Comment: There has been many note able comments made about organic apple
production, and this is quite common on such a controversial subject. I find
this very similar to diverse and many times erroneous opinions on religion,
politics, the economy, etc. Please remember that it is not unusual for
opinions to readily change when people reach a level of understanding which
allows them to see most of the components within a complex equation such as
organic perennial fruit production.
I have a friend who's favorite saying is, Caution...beware of stepping
on your own tongue."
Jim Koan
Michigan
Commercial conventional apple grower for twenty years
Commercial organic apple grower for fifteen years
-Original Message-
From: Kurt Alstede
To: 'Apple-Crop'
Sent: Sat, Jul 24, 2010 2:57 pm
Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be fat too!
To Jim Bittner's quote I say AMEN! Yet, also like Jim we are finalizing our
rganic certification on 8 acres of fruits and vegetables. Many "gullible
ealthy" buy from us so we need to give them what they want.
Best,
urt W. Alstede
eneral Manager
lstede Farms, LLC
4 County Rt. 513 (Old Rt. 24)
ost Office Box 278
hester, New Jersey 07930
nited States of America
Tel.: 908-879-7189
ax: 908-879-7815
ww.alstedefarms.com
-Original Message-
rom: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:apple-c...@virtualorchard.net]
n Behalf Of Jim Bittner
ent: Saturday, July 24, 2010 6:15 PM
o: 'Apple-Crop'
ubject: RE: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be fat too!
Every once in a while I have to pull out something that was posted a few
ears back on this list serve about organic. I think it fits. I even grow
ome certified organic apples, but this really sums it up.
"As currently defined, organic farming is a mystical mixture of 1930's
echnology and new age religion designed to quell the fears of the gullible
ealthy in their fruitless search for a risk-free life."
-Original Message-
rom: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:apple-c...@virtualorchard.net]
n Behalf Of Bill Shoemaker
ent: Saturday, July 24, 2010 3:09 PM
o: Apple-Crop
ubject: Re: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be fat too!
I agree. I wasn't really arguing with Ken. I just wonder when we will get to
ive risk-free.
Bill
Original message
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:49:50 -0700
From: Robert kuljis
Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be fat too!
To: "Apple-Crop"
I think that is a good point about the kaolin,,, I know the non ag
formulations for pottery have all kinds of warnings for cancer,
inhalation threat, etc.. A simple particle mask would probably take
care of most of it. Not that it is that much fun to wear a mask all
the time while working in the trees.Of course there are lots of
unknowns with chemicals as well. The problem we have is that the
chemicals are extremely lucrative for giant companies who control much
of the university funding, so much less research and development goes
into non chemical methods. These methods could be much much cheaper.
Considering that conventional ag is responsible for at least 40% of
greenhouse gas emissions, mostly due to petroleum based fertilizer,
conversion to an ecological organic ag system seems to be not only
healthier, but a prerequisite for survival at this stage..
Some things that can help with the application of either organic or
chem materials would be monitoring, understanding the disease/pest life
cycle,, implementing and enhancing biological controls. These have come
a long way, but the scale of the efforts is much higher on the end of
the paradigm that wants growers to keep putting out chemicals whose
ultimate cost is much more then the $ amount paid.
Robert Kuljis
Thomas Paine Farms
On Jul 24, 2010, at 5:48 AM, Bill Shoemaker wrote:
> I recently heard life is terminal. I think someone should do
> something about that. Who's in charge here!
>
> Bill
>
>
>
> Original message
>> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:31:11 -0400
>> From: Ken Hall
>> Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be fat too!
>> To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net
>>
>> Is anyone familiar with work on human exposure to
>> kaolin clay in an orchard setting? A pulmonary
>> disease referred to as "kaolinosis" has been
>> identified in people who had high exposure to clay
>> dust. What about lower levels of exposure, year
>> after year, to orchard workers or pick-your-own
>> apple customers?
>> Not sure we can even say that kaolin is beyond
>> suspicion.
>> Ken Hall
>> Edwards Apple Orchard, Inc.
>> 7061 Centerville Road
>> Poplar Grove, IL 61065
>> Ph: 815-765-2234
>> Fx: 815-765-1072
>> Cl: 815-520-5764
>> Email: edsorch...@aol.com
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Fleming, William
>> To: Apple-Crop
>> Sent: Fri, Jul 23, 2010 4:31 pm
>> Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: RE:..and causes you to be
>> fat too!
>>
>> I wouldn't say organic pesticides mo
