Lloyd Charles wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: Merla Barberie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 2:11 AM
Subject: Re: Hated Weed
Hi Merla - you're a fast learner - this is good> ..."Acidic soil, severely compacted, nutrient deficient
> particularly in oxygen, nitrogen, copper and potassium, not many other
> plants about, those that do grow are subject to aphid attack. Just a
> moment."
>
> The pendulum became active for a moment or two. "Hilly country, possibly
once
> forested with fir, that might explain the acidity. Public land, I think,
> probably laneway or roadside. How am I doing . . . . . .?"
>
> The woman had gray scraggly hair and plenty of wrinkles under a Tilly hat.
She
> smiled and started speaking quickly in that awful American brogue, "Too
dry for
> aphids on the right-of-way at the end of the summer. You're right about
the
> road. It's in a draw beside Rapid Lightning Creek. I have references on
> dowsing, but it's hard to get started. I get my information from
conventional
> sources"
>
> Charles nodded and leaned against the fence. This lady was trying to talk
his
> language. "What about the acidity?"
>
> "The soil has a pH from 6.5 to 5.9 and the CEC for the 6.5 bare soil is
4.0. A
> hawkweed patch has a CEC of 8.7. Putting missing elements back into the
soil
> is a good strategy for a farm, how about for a whole 8-mile road or a
county
> weed program? The county government has sprayed 2,4-D on the roads every
three
> years since I don't know when. The only thing they will spend their money
on
> is herbicide. I'm trying to learn something here in Australia so that I
can
> catch their imaginations and can get them to make the paradigm switch.
They
> have state ordinances that favor large ag chemical companies. They insist
that
> soil amendments be registered--to the tune of $100US an amendment per
year.
>
> Now I've gone and said too much. I've gotten a lot of help from
Australians on
> the Net and this trip is my last hurrah at trying to do anything. I'm
ready to
> retreat to my own land and just do Bio-dynamics. People in my
neighborhood
> don't want the spray, but aren't willing to put time and energy into the
road
> themselves. If I don't make it back to Idaho, there's no one to take my
> place..."Andrew Jackson's thoughts were a thousand miles away as he drove out the
gate, he paid no attention to the small pile of gravel dust left behind by
the spreader man, focussing instead on the fresh young wheat crop, ' thirty
four days from emergence - sure hope the ground dries enough to get that
foliar feed done next week '
Standing on the gas as he wheeled onto the bitumen, it took a few seconds to
register the white hire car stranded a hundred yards ahead. As he pulled in
behind, the grey haired lady straightened up, wheel wrench in hand. "G'day"
he said "you better let me help you with that", "Oh I am doing fine, but
thanks" - sparkling eyes, smiling, she passes the wrench. As he works at the
wheel he ponders the accent - there's a bit of the western rancher but an
undercurrent of something else eastern states maybe new york?
As the flat tire goes back into the well she looks around at the rolling
cropland and its backdrop of timbered hills - "Its pretty country" - " yep I
like it, been here almost 30 years" - " its strange" she says " but its got
the same feel as home" - "and where" he slowly asks "is home?" - " Oh,
northern Idaho, up near the Canadian border" -
" Hmm," in a low voice " So that explains the flat tyre! I think I have
some things to show you - how 'bout you come back to the farm and we will
talk about energy."L Charles
"That's kind of you, sir!" I have read some about energetics,
but find myself slipping back into fear and anger all too often.
There's a farm in Kentucky that has website <www.theruralcenter.org>
which very positively educates about Bio-Dynamic farming methods.
Websites are great sources of information, but getting involved in local
government is a snake pit. It's very different being on a county
noxious weed committee and having a state cost-share grant for organic
weed control with the purse-strings monitored and with someone going through
one's reports with a fine-toothed comb to find ways to throw a monkey wrench
into your work--even threaten your use of Bio-Dynamics on your own place.
I've been told by a well-meaning Weed Supervisor to write reports leaving
out any mention of innovative things we have done so the detractors won't
have any ammunition. I keep having to recover over and over again.
The more I care, the more vulnerable I am.
Andrew looked like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. "I've been using Bio-Dynamics for some years now. Let's chat about it at our place. My wife is baking so we'll have something to snack on. I'll put the tools back in the trunk."
'Thanks for your help with the white beast. I'd be quite interested
in a tour of your place and a cup of tea. The lady climbed back in
the rented car and off they went...
