Merla - Just HOW MUCH **DID** you folks spend on Pfeiffer Sprays? -Allan
>David, > >This is exactly what we're trying to do. Last year, the county put the mowers >under the direction of the Weed Supervisor instead of the Road Supervisor and >our weed taxes that we pay every year went into a rotary mower mowing twice on >the paved part of the road--3 miles. But it was late in the season when they >got that all together and we were into drought season. You can't use a rotary >mower on a dirt road during drought season. It's too dusty. We had a man >volunteer his sickle bar mower to us and just asked the county to pay his >diesel fuel. Two people went out with him with "Men working" signs and they >did the other 5 miles. Then with our new professional Stihl 085 weedwhacker, >my husband and some other men with their own weedwhackers, went along the >right-of-way and did everything that hadn't been done--the goldbricking >ranchers, the 50 absentee properties and by the bridges and mailboxes and the >part away from the road that the mower couldn't reach. We wrote a good report >with a whole bunch of pictures every .4 mile to prove that we had >actually done >it. We could have have done it without that professional Stihl 085 that the >state bought us. > >This was the first year, that we had actually contained the weeds. We have >enough support now to finish the job. Maybe we should just use methods that >most people understand--allelopathic plants, mulching, Biocontrols, handwork, >restoration seeding. I just wanted to add my own touch of BD weed control to >the mix. > >I just feel in my heart that the BD would help so much. We already fabricated >a sprayer with a Shurflo pump and a professional trigger nozzle with >adjustable >heads to go on the top of 50 gallon plastic barrels on the back of a pick-up. >They are wasting a lot of money by not letting us use the Pfeiffer field spray >and the spray rig. We could still spray the weed peppers because >they were not >bought. They were either donated or I made them myself. It's >ashamed that the >Farm Bureau people would rather waste that money than see us succeed. It's >terribly political to challenge the ole boy network in a small conservative >rural town in the state of Idaho. They're jealous. The Farm Bureau is now >funding a demonstration project at CENEX, the local coop store, with plots of >"herbicide", "do nothing", etc, to show that they too can do what we're doing. >It's so obvious. The Weed Committee should support both groups...and they >are. On March7, they voted to continue our moratorium on herbicide spraying. >The important change would be for the Weed Committee to do some serious >research on holistic management--and not spend all the weed budget on >herbicide. We are now meeting monthly instead of twice a year. >Political work >is very slow and painful. > >Merla > >D & S Chamberlain wrote: > >> Merla: I thought if I tell you what happens here it might help. The >> roadsides are the responsibility of the local council ( your county I think) >> they slash the roadsides about twice a year. If this done when the weeds >> have just flowered it cuts down the weed establishment. It can be done by >> the council using it's own tractor and slasher or they can contract out the >> job to someone else. This has the benefit of making the roadside look neat >> and maintains a nice green ground cover that protects the soil. It also >> reduces the danger of animals running out of long grass in front of cars. >> This way the weeds are put to good use. It also reduces the fire risk. >> >> The offshoot to this is that once landowners see the roadway in front of >> their property looking good, some not all, then start to take responsibility >> for slashing their section more regularly. Once you have the slasher on the >> tractor it only takes a couple of hours extra to do the roadside after >> you've done your own job. >> >> This is not the perfect answer, the council has cut backs and reduces the > > area slashed, not all property owners participate and weather can spoil >> programs and plans but it is better and cheaper than spaying large areas. >> >> Hope this helps >> David C >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Merla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Sent: Sunday, 10 March 2002 9:59 PM >> Subject: Re: Official BD in Brazil >> >> > Jose, Hedleys, anybody, >> > >> > When I read all this about Brazil BD not working, it makes me wonder >> > about what I am doing on the road right-of-way. It sounds like it might >> not >> > work to just spray Pfeiffer Field Spray on very sandy, dry soil. Right >> > now, my ability to use it is in question and I'm waiting for a resolution. >> > Should I actually get a soil test of the road right-of-way and try to add >> > soil amendments? We are trying to grow native plants and grasses and >> > discourage plants that have been named "noxious" by the state and county >> > so they won't spray us with 2,4-D and Clopyralid. You wouldn't want to >> > have garden soil, would you? Anyway, how could you accomplish >> > this on 8 miles of road? We wanted to use the Pfeiffer Field Spray >> > so that we wouldn't have to make all those trips down the road with BC, >> > 500, 501, 508, Horn clay. I need to learn how to make preps myself so >> > no one has to pay the state a fee to register a BD prep as a soil >> amendment. >> > We have peppers for all the weeds and wanted to spray them in BD preps. >> > The Hedleys suggested three sprayings a long time ago when I first >> > started on this list. I still haven't firmed down what we're going to do, >> > but I feel we should do something to help the soil, especially since the >> > county sprayed it in 1999. >> > >> > We are planning to plant allelopathic plants--rye and oats--to compete >> > with the weeds and then eventually seed native plants we do want. >> > >> > Merla >> > >> > >> > Jose Luiz Moreira Garcia wrote: >> > >> > > >From what I have seen there was very little >> > > Composting operation with regard to the size of >> > > the whole farm. >> > > Secondly, one can enhance natureīs way by adding >> > > some key minerals that are in short supply in our >> > > geologically old and eroded tropical soils. Lack of nodulation >> > > in legumes could very well be a lack of Molybdenum, >> > > as I have noticed there. >> > > In a soil without a good microbial life one can expect little to >> > > no transmutation and therefore I see no chance to correct >> > > any defficiency without adding what is missing. >> > > This strategy is highly criticized as being " non sustainable" >> > > by those fanatics and the situation goes on and on. They regard >> > > adding outside farm supplies almost like a sin. They want to free >> > > themselves from the "system" and so do I but in a situation like >> > > that I donīt think it is intelligent to condemn your soil to >> > > starvation simply because they decided that this is "non-sustainable" >> > > In my oppinion there should be a another way to face the situation. >> > > Some criteria has to be found like level of microbial activity, level >> > > of nutrients, etc... >> > > Finally, BD is a proven system worldwide and if it does not work in >> > > a particular farm or particular region it should be seen simply as >> > > incompetence from those who are running those places and in our >> > > particular case the official Demeter people. >> > > >> > > Jose >> > > >> > > > >> > > > On Friday, March 8, 2002, at 07:07 AM, Rural Center for Responsible >> > > > Living wrote: >> > > > >> > > > > Dear Bonnie, >> > > > > >> > > > > Rudolf Steiner made it very clear in the lectures to farmers that >> the >> > > > > preparations were meant to enhance a sound animal based compost >> > > > > fertility >> > > > > management program. >> > > > >> > > > Thanks Christy. Yes. This was my understanding. >> > > > > I am a little confused at the Brazilian practices described by >> > > > > Jose, since most of the preparations are to be added to compost, and >> to >> > > > > think of adding compost for 27 years and see no results? Were they >> even >> > > > > composting? >> > > > >> > > > That is why I was confused about him telling of folks using the preps > > > > > alone. It sounded like they might not even be making compost. >> > > > >> > > > Bonnie York >> > > > >> > >> >
