RE: burning the ground?
Dear all, Thank you very much for confirming my doubts on burning. This is one point when my neighbours would take the easy way and I felt it was wrong. I have started clearing up and it is inspiring to discover all this plants and learn about the soil *so much different quality where plums used to be, from the area where the corn once was :) Thanks once again from the begginer Jasminka www.yanta.net
Re: Agri-Synthesis ® short-lived and overpriced ? was Re: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies Tested At UAI
Moen Creek wrote: > > > This a posting curious given we are at the tail end of > Mercury's conjunction with Uranus. <{%*)>> > Uranus is in opposition to Persephone, (the planet not asteroid) now as well (early March, late September and keep an eye on January as Mars Chiron and Athene all get in on the act as well. ) The Uranus Sqr 90 Persephone was in 1978 ish.. The planetary form of that time is now being actively aspected by Pluto. Definitely a great time to speak of consciousness issues. Glen > Love & Light > Markess -- Garuda Biodynamics - for BD Preps, Consultations, Books & Diagrams See our web site @ http://get.to/garuda
Re: Agri-Synthesis ® short-lived and overpriced? was R e: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies Tested At UAI
Markess, You write: > I care to note that this exercise, the eight point > star, is at the heart of > the Tai Chi Yang Form. > As one moves through the points the meditation in > action collects, carries, > pushes, kneads Chi. With dedication one can do some > rather amazing things > with the Chi but it starts as an exercise in paying > attention. I have been studying Chen style with Yang Yang (disciple of Master Feng Zhiqiang) and, though it is a blessing to be involved with this lineage, I don't like the view Tai Chi people push that you are gathering Chi from nature (the trees, the grass, etc.). That is somewhat parasitical and, in my view, can't be the source for the true work. > Here we can return to another conversation that of > scalars & vectors. > And I will disagree with your assumption that > because you are feeling > something that there (you or the pattern) must be an > antenna. My experience > is you are collecting Qi (scalars which have no > reference point) from the > vacuum, the ether. The Qi just is, it's quality and > magnitude will change > but it need not & I perceive that it does not > radiate from any reference > point, broadcaster etc. This is actually what I have been thinking of recent - the void ether as source. You must be able to generate or channel it spontaneaously eventually, not just store it up in your navel. I know this is somewhat off list (though relevent since a few months with this style has expanded my awareness and sensitivity more than all the other things I have ever done combined), but could you elaborate a bit on your perceptions of where chi emanates from when you practice chi kung or when you do the form. Spiralically, Chris __ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/
Equisetum: The Search for a Polycrest
Title: Equisetum: The Search for a Polycrest Interesting read, http://www.lyghtforce.com/HomeopathyOnline/Issue4/bohle.htm ...Equisetum was used as a poultice to promote wound healing... ...horsetail was used by hill folk for bone knitting, bone problems, joint pains, muscle pains, and older women used it to keep their bones strong, too. scrubbing the pots of the list L&L Markess
Re: Agri-Synthesis® short-lived and overpriced? was R e: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies TestedAt UAI
Title: Re: Agri-Synthesis? short-lived and overpriced? was R e: Agri-Synthesis? Remedies Tested At UAI James, (&etal) you wrote The eight pointed star exercise is a good example of the skills that I teach in my workshops, except I dont teach it as a particularly Goethean anthropop approach. It really is just a case of tuning in and being aware of what is happening within you, and around you. The eight pointed star exercise raises some interesting questions as to why you can stand on this pattern and actually feel that there is a difference between different spots on the star. I care to note that this exercise, the eight point star, is at the heart of the Tai Chi Yang Form. As one moves through the points the meditation in action collects, carries, pushes, kneads Chi. With dedication one can do some rather amazing things with the Chi but it starts as an exercise in paying attention. Initially the pattern has no meaning, it is only an abstract diagram drawn to test a theory, but at some stage the pattern has become an antennae. That this pattern is capable of broadcasting and receiving emanations is obvious from the feel that there is something occurring. Here we can return to another conversation that of scalars & vectors. And I will disagree with your assumption that because you are feeling something that there (you or the pattern) must be an antenna. My experience is you are collecting Qi (scalars which have no reference point) from the vacuum, the ether. The Qi just is, it's quality and magnitude will change but it need not & I perceive that it does not radiate from any reference point, broadcaster etc. Why is it that we can use a pattern, [sacred geometry] put a witness ,such as drop of blood, sputum, hair or any object that his person has had contact with, write a number, [an abstraction such as a rate] and it can cause an effect on that which the witness has come from. Does this action at a distance derive from intent, or is there some other factors in operation so subtle that unless we are aware of it, just passes us by. If we go past the belief that it is intent that causes this action or that, and just become aware of where our thoughts are going and follow them we become aware that there is a place where those thoughts go. A place where the thought and the action become one, where there is no cause and effect, there is just one.The thought is the key activator, not the intent. Ah now we are talking the same concept! Just try this one, stand in the middle of a paddock with a small phial of Phosphoric Acid in your hand, or any reagent that you fancy, become aware of the feel of the contents of the phial, get a stick and draw a square or circle around you and start chanting the mantra Om. do it for as long as you can, usually the chanting will get to the stage that it will not come out, just retain your awareness on single pointed focus, you become the antennae and broadcaster. Now obviously I feel you are confused again. Each day before you do this exercise become aware of what is happening in the area that you are in for the exercise. What has changed? Has the phosphorus level changed in the area. You dont need to use the physical substances, you can bring them into manifestation from the unmanifest universe. To gain the confidence to even attempt this, first you must become aware that there are subtle emanations which can be amplifiedby awareness of muscle movements, much in the same way as kinesiology. It appears from much of the discussion that dowsing is some inferior form of perception, this is not the case, it is another form of perception. THANK YOU! Some of this "my perception" is better then "thou-est" stuff is even little paternal. There is another point in your discussion that never gets addressed on this list and that is the power of ritual itself. What role does the ritualizing that you outlined above have in the power of manifesting? What role does ritual have in stirring preps? Thank you for your Light! In Love and with all our Light Markess snip Both dowsing and Goethean perception are skills which serve the adept well if they are proficient at them. Stay in the light. James
Re: The Healer Within-Breath Practice by Dr. Roger Jahnke
. Within this nearly unconscious gesture, a breath, that we > enact 1,261,440,000 (1 and 1/4 billion) times in our life span there is a > simple yet profound healing capability. > > Our first act when we emerge from the womb is to inspire. Our last act is to > dis-inspire or expire. These breaths, first in and finally out, are like > parentheses that encompass our corporal life. It is no surprise that the > breath would be so remarkably linked to the power of healing. Breathing is also linked to our cosmic being. The number of breaths we take in a day is the same as the number of years in the greater sun year, 25,920. The relationship to the heart beat is also there ca. 110,000 which gives a ratio of about 4 / 1 . four heat beats per breath. When the ratio is abused for longer periods of time it may affect the health of the heart. There are sure to be other relationships too, so sure breathing well is vitaly important. I frequentl use a few minutes of deep breathing at the beginning of a treatment. Thanks for bringing in this subject Jane. Peter. > >
Re: Watering the garden
Hi! Anthony, There is a lot of different forms of iron. While a little is needed in any system, too much of some types will lock up other minerals. If Tannin is present from the breakdown of some plant material, particularly Acacia bark as an example, Iron Tannate is formed which is a very stable material (Indian Ink), if this gets closely associated with minerals that are in short supply, they will get locked up in a form that soil biota and thence plants can not access. It is easy to mistake tannins with iron in water and often supposed iron is actually a mix. If you find your iron rich water usable, go for it. You should grow great spinach and related veg. Gil
Re: It's the Oil Stupid
Title: Re: It's the Oil Stupid Yes & now the news "leak" of the development of 'bunker buster nuclear weapons' . Which of course the oil industry has lusted after for 50 years to crack the oil bearing rocks so they can pump big time in Texas again. I think the figure of unreachable oil in most fields is in excess of 70%. R&D is the only appropriate governmental business after breaking the backs of any competition or stomping any cry for justice. Reaching for the seemingly unreachable In Love & Light Markess
re:Pfeiffer Field Sprays
(from Michael Smith) Dear Allan, I have the impression the the Pfeiffer field spray may be a combination of 500/BC in some form since it is denoted for its' digestive ability. As a spring plowdown spray, it may be a little out of season and release CO2 back to atmosphere when we should be concerned with the soil air(CO2) conservation for the growing season. In order to keep the biological activity in the soil, I would think about following this up with a clay spray, since it has been noticed that microbial activity seems to gather around the clay molecule by Coleman and others. Michael. __ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/
Re: Agri-Synthesis® short-lived and overpriced? was Re: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies TestedAt UAI
Title: Re: Agri-Synthesis? short-lived and overpriced? was Re: Agri-Synthesis? Remedies Tested At UAI Glen wrote today Tue, 12 Mar 2002 09:59:48 +1300 I am but the messenger And their message is, This a posting curious given we are at the tail end of Mercury's conjunction with Uranus. <{%*)>> Love & Light Markess
Future of Agrarianism Transcripts
Here is the reply to my inquiry regarding transcripts for the Future of Agrarianism Conference- Christy "You are not the first to make that suggestion. We do hope to publish the conference proceedings (revised and expanded) in book form down the road. As for tapes, we do plan to videotape the event. What we will do with them is hard to say. I would need to talk with Wendell and the gang for their input. In other words, stay tuned. Norman"
Fw: Europe is once again standing at the crossroads!
- Original Message - From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 10:43 AM Subject: Europe is once again standing at the crossroads! Planned Europe-wide ban on vitamin therapies Dear Advisers, Europe is once again standing at the crossroads. On 12th March the European Parliament decides whether the people of Europe will continue to have unrestricted access to side-effect free natural therapies or whether the pharmaceutical lobby will succeed in reducing the European Parliament to the role of the pharmaceutical cartel's Strasbourg puppet show. Never before in history has there been such an intense struggle over the right of the European people to natural, effective and side-effect free health care. To date over 400 million (!) e-mails have been sent to EU politicians demanding this right and rejecting the unscrupulous EU Directive providing for a Europe-wide ban on vitamin therapies and whole groups of natural substances, for example natural amino acids. Only by being aware of the background facts can we understand the aggression with which the pharmaceutical lobby and its political marionettes are acting. How, otherwise, can we explain - that there are still MEPs, particularly those from the pharmaceutical republic of Germany, who are ignoring the 400 million no votes against this Europe-wide muzzling law. - that there are still EU politicians who believe in the pharmaceutical lobby fairy tale of consumer protection from vitamins and other natural substances, whereas every child now knows that no-one has ever died from taking vitamins, whereas every year hundreds of thousands of people die from the lethal side effects of pharmaceutical drugs (remember Lipobay?) - that the planned EU Directive would ban precisely those natural substances which have now proved vital to the breakthrough in the natural fight against cancer: optimum doses of vitamin therapies in conjunction with natural amino acids such as lysine and proline. These are now to be outlawed under this unscrupulous EU Directive because they threaten a billion-pound market in chemotherapy and other hazardous anti-cancer drugs. - that the newly-erupting EU corruption scandal has now revealed that the pharmaceutical lobby has managed to infiltrate a member of the supervisory board of the second-largest pharmaceutical company in the world, in the person of EU commissar Bolkenstein, into the 'cabinet of Europe' , without this man ever having been elected by anyone. Are you really surprised that the debate about EU corruption seems never-ending, given that the unelected and anonymous pharmaceutical cartel is sitting in the highest political body in Europe and is now issuing its own laws from there? In view of these alarming facts, the eyes of millions of Europeans have turned to Strasbourg, where the European Parliament votes on the EU Directive for the banning of natural therapies on 12th March. EU politicians have the following choice: either to send out a message against corruption of the EU by the pharmaceutical lobby by rejecting this directive, or to vote for it, and in so doing reduce the entire European Parliament in the eyes of the world to a Strasbourg puppet show run by the pharmaceutical cartel. Worse still, any such decision would endanger the health and lives of millions of Europeans. On 12th March every European politician present will be taking the most important decision of his or her life - and they will have to take responsibility for it. What you should do before the vote on 12th March: - Phone the MEPs from your region, either in their UK or Brussels office and insist on speaking to the MEP personally. As a voter you have that right. Speak up for yourself! - Demand a clear no vote from the MEP on the EU Directive on Dietary Supplements on 12th March. No MEP has the right to ignore 400 million votes. - Tell the MEPs that if they do not vote against this muzzling law, the debate on EU corruption will grow still louder, because one group and one group alone will profit from the outlawing of natural therapies: the pharmaceutical industry. - Point out that the consumer protection argument used by the pharmaceutical lobby to attempt to force this directive through the European Parliament is ridiculous in face of the facts: no person has ever died from taking vitamins, whereas the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs have become the fourth -most common cause of death. - Say that it is unacceptable for laws affecting the health of all the people of Europe to be made by a commission for which no-one has voted. Make it clear that it is unacceptable, that members of the supervisory boards of pharmaceutical companies are sitting on the European Commission (e.g., EU commissar Bolkenstein) from where they are writing Europe's laws in the interest of pharmaceutical companies and other economic interest groups. Say to them: that's corruption! - Ask them: who voted you into the European Pa
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
No mulching. I've done both and find that loosening up the soil with cultivation to give better results. Chris > >It's a little bit of work but less than mulching by hand. > >I dig a shallow trench with a potato plow, then put abut 11/2" of well aged > >compost in the trench and lay the seed on top of that. Then I cover them up > >with a cultivator. I think they respond well to the slightly more acidic > >nature of the compost and the compost helps with drainage while also holding > >moisture in dry spells. I started doing it to optimize my compost use (it > >takes a lot less) but continued because it worked so well. As an added plus > >the taters come out of the ground like they've already been washed. > > So no mulching, then? -Allan >
Re: roadside weed control
- Original Message - From: "Dave Robison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 2:44 PM Subject: roadside weed control > Merla, you asked about BD weed control. I'm not sure why you have settled > on your prep material but I am concerned. I think you should start with the > weed slashing, allepath replanting, etc as others have suggested. This is > conventional enough that you will not be the subject of so much ridicule by > the establishment. > > My understanding of the Pfeiffer Field spray is that it prepares a green > crop for digestion in the soil, substituting for an active compost pile. > This may be helpful if you have a green manure crop and you can't arrange > to compost it -- at least that is how I've used it in the past. The FS will > help the soil to digest the material and produce a healthy soil. So why do > that to the roadside area? Won't you be encouraging more fertility and > vigorous weed growth? I don't see the point. Just because FS contains > elements of many of the other preps doesn't mean it should be applied -- > you may not want to be using fertility enhancing preps at all. Not being local, I hesitate to weigh in too strongly, but generally if you can establish suitable native growth that can keep out the weeds, then using a fertility approach that was geared toward the desired plants could be the right thing to do. Certainly if the soil is poor 'not preps alone' should be your watchword, and the use of compost and/or compost tea could be considered. Equipment to deliver compost effectively might include something like a Rexius Express Blower, www.expressblower.com . I was pleasantly surprised to see one here in Quebec and they can mix seed in with the compost at the point of application. La nature deteste la vide, as the French say, nature abhors a vacuum, and if the botanical space is free, an unwanted plant (aka 'weed') could take up residence, which I gather is the feared and loathed possibility to be avoided. Certainly, in turf management the goal is a 'vigorous stand of grass' that resists weed invasion, and this principle can also apply in different botanical settings as well. Hope that helps a bit, Frank Teuton > > As for the weed peppers, maybe. They can't hurt tho I don't know how > effective they are without a knowledgeable practitioner involved. That is, > I don't know how much of the human element needs to be there. But I > wouldn't emphasize their use -- the establishment is not going to understand. > > My concern is that failure to achieve results the first year could be > damaging to the public's perception of BD. I suggest sticking with > "conventional" organic techniques and try the BD ideas slowly in order to > gain an understanding of what's working and why. > > > > > > == > Dave Robison >
Re: Agri-Synthesis® short-lived and overpriced? was Re: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies Tested At UAI
Gil If they are happy with that great. I am but the messenger and experienced encourager of what RS and his followers have suggested is the way to work with his agricultural indications. And their message is, dowsing is only a place to start not an end in itself. The choice is yours, it is certainly no skin off my nose what you do in your garden, I just wish you joy from it. cheers Glen Gil Robertson wrote: > > Glen, I have no problem at all, with those who can, dealing direct with what ever > level of information gathering. My point is that for many people, I can teach them > to dowse with accuracy and verifiable (by another dowser) results. I for one, can > not teach anyone to talk to Devas or what ever, in a couple of hours, but I can > set some one on the path to dowsing in that time. > > Glen Atkinson wrote: > > > Lloyd Charles wrote: > > > > > > More from the land of oz - I found this lurking uncompleted on My desktop - > > > (Delete is just above the left cursor key if its too out of date) > > > > > > Gil Robertson wrote > > While one can undoubtable wait for devine revelation, if > > > playing > > > > with a few acres in one situation, but if one is working with many > > > properties, as > > > > Hugh and James are, there is a need to get accurate answers, quickly. > > > > > > > In HAstings NZ last weekend I was chatting with Joke Bloksma from the > > Louis Bolk Institute in Holland, who is here seminaring on Geothean > > observation. I wish to honour her part in the stimulation of these words > > rather than quote our conversation. > > We were discussing the difference between direct perception and dowsing. -- Garuda Biodynamics - for BD Preps, Consultations, Books & Diagrams See our web site @ http://get.to/garuda
Re: Watering the garden
I don't think we have any big ag farm pesticide problems "up ditch" from us, but you never know. We also have a pipe directly to the river (not viable in low water months) and a deep underground well. We'll do the best we can. Do you find using a pendulum useful in your farm work? Have you used to check hunches on water, seed and soil quality? I use one for checking vitamin supplements but not much else. After reading how so many of the list use one I think I'll have to practice dowsing on food, compost, and other practical matters. It's been great to receive inspiration from the list. Tom >Probably not a problem in your area, Tom, but you have to watch >irrigation ditch water as a possible source of highly contaminated >runoff from your chemically managed neighbors. I read a study a >while back that California farmers who were trash pumping 'lost >water' on their off days (water that escaped from other farms and >was fair game for other growers downstream to use even if it wasnt' >their water day) were getting up to 3x as much insecticide as the >maximum recommended dosages. Of course, since these insecticides >were not 'applied,' it's presence didn't affect subsequent >applications of more insecticides on the farm. > >-Allan Do you mean East Coast? Irrigation in the Spanish and pueblo Southwest of course pre-dates the Mormons by hundreds of years. T > >PS But, boy, do I wish that we had an irrigation system here on the >west coast. Praise to the 19th cent Mormons, eh? > >>m
Re: BD spraying equipment
What scale are we talking about here, Steve? -Allan >BD-Now - > >This question has probably been covered in the past. If you >know which links to BD-Now web archives do address this, >you can point me to those. > >The question has to do with an appropriate sprayer for BD preps. >A farmer has inquired about stainless steel equipment and >copper equipment, and whether there are any differences to be noted. > >What are some popular brand names sprayers used for BD preps. >What is the usual ball park price range. > >As I recall, the nozzle size and ability to handle the BD preps >is a factor. > >We used the Solo backpack sprayer on the last BD farm I worked >with, but I seem to recall there are another couple brands of sprayers >BD farmers like to use.
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
Re :Spuds. Ive used Kristy's procedure, and covered with straw..6". Mice got a little. but they were sure clean. Most migrated upwards a little into the straw. I'm assuming you use the method known in some bd circles : that of cutting a square plug (about an inch square +/- )around the individual eyes of the seed spud, and tapering decreasingly towards the centre of the spud, thereby trimming the bulk of the tuber to a minimum. Apparently, the less of the original bulk is accessible, the more the sprout seeks surrounding nutrient source. Also, this minimizes rot potential. And there is the leading end of the spud to consider for preference. I don't always have time to do them all that way, and i have not been able to determine conclusively yield/quality differences because of other variables year - year. If your round haybales are the same size as the straw ones, 2,3 people should be able to manage after determining the machine-rolled direction by peeling a layer or 2. If not,: I made a spear out of 1-" pipe, a foot longer than the balewidth, with a solid welded point in the one end, and a hole drilled through it to pin-retain a larger diam. pipeflange. On the other end, threaded a 1" flange onto it. Spear/drive this thru the centre of the bale. Over these flanges i looped a rope's-ends by which to pull the bale with the tractor. It just helps to have someone back there monitoring/ raking off the right thickness of the peeling layers. ..manfred - Original Message - From: "Allan Balliett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 5:55 AM Subject: Planting Spuds - How do you do it? > Mind sharing how you plant and manage your potatoes? > > I've been very disappointed with my crops the past two years. Doing > great on the freedom from bugs and pretty good on the freedom from > blight (last year I mis-identified a fungal attack for sunscald and > lost a whole row of a variety by responding two late. For whatever > reason, an application of equisetum tea brought the others through, > however. > > > Hugh tells me that he doesn't hill any more. He mulches with old hay. > (Anyone got good tips for unrolling big bales??) I've got lots of old > straw, but straw holds so much water, it kind of worries me to have > it around the spuds. I did lose a crop of spuds one year by apply hay > after the tops had come up: they melted away with fungus withing the > week. > > Woody's suggestion of dipping the cut pieces in a slurry of local > clay and BC has worked very well for us. I don't think we ever have a > cutting that doesn't result in a plant. > > A good geek question for me: my Albrecht report suggests two tons of > lime an acres. The area I want to put the spuds in has not been limed > (the pH is 6.8) and I'd like to lime it after I put the spuds in but > most sources say to not lime a spud patch because it leads to scab. > For myself, however, I can easily suspect that my low yields could be > attributed to not enough calcium-based lime in the soils (Ideas?) > > How do you do your spuds? >
roadside weed control
Merla, you asked about BD weed control. I'm not sure why you have settled on your prep material but I am concerned. I think you should start with the weed slashing, allepath replanting, etc as others have suggested. This is conventional enough that you will not be the subject of so much ridicule by the establishment. My understanding of the Pfeiffer Field spray is that it prepares a green crop for digestion in the soil, substituting for an active compost pile. This may be helpful if you have a green manure crop and you can't arrange to compost it -- at least that is how I've used it in the past. The FS will help the soil to digest the material and produce a healthy soil. So why do that to the roadside area? Won't you be encouraging more fertility and vigorous weed growth? I don't see the point. Just because FS contains elements of many of the other preps doesn't mean it should be applied -- you may not want to be using fertility enhancing preps at all. As for the weed peppers, maybe. They can't hurt tho I don't know how effective they are without a knowledgeable practitioner involved. That is, I don't know how much of the human element needs to be there. But I wouldn't emphasize their use -- the establishment is not going to understand. My concern is that failure to achieve results the first year could be damaging to the public's perception of BD. I suggest sticking with "conventional" organic techniques and try the BD ideas slowly in order to gain an understanding of what's working and why. == Dave Robison
Long reply - RE: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
Hi Allan, I am harvesting my third crop of organic spuds and busy planting the fourth, that means spring and autumn plantings over two years. To summarise my experience: 1 First planting (spring) did not have compost, but went into soil which had been under weeds for almost 6 years. They were irrigated with about 20 mm per week These sups were lovely and creamy (good for any type of eating) and had a good shelf life. However, their skins were thin and split when harvested and also during cooking. A local supermarket chain wanted them, but declined after their trial cooking tests because of the skins bursting. I never found out what the cause of that was. However, my direct customers were thrilled, with many UK Nationals saying that they hadn't had potatoes like those since their childhood in the UK. 2 Second planting (autumn) went into soil which had been heavily composted (10 cm layer of horse manure / pine shaving based compost, not the best in the world) and which had been fallow for about 2 months prior to planting (as I was not very happy with the quality of the compost). We dug 20 cm deep trenches, planted the potatoes and covered with a layer of straw mulch. This was a copy of the method employed by a friend. The idea was to shovel the soil back into the trenches as the spuds grew. That never happened for various reasons, and so the sups landed up growing in subsoil, without the benefit of the compost, other that what had leached into the profile. Those spuds were not as good as the first planting, but better than conventional. 3 Third planting was into soil which was heavily composted about 12 months before, and had produced a wonderful winter crop of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and beetroot, the soil having been turned after these crops were harvested. These potatoes have been good eating (roasting better than boiling and baking), but still not the same quality as the very first planting. 4 I have in the meantime planted about 50 comfrey plants, for use in my current planting. The procedure has been somewhat different than before, due to a shortage of labour and managerial time. The field has been fallow and under weeds for 4 months, but has been regularly mowed, thereby acting as a green manure / in situ mulch. Small holes have been dug for each seed potato. However, a comfrey leaf and handful of compost (my compost volumes have dropped dramatically, as I had spent a year collecting stable bedding and manure before the second planting) are placed in the hole, the seed potato on top and then covered with soil. These spuds are only just starting to show their first leaves, so I don't know what they will be like. The theory is that the comfrey gives them the calcium they need in otherwise calcium poor soil. Some notes: 5. The third planting was into soil with a pH 5,5 - 6 (water), which is considered ideal for summer rainfall areas in South Africa. However, the lands are infested with nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus, Kyllinga alba and K. erecta) as well as False garlic (Nothoscordum gracile) and some of the potatoes had scab (Streptomyces scabies). I read somewhere (can't find the reference now) that the weeds indicate an acidic pH, the scab an alkaline pH, yet the pH readings were supposedly OK! I have not resolved this one, unless the pH (KCl) should be 5,5 - 6. Even then, I don't know what the answer would be. 6 Some of the potatoes have bumps, called marbles, on them. This just disfigures the potato, but does not affect the taste. Unconfirmed diagnosis is that this is because of one of the nematodes. 7 My soils are sandy (<20 % clay). 8 Some of the first planting had gem squash and marrows as companion plants (adjacent marrows and squash grew into the potato field). Surprisingly, those marrows and squash which grew with the potatoes were NOT stung, while those adjacent to the potatoes were! 9 Hollow heart was a problem in the first planting, due to soil deficiency in Mo. I foliar fed (two sprayings) subsequent plantings with Mo and B which seems have had the desired effect. I think that three sprayings are needed though. 10 Finally, spraying with Effective Micro-organisms (Kyusei Nature Farming), has helped with early blight and delayed late blight. The late blight now comes when the plants start dying off in any case, which I believe is a natural consequence of senescence. Seaweed extract foliar feeding has also been worthwhile. I have not had much success in finding out about organic potato production. So I hope that this helps. Best wishes Stephen Barrow
BD spraying equipment
BD-Now - This question has probably been covered in the past. If you know which links to BD-Now web archives do address this, you can point me to those. The question has to do with an appropriate sprayer for BD preps. A farmer has inquired about stainless steel equipment and copper equipment, and whether there are any differences to be noted. What are some popular brand names sprayers used for BD preps. What is the usual ball park price range. As I recall, the nozzle size and ability to handle the BD preps is a factor. We used the Solo backpack sprayer on the last BD farm I worked with, but I seem to recall there are another couple brands of sprayers BD farmers like to use. Thanks, Steve Diver
Re: Official BD in Brazil
Christy, To answer your message, our community is getting larger. There are 300 families on this road, but many live on private roads up the hill from Rapid Lighting which is a feeder road. Most people have at least 20 acres. We limited this project to those who have property with frontage on Rapid Lightning. It was very gratifying to have good support at the last road meeting, but it was foul weather which, I'm sure limited our numbers. I got some phone calls that night cancelling because of the icy road and snow. We want to try to have a newsletter on the road about weeds and maybe some reminder signs, "Don't forget to pull knapweed after a rain." National Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, 541-344-5044 (NCAP) in Oregon would be an excellent resource to refer you to already existing naturally managed roadside projects. What I have found with grant writing, etc is that people love 'models'. If you could hold up some succseful models of other naturally managed roadsides, I feel this would help gain support for your cause, and also give you a little guidance and structure to what you are trying to accomplish. No sense in reinventing the wheel. I belong to NCAP and have all their monographs on the herbicides used by the county which I use in the "Why Organic?" fairbooth. I have tried to find other projects on the Net and have written emails to them, but got no answer. I have written to weed science departments at Universities and gotten encouragement, but no real help. I could shoot off an email to NCAP. We are slowly overcoming our problems. Having that road meeting and developing the "vision" and "strategies and actions" was a big step. I got an email from my Holistic Management mentor today and he recommends that I send the vision statement out to the road and try to get as much input as I can so that more people will have a stake in what we do. Communication is a problem. So far, I'm not getting any help with networking expenses from the grant, so postage comes out of our pocket. The cost-share guidelines should be adjustable for each group's needs, and I'm working on that. It's cheaper to xerox a letter and go door-to-door or mailbox-to-mailbox. The only trouble is that we're having typical March weather. We have a thaw and then it gets cold and snowy again. Not very good weather to go up steep private roads in a two-wheel drive truck with chains and no working governor on the fuel injection so that the engine tries to race all the time and no heat. We come down the hill with the engine off. Yes, from a truck. The Shurflo pump plugs into the lighter socket and runs off the alternator. And then you take it one step further by using the BD sprays. So don't give up on using the sprays, but that little 8 mile eco system is probably way out of wack , and most likely needs some organic matter. The rye and oats that you mentioned will certainly contribute to that through their root systems, while also building soil structure. An ideal cover would have at least 5 different varieties, and you should consider at least incorporating one nitrogen fixining legume. Some kind of clover, would really be important in this situation. I could talk to my husband, if you really wanted some suggestion of what kind of clover, etc...(he is really into cover crops) I'm not sure, maybe planting the roadside in a diversified cover with rye and oats, plus Pfeiffer spray would be plenty with out additional compost. This kind of information is just what I'm looking for. I fantasized about gathering horse manure (only thing available) and putting BD Preps in a hugh compost pile for the road. My husband nixed that idea as entirely impractical. I need to find out what the parameters are for good woodland soil in this area. It's all glacial till. I'm just not sure exactly what to add. We go to the gravel pit for granite dust for our garden. Should I scatter granite dust on the road? It's the tilth that is so bad. It's just sandy. The five different variety idea sounds good to me--rye, oats, vetch, (a combination of red, crimson and white clover?). But the rye and oats are allelopathic. You see, Christy, we proved that we can contain the weeds with mowing and weedwhacking, but we must eliminate the weeds and then seed the plants we do want. We are in the elimination phase now and we have to keep the seedheads from forming. Can we plant things we want along with allelopathic plants and just have the weeds disappear? Especially with well established common tansy, it's hard to get rid of that woody root. And what about musk thistle with it's impossibly deep roots, once established? Will we have to resort to a hypodermic needle with Roundup in the root, perish the thought? I'd just as soon do the weed peppers to help. I have to work with the Weed Supervisor and he probably wants red fescue added to the above because that's the wisdom of the horse's mouth around here. I don't really know. I've
Re: What Brewer are You using? was Re: BD 508 equesetum
Title: Re: What Brewer are You using? was Re: BD 508 equesetum Above or below ground? remedies added at start? at finish? ~clarity at completion? then stirring in spray tank to keep it in suspension? Color of your prayers > In Love & Light'&all that stuff Markess From: Allan Balliett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 00:07:51 -0500 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: What Brewer are You using? was Re: BD 508 equesetum >I am making my own, finally using my BS in marine biology.SStorch wanna talk about it? What are you using as a compost bag? What are you using for aeration? For pumping? For a tank? (Did I leave anything out?) thanks -Allan
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
>Allan - >Gypsum increases calcium w/o introducing lime or changing the ph. >Also colloidal phosphate is a good source of calcium. Aragonite is >a great low-mag source of calcium, but it will also raise the ph. >Finally, a serving of Azomite never hurt anything. Eh? >Best, >Essie Always use the azomite, Essie! ;-) If I understand correctly, it takes a hell of a lot of high calcium lime to actually change the pH. Am I wrong about this? -Allan
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
>It's a little bit of work but less than mulching by hand. >I dig a shallow trench with a potato plow, then put abut 11/2" of well aged >compost in the trench and lay the seed on top of that. Then I cover them up >with a cultivator. I think they respond well to the slightly more acidic >nature of the compost and the compost helps with drainage while also holding >moisture in dry spells. I started doing it to optimize my compost use (it >takes a lot less) but continued because it worked so well. As an added plus >the taters come out of the ground like they've already been washed. So no mulching, then? -Allan
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
Allan - Gypsum increases calcium w/o introducing lime or changing the ph. Also colloidal phosphate is a good source of calcium. Aragonite is a great low-mag source of calcium, but it will also raise the ph. Finally, a serving of Azomite never hurt anything. Eh? Best, Essie At 08:55 AM 3/11/02 -0500, you wrote: >Mind sharing how you plant and manage your potatoes? > >I've been very disappointed with my crops the past two years. Doing great >on the freedom from bugs and pretty good on the freedom from blight (last >year I mis-identified a fungal attack for sunscald and lost a whole row of >a variety by responding two late. For whatever reason, an application of >equisetum tea brought the others through, however. > > >Hugh tells me that he doesn't hill any more. He mulches with old hay. >(Anyone got good tips for unrolling big bales??) I've got lots of old >straw, but straw holds so much water, it kind of worries me to have it >around the spuds. I did lose a crop of spuds one year by apply hay after >the tops had come up: they melted away with fungus withing the week. > >Woody's suggestion of dipping the cut pieces in a slurry of local clay and >BC has worked very well for us. I don't think we ever have a cutting that >doesn't result in a plant. > >A good geek question for me: my Albrecht report suggests two tons of lime >an acres. The area I want to put the spuds in has not been limed (the pH >is 6.8) and I'd like to lime it after I put the spuds in but most sources >say to not lime a spud patch because it leads to scab. For myself, >however, I can easily suspect that my low yields could be attributed to >not enough calcium-based lime in the soils (Ideas?) > >How do you do your spuds?
Re: Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
It's a little bit of work but less than mulching by hand. I dig a shallow trench with a potato plow, then put abut 11/2" of well aged compost in the trench and lay the seed on top of that. Then I cover them up with a cultivator. I think they respond well to the slightly more acidic nature of the compost and the compost helps with drainage while also holding moisture in dry spells. I started doing it to optimize my compost use (it takes a lot less) but continued because it worked so well. As an added plus the taters come out of the ground like they've already been washed. > Mind sharing how you plant and manage your potatoes? > > I've been very disappointed with my crops the past two years. Doing > great on the freedom from bugs and pretty good on the freedom from > blight (last year I mis-identified a fungal attack for sunscald and > lost a whole row of a variety by responding two late. For whatever > reason, an application of equisetum tea brought the others through, > however. > > > Hugh tells me that he doesn't hill any more. He mulches with old hay. > (Anyone got good tips for unrolling big bales??) I've got lots of old > straw, but straw holds so much water, it kind of worries me to have > it around the spuds. I did lose a crop of spuds one year by apply hay > after the tops had come up: they melted away with fungus withing the > week. > > Woody's suggestion of dipping the cut pieces in a slurry of local > clay and BC has worked very well for us. I don't think we ever have a > cutting that doesn't result in a plant. > > A good geek question for me: my Albrecht report suggests two tons of > lime an acres. The area I want to put the spuds in has not been limed > (the pH is 6.8) and I'd like to lime it after I put the spuds in but > most sources say to not lime a spud patch because it leads to scab. > For myself, however, I can easily suspect that my low yields could be > attributed to not enough calcium-based lime in the soils (Ideas?) > > How do you do your spuds? >
Planting Spuds - How do you do it?
Mind sharing how you plant and manage your potatoes? I've been very disappointed with my crops the past two years. Doing great on the freedom from bugs and pretty good on the freedom from blight (last year I mis-identified a fungal attack for sunscald and lost a whole row of a variety by responding two late. For whatever reason, an application of equisetum tea brought the others through, however. Hugh tells me that he doesn't hill any more. He mulches with old hay. (Anyone got good tips for unrolling big bales??) I've got lots of old straw, but straw holds so much water, it kind of worries me to have it around the spuds. I did lose a crop of spuds one year by apply hay after the tops had come up: they melted away with fungus withing the week. Woody's suggestion of dipping the cut pieces in a slurry of local clay and BC has worked very well for us. I don't think we ever have a cutting that doesn't result in a plant. A good geek question for me: my Albrecht report suggests two tons of lime an acres. The area I want to put the spuds in has not been limed (the pH is 6.8) and I'd like to lime it after I put the spuds in but most sources say to not lime a spud patch because it leads to scab. For myself, however, I can easily suspect that my low yields could be attributed to not enough calcium-based lime in the soils (Ideas?) How do you do your spuds?
Re: ADMIN: LAST CALL: Questions for James DeMeo
How'd you make this Shatnez, Gil. I had dinner with Callahan one night at ACRES and he simply referred to the 'bandage' as a Reichian accumulator. It was alternating layers of organic/inorganic material, wasn't it? -Allan >Allan Balliett wrote: Incidentally, Phil Callahan is fond of saying that a >Reichian acculator-based poltice he made for his chest cured him of cancer. > >I did not know Phil credited it to Reich. He calls it a "Shatnez" and uses >Biblical referees. > >I have experimented with it and made some design developments to >make it easier to >use. > >One example:- Fran, my wife a a few days from an advanced Massage Training >workshop, when she broke two or three ribs. The area was too painful >to touch and >her use of the left arm made it very painful. If she missed this workshop, her >tactile therapies studies would be put back a year. She wore a >Shatnez night and >day and when the workshop came she was fine and could have the area >massaged and >could massage without pain. I do not know of a similar recovery and was most >impressed. > >Gil
James DeMeo on "Croft type devices"
Allan, A friend in Namibia informed me that Croft was there in January, and gave a lecture, after which he set up six of his devices, which were then put into use on a non-stop basis. They did not have any rain afterward for two months, until several persons I know who asked me about it, then took my advise and informed that group. All but two of them took down their devices, and rains resumed. One woman informed me the rains returned later on the very day she took it down. The same thing is slowly occurring here on the West Coast, where I've had maybe 10 inquiries by persons connected with the Croft group. Based upon my recommendation, they stopped using them, or restricted use to only short applications, and have started to read Reich's materials for information on atmospheric energy. Whether these things will have a permanent or short-term effect, I cannot say. Another lesser-known principle in orgone biophysics is that the energetic excitation tends to reduce over time, so that if a person is chronically over-exciting the atmosphere, the atmosphere becomes less and less responsive. Which is why iron pilings and other pipes stuck into the ground for building constructions, piers, and so forth, will only have a temporary effect at best. Nobody who knows about Reich's cloudbusting method uses them for more than a few hours or days at best (and then, only in hard desert regions). Sometimes, a few minutes of work will created the desired changes. I think, to inform people that prolonged use of any clb-type device can push the atmosphere towards a drying-drought tendency, even as a "chembuster", is a good start. No farmer who puts one of these things up will leave it up if he perceives the rains are diminishing -- and so all you have to do is point that out to them, to watch for that effect. Secondly, I encourage people to have a more critical view of the claims of the "chembuster" conspiracy enthusiasts. We hear a lot about "questioning authority", which is healthy, but the same thing applies to all the conspiracy stuff. Keeping an open mind, but retaining some honest skepticism for unproven things is a helpful tool, and should not be confused with irrational or destructive "skepticism" as with CSICOP. The photos I've seen published in the chemtrail books and websites look like ordinary jet contrails to me, something I've seen since the 1970s in fact, which is around the time when I started looking at the sky in a systematic and serious manner. There are meteorologists who were studying this phenomenon, and the tendency of jet contrails to spread widely under some circumstances, as a possible factor in climate change (it would reduce sunlight, for example). So it is not as if this issue has gone unstudied from the classical perspective. Again, Reich argued the presence of firm jet contrails was an indication that the atmospheric energy had the capacity to "hold together" clouds, and so he considered it a good sign for rains. This is obvious, as a completely cloud-free sky won't provide any rain.Some of the chem-trial photos show thin clouds spread more diffuse and widespread across the atmosphere, and these could be the consequence of typical desert-haze dor, as described by Reich, but they originate from nearby desert regions. Sometimes, over cities, they are injected with all kinds of urban pollutants, but their basic nature is desert-derived. One of the findings I've made, and documented over the last 15 years, is the movement of dor-haze from the deserts of Asia into the USA. The classical meteorologists speak about these trans-oceanic air mass movements as the effects of "desert dust", and there is considerable dust particles in them -- but also dorish qualities to the life energy. There was a big "dust storm" to hit the west coast in April of last year, and it came from Asia. I've seen the satellite images, and there is no question about its source region, in the Gobi region of China. It crossed the Pacific, and then dumped on California. We also got some of it here as well. The sky turned a milky-white at low altitudes, with a thin haze layer at high altitudes, and it persisted for weeks. If they would blame that kind of phenomenon on the UN and New World Order, the US military and so forth, then it would only be a proof of paranoid thinking. Yes, it would be the product of desertification in China, but not because of evil people in Washington DC, or the Pentagon. Since the clay particles from desert dusts is high in both iron and aluminum content, this might also explain some of the metal chemistry attributed to "chemtrails" -- though some stuff coming down from the sky may well be part of cloudseeding experiments. I won't discount all of the chemtrail theory, but simply note that what I have seen suggests much of it, perhaps most of it, is people getting very alarmed over things that are more simply explained, and blaming their health problems in direction away fr
Re: Agri-Synthesis® short-lived and overpriced? was R e: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies Tested At UAI
Dear Glen, Lloyd, David and felow list members, The eight pointed star exercise is a good example of the skills that I teach in my workshops, except I dont teach it as a particularly Goethean anthropop approach. It really is just a case of tuning in and being aware of what is happening within you, and around you. The eight pointed star exercise raises some interesting questions as to why you can stand on this pattern and actually feel that there is a difference between different spots on the star. Initially the pattern has no meaning, it is only an abstract diagram drawn to test a theory, but at some stage the pattern has become an antennae. That this pattern is capable of broadcasting and receiving emanations is obvious from the feel that there is something occuring. Why is it that we can use a pattern, [sacred geometry] put a witness ,such as drop of blood, sputum, hair or any object that his person has had contact with, write a number, [an abstraction such as a rate] and it can cause an effect on that which the witness has come from. Does this action at a distance derive from intent, or is there some other factors in operation so subtle that unless we are aware of it, just passes us by. If we go past the belief that it is intent that causes this action or that, and just become aware of where our thoughts are going and follow them we become aware that there is a place where those thoughts go. A place where the thought and the action become one, where there is no cause and effect, there is just one.The thought is the key activator, not the intent. Just try this one, stand in the middle of a paddock with a small phial of Phosphoric Acid in your hand, or any reagent that you fancy, become aware of the feel of the contents of the phial, get a stick and draw a square or circle around you and start chanting the mantra Om. do it for as long as you can, usually the chanting will get to the stage that it will not come out, just retain your awareness on single pointed focus, you become the antennae and broadcaster. Each day before you do this exercise become aware of what is happening in the area that you are in for the exercise. What has changed? Has the phosphorus level changed in the area. You dont need to use the physical substances, you can bring them into manifestation from the unmanifest universe. To gain the confidence to even attempt this, first you must become aware that there are subtle emanations which can be amplifiedby awareness of muscle movements, much in the same way as kinesiology. It appears from much of the discussion that dowsing is some inferior form of perception, this is not the case, it is another form of perception. NASA trains all astronauts in dowsing, because it is easier in times of stress to have a unified set of responses which is consistent and in which you have absolute faith in your clarity under all conditions. Goethean perception may work very well in the workshop, or the training room, but when you have to find an answer in a hurry, are stressed, or move into a subject that you know nothing about, dowsing perception wins every time. Both dowsing and Goethean perception are skills which serve the adept well if they are proficient at them. Stay in the light. James - Original Message - From: "Glen Atkinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 7:00 PM Subject: Re: Agri-Synthesis® short-lived and overpriced? was R e: Agri-Synthesis® Remedies Tested At UAI > Lloyd Charles wrote: > > > > More from the land of oz - I found this lurking uncompleted on My desktop - > > (Delete is just above the left cursor key if its too out of date) > > > > Gil Robertson wrote > While one can undoubtable wait for devine revelation, if > > playing > > > with a few acres in one situation, but if one is working with many > > properties, as > > > Hugh and James are, there is a need to get accurate answers, quickly. > > > > In HAstings NZ last weekend I was chatting with Joke Bloksma from the > Louis Bolk Institute in Holland, who is here seminaring on Geothean > observation. I wish to honour her part in the stimulation of these words > rather than quote our conversation. > We were discussing the difference between direct perception and dowsing. > One of the important parameters of geothean intutition is the feelings, > pictures, knowings and insights that one gains through ones Astral body > and Ego when observing or more correctly percieving something. > There are many other things that can be used as observations as well. > However staying with this one experience. As one puts out an impulse > into the environment through asking the question, the environment > responses instantaneously with the answer. By 'Environment' I mean from > the localised Astrality and higher Self/Ego out to the Collective > Unconscious realms and beyond. There is immense intelligence contained > in these spheres and they feed the answers back. > The lesson is being able