Plant Pathology – Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings are Plant Pathogen free!
Now is the time to landscape, plant, and transplant in the Pacific Northwest
Biosolids report: What goes around comes around
Washington Department of Transportation (WA DOT) will begin using worm teasWorm Tea Testimonial
Our harvest is in, and we have plenty of Certified Organic Lorz Red Italian Seed Garlic available. If you are considering planting, you need to get it in the ground by the end of November although now is the ideal time. Lorz Red Italian is a spicy hot garlic that is ideal for garlic lovers.
During this season, we are suspending our worm tea brewing schedule. We will make it for you in quantities with two days advance notice. Alternatively, we brew large batches onsite for our own uses, and that is available when it is here, so call ahead to make sure before you stop on by.
We had a high end plant pathology lab test for pathogens this month on our Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings. We had been advised that these pathogens are everywhere, so do not expect 0 numbers, instead hope to get in under some allowable limit. To our surprise, our product showed 0 detectable pathogens. The lab was surprised to see this too, because these test results are rarely seen!
Plants – especially trees – are susceptible to four plant funguses: Phytophthora, Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia. These fungi exist in soils, in composts, and in wood byproducts such as wood chips and beauty bark. In the latter case, wood products, these pathogens can be particularly concentrated because these products are often derived from diseased trees. Wood chips and beauty bark always contain the cambium layer of the tree where the disease lives. Only the large size bark which does not contain the cambium layer may be disease free.
So, if you are using beauty bark or wood chips to mulch your trees, you are essentially infecting them with fungal pathogens. You accelerate the process when you mulch to the tree’s trunk.
The good news is that you can mulch with our Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings or any of our composted products without infecting your trees and shrubs!
Finally, be careful of any product you use that is using wood products as a filler, as sawdust and bark are common ingredients in many bagged products.
If you are living near the Puget Sound with its mild winters, now is the time to landscape, plant, and transplant. With all biology, water is the elixir, and successful landscapers have learned that winter rains cut hot weather and drought losses throughout the summer. All trees and shrubs work on their rhizospheres throughout the winter here storing energy and working the soil microbiology in preparation for the upcoming spring. All of this work requires water as the elixir to allow it to happen. Take advantage of the winter rains! (And take advantage of nursery’s and garden center’s year end sales as they clear out for new stock.)
When planting or transplanting trees and shrubs, be sure to dig the largest diameter hole possible with most of the hole no more than 18” deep as 90% of tree roots grow in this depth. Remember that roots are opportunists and will move in the easiest direction. So as you are amending your fill soil with BFS Earthworm Castings, the roots may stay only in the amended area causing your plant to be drought intolerant if the hole is too small. WSU extension recommends no more than 5-10% organic matter by weight as you are refilling your hole. (Topsoil is much heavier than organic matter such as compost, so this translates to 10-20% by volume BFS Earthworm Castings.)
According to a recent study supported by the national research council:
“Antidepressants and antihistamines, disinfectants and plasticizers, fire retardants and fragrances. Those are just some of the chemicals you might be applying to your lawn.”
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/environment/story/6102785p-5348116c.html
In what should not be astonishing news, a study says that pretty much all the chemicals humans ingest end up in your urine and feces, and these feces are distributed in commercial and retail products as fertilizers used in lawns, landscapes, and gardens. Remember, these are water soluble substances, so it stands to reason that they are in the meat, fish, and poultry that you eat as well as your vegetables you ingest. For those adherents of homeopathy, the study suggests that trace amounts in water act as larger doses of the original chemicals. So the dosage you may take to take care of insomnia, hypertension, joint pain, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc. certainly affects the wildlife around you which also has endocrine and nervous systems and it may well affect your neighbor and you again eventually! What goes around definitely comes around.
The City of Yelm uses biosolids in all of their landscaping projects and recycled sewer water is used in park irrigation as well as irrigation of the golf course.
After a visit to our farm by the Olympic Region WA DOT, the DOT will begin to use Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings and worm tea in their highway projects. You may know that the DOT is mandated by state law to protect wetlands in their highway projects. You may not know that these people led by their landscape architect Bob Barnes have an intense concern about the state of our environment and are personally motivated in using environmentally friendly alternatives.
So soon the Northwest of Washington State will begin to be beautified by the worms at the Yelm Earrthworm and Castings Farm.
In response to their visit, we received the following from Bob:
Teach your children
What we have taught our children
That the earth is our mother.
Whatever befalls the earth
Befalls the sons and daughters of the earth
If men spit upon the ground
They spit upon themselves.
This we know
The earth does not belong to us,
We belong to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected
Like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth
Befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
We did not weave the web of life,
We are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web,
We do to ourselves.
Chief Seattle, 1786-1866
You can read from Luther Standing Bear similar sentiments. Barefoot Soil Earthworm Castings were named after his writings which you can review here.
To All @Yelm Earth Worm & Castings Farm,
“I just wanted to let you know about the wonders that your Worm Tea has worked on my plants. I originally tried some Worm Tea to naturally fertilize my indoor plants. I noticed that they perked up and started developing new growth. Due to my success indoors, I decided to try some in my herb garden outside. Once again, everything became very lively. I discovered that a bay leaf tree of mine had a bad case of "scale" so I decided to spray it and feed it with Worm Tea. I really thought that I was going to lose the tree. Not only did the tree live, a new one has sprouted up beside it. I am so amazed and happy with the results I've gotten from your Worm Tea.
Thanks!”
Heather Layden, Yelm, WA
In reviewing various soil amendment products on the market, it is amazing to see that worm castings are the ingredient in many, and we have been told by the WSDA that they will be included in even more new products coming to market.
One characteristic of worm castings is that they are odor free or have an earthy smell. Some products I have opened that have claimed worm castings as an ingredient stink. I would say that either it has a poor quality castings or has little to no castings in it!
If a castings product that you purchase stinks – either a worm tea or a soil amendment – most likely it is not a genuine worm castings product!
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QUICK
FACTS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E.COLI AND ORGANICS
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TIP OF
THE WEEK:
SAVE MONEY ON ORGANIC FOOD - JOIN OR START A BUYING CLUB Organic consumers across North America are saving money by organizing local buying clubs. Buying clubs are groups of people who get together and purchase a wide variety of organic foods, grains, and herbs in bulk from a wholesale distributor. According to Kathy MacDonald, a member of a buying club in Cheyenne, Wyoming, she is able to buy organic foods she normally wouldn't have access to in her area, while saving an average of 20% on what those same items would cost in stores. Members of buying clubs also say it's a great way to build community. For more information, and to find a buying club near you, go to: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/buyingclub.cfm |
Note: The Yelm Food Co-op is a local buying club. You can find out more at www.yelmcoop.com
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THIS
WEEKS LESSON:
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DEBATE OVER RAW MILK Most Americans are only familiar with milk that has been pasteurized and homogenized. That's because, in most states, it's illegal to sell raw milk, based upon government concerns about food safety. But there's a growing and vocal segment of health-minded consumers who passionately believe that raw bovine milk is practically the perfect food. In fact, one common question we get from our supporters is, "Why do the national organic standards allow organic milk to be pasteurized?" In a nutshell, laws banning raw milk were passed in the early 1900s, when shipping and handling of dairy was problematic, leading to mass spoilage and food poisoning. But today's raw-milk advocates note that modern day production and shipping alleviates these problems. Advocates note that pasteurizing milk kills beneficial enzymes while reducing nutritional value, leaving conventional milk difficult to digest and less healthy. But the FDA literally equates drinking raw milk to playing Russian roulette. Because raw milk is still illegal in most states and frowned on by the FDA, the writers of the USDA national organic standards realized that if they didn't allow certified organic milk to be pasteurized, there simply wouldn't be any such thing as "organic" milk available on the market. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3134.cfm |
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GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD NEWS:
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MEXICO BANS GE CORN:
Mexico has, once again, passed a law banning genetically engineered corn
from being planted in the country. The law is designed to protect native
varieties of corn from being contaminated by biotech varieties. The Monsanto
corporation, the biggest global seller of genetically engineered corn vows
it will reverse this law when president-elect Felipe Calderon takes office.
Monsanto claims Mexico's 59 varieties of corn, many of which have been grown
for thousands of years, will not be at risk of contamination if genetically
engineered varieties are approved. |
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MORE GE FOOD
CONTAMINATION IN US AND EU:
Yet another strain of experimental genetically engineered (GE) rice has been
detected in U.S. food shipments to Europe. This is the third GE rice
contamination scandal in less than two months. The rice (LL62) was designed
by Bayer but is not approved for human consumption in the EU. US rice
farmers have suffered millions of dollars of losses from GE contamination
just in the last few months. |
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HEALTH STUDIES OF THE WEEK:
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SLEEPLESS KIDS BECOME
OVERWEIGHT ADULTS:
A new peer-reviewed study from Bristol University highlights an important
factor in the current childhood obesity epidemic. Researchers found that
children who stay up too late at night are more prone to pack on pounds
throughout their lives. The study noted that sleep deprivation leads to a
disruption of hormones that control the desire for calorie-rich foods,
hunger and energy expenditure. One in four children aged 11-15 years is now
so obese, their weight threatens their health. Researchers in the study
indicate weak parental oversight of children's use of television, computers
and mobile phones is a prominent cause of children sleeping less. |
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YOUR HAIR REFLECTS
YOUR DIET:
Researchers at Brigham Young University have discovered that eating
disorders can be detected by analyzing hair samples. Scientists were able to
pinpoint the problem in 80% of the samples taken. The lead author, Kent
Hatch, says hair acts like a "tape recorder" and is working to develop an
affordable testing system for use in clinics. The hair test would be able to
indicate problems where a patient may be secretive, such as problems with
diet, alcohol or drugs. |
14741 Lawrence Lake Road SE
Yelm, WA 98597
360-894-0707
M-F 9-5
Sat 10-4
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