaphragm.&=
nbsp;
We have two microscopes we will offer - $350 and $1250, your choice. =
The difference in price is based on the quality of the optics. If you=
want to be able to resolve bacterial shapes easily, you HAVE TO buy the ex=
pensive scope. If you want to be able to see generally whether you ha=
ve critters or not, and maybe see a bit about the different kinds of critte=
rs, the less expensive scope will do.
We tested a $450 scope which could do the job, but the condenser didnâ€=
™t focus properly, and fell out of the holder on occasion, so I rejected =
it as a choice. There are other $500, $800 and so on microscope=
s, which don’t do anything more than the $350 scope. So, I se=
ttled on the $350 as an inexpensive alternative.
If you want, we will order your choice of microscope, and carrying case, an=
d set it up for you. Just remember, you need to be able to carry it b=
ack, and it is much safer if you carry this as cabin baggage and don't leav=
e delicate instruments to baggage handlers.
As soon as we get the other SFI labs trained to do these classes, they will=
offer these classes too, I expect. So, probably New York will offer =
them next fall, as well as Mexico, and Canada.
The format of the class is:
- buy the microscope from us so it will be here when you arrive, OR bring y=
our microscope with you.
- If the microscope you bring with you doesn't work for what we are trying =
to see, we will TRY to have a loaner you can use for the class. But i=
t would be a good idea, if you decide to bring your own microscope, to disc=
uss your microscope with me BEFORE you come, so we can at least have an ide=
a whether you can resolve the things you need to resolve.
- Introduction to microscopes and how to make the most of them.
- We will go through Kohler illumination and get everyone to be able to max=
imize the amount of light their microscope can focus on the sample. <=
BR>
- Shadowing techniques. This is critical. The microscopes we ha=
ve at SFI use DIC, which is a shadowing technique, and allows you to clearl=
y see things that have the same refractive index as water. Phase cont=
rast methods fail because of that little problem (little? chuckle).&n=
bsp; So, with your inexpensive compound scopes, we will help you do what yo=
u can to mimic the kind of clarity we get with the $25,000 scopes.
- We will look at examples of the many different critters you will be seein=
g in teas. We will do a compost prep as well, so you can see why thes=
e microscopes don't work really well with compost.
- We will see different kinds of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and t=
he insect larvae a few people were asking about a couple weeks ago. Y=
es, you can start to see whether you have Bacillus or not, or Corynebacteri=
a, or actinomycetes - more properly called actinobacteria - BUT you cannot =
ID the cells you see to the species level. Often not even to genus.&n=
bsp;
- You can, however, do as Bruce, Tom, Ted and others suggest, and get an id=
ea of how much the KINDS of bacteria or fungi or protozoa, etc. are changin=
g. You can monitor your tea brew hourly if you want to see the change=
s in critters as the tea matures.
- We will help you see WHEN your tea is "ready". We will he=
lp you learn the cues you need to develop for your own system, to know whet=
her the tea is growing enough of the right organisms.
- We will teach you how to tell if your tea is "ready". If =
you don't have the biology you need, you should brew longer, or add some fo=
ods, or even add more compost.
- We'll help you understand how to tell that you should have put less compo=
st in - there is a brewer out there that tells their clients to use somethi=
ng like 70 pounds of compost to make 100 gallons of tea. Lordy! =
These are shysters! The compost is an inoculum - if you have to use =
that much compost, it should be clearly telling you the tea machine can't g=
row the organisms.
- We will go through the standard curve for determining good tea with adequ=
ate or even outstanding organism biomass, or determing "bad" tea,=
lacking in the proper set, or kinds, of organisms. We'll go through =
some ideas for "fixing" bad tea. Sometimes, you just should=
throw it on some weeds, because it would be nice to kill them. Somet=
imes, you can add more compost, or more foods, and bring the tea up to par.=
We will go over how you know those situations.
- I'll be teaching the classes, at least these first few classes, where we =
are getting the format perfected.
- The entire morning will be instruction on how to use the scope, and what =
the creatures are you are seeing.
- We will continue on into the afternoon, until 5 pm, for those who want or=
need the help. For those of you who catch on rapidly, you could leav=
e mid-day, or anytime into the afternoon you feel happy with your ability t=
o see what you need to see.
Hope to see you at a class soon!
Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
SFI Culiacan, Mexico
SFI Jerome, Idaho
http://www.soilfoodweb.com
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Received on Thu May 06 2004 - 11:29:04 EDT
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