Preparing for the Sun

I just got back from a four-day trip to St. Joseph, Missouri, to attend the Great Plains Growers' Conference.  Having been through my first year of really seriously focusing on the gardens, I now understand why growers' conferences happen in January and February!  Hopefully everyone has recovered from the holidays and is ready to buckle down and start planning their crops for the year in anticipation of some great sunshine.  We are in perihelion this year, so let our proximity to the sun shine upon our faces and our gardens!

My husband attended with me and we split the sessions we attended to get as much information as we could.  The weather was absolutely beautiful for the 12-hour drive both ways, our lodging was great (Museum Hill Bed & Breakfast), the conference sessions were well planned out and well presented, and we accumulated a lot of discussion items to consider over the next months to years as we build our business at Bear Butte Gardens.

This particular conference attempts to meld the different theories on gardening and farming ranging from conventional to organic and sustainable.  You could sign up for whichever tracks and sessions you wanted to attend.  Since we are pursuing organic certification and smaller scale gardening (small compared to conventional farming of hundreds or thousands of acres, large compared to the traditional family garden) on the first day Rick chose to attend a track geared toward using high tunnel greenhouses and I chose a track geared toward CSA (community supported agriculture) farming.

Most of what I heard during day one was on the organic side of the options.  It just seems that people who do CSA farming are more geared toward organic than not, so the sessions tend to lean in that direction.  Rick's sessions on high tunnels were somewhat organic, but really focused on the kinds of crops you can grow, the actual building of high tunnels, and utilizing high tunnels in all seasons.  We came away from the sessions at the end of the day with a load of new information and some affirmations of things we already knew.

Day two was interesting because there wasn't a track per say, but you could pick and choose different sessions throughout the day.  Rick chose to sit in on some small fruit sessions and I chose sessions focused on transitioning into organic.  Again, my sessions were as you would think.....mostly geared toward organic production.  Midway through my first session of the day, which was about methods of seeding and transplanting, I was pretty engrossed in the basics of building your benches in a greenhouse, watering options, seed trays vs. soil blocks.....when I got a text from Rick asking where I was.  A couple minutes later he showed up and I asked, "what happened to the small fruit session?" to which he replied, "well, the first sentence out of the presenter's mouth was "when you're growing small fruits such as berries you will want to start off with spraying all of your plantable area with Roundup" and they just never left that mindset", so 30-40 minutes later he determined that wasn't the session he wanted to attend and joined me for the rest of the day in my sessions.  Just for a little history, we bought our land almost 16 years ago and we've always strived to go as natural as possible and use as few sprays as possible.  So, the "Go Roundup!" cheer never lasts very long on Team Grosek.

I think this example just goes to show the widely varying views that are occurring now, even just in the Plains states, about how to grow a simple strawberry or tomato.  I fully respect those who are conventional farming the way their father did and possibly even their grandfather.  They have put food on our tables for decades.  But I am very excited that I have the opportunity to explore some different options in small acreage farming and that there seems to be a good-sized population out there waiting for me to do it.  I am a very cheap person at heart and the idea of laying out a lot of cash for pesticides and herbicides has just never set well with me, so I utilize as many free or near-free environmentally friendly methods as I can to avoid that cash outlay.  I'm hoping that in the end I will be able to cover my costs, maybe share some information that I have learned with others along the way, and make for some healthy eating at the same time.  Because, you know, at the end of the day it's all about the food.  ;-)

Michelle Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Sturgis, SD
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com

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Christmas for a Gardener

Today I had an opportunity that I couldn't pass up......the chance to buy approx. 150 packets of various kinds of organic seeds for a good deal.  As I was looking through my bag of seed packets after the deal had been made, a friend asked me if it was like Christmas and I'm sure I was beaming as I said "yes, yes it is!"

I'm a person who likes to be very independent and controlling of my destiny, yet I like a little surprise now and again.  So the idea of a whole bag full of seed packets that I hadn't individually chosen was very exciting to me.  There wasn't a lot of risk to the purchase as I knew the lady who was parting with the seeds, I knew the brand of seeds, and I had actually planted several packets of this brand of seeds this year and they all did great.  So it was just a good deal all around.

I had never really considered the idea of seeds as a "gift" before today, but for crying out loud, why hadn't I?  It's a land of never-ending choices for the gift giver and receiver.  What gardener wouldn't love seeds?!  I can't believe I haven't thought of it sooner.  Although I do feel the need to insert a word of caution here: Do not try to turn a non-gardener into a gardener by giving them seeds.  It more than likely won't be a well-received gift.

So, here's a little sample of what I got in my "grab bag":

• royal burgundy bush bean
• swan lake melon
• garden sage
• scarlet keeper carrot
• blue ballet squash
• picotee cosmos
• beetberry
• lavendar bergamot
• lemon cucumber
• holy basil

These are all things I have never had the opportunity to grow before, how exciting!  There are also many seeds that I have grown and loved before:

• sweet marjoram
• summer savory
• german chamomile
• nira chives
• lemon basil
• dark star zucchini
• marigold (many varieties)
• calendula
• echinacea
• spaghetti squash
• small sugar pumpkin
• bunching onion
• mideast prolific cucumber
• iceland poppy
• sugar pod two snow pea
• mesclun salad mix
• butterhead lettuce

I'm not sure what it is about looking at a seed catalog or holding packages of seeds in your hands that creates such excitement.......maybe the thoughts of the growing season to come and sunshine or just that  basic connection to the earth when you get to garden.  It's pretty awesome and I hope I never get to the point where I'm ordering the same seeds every year to grow the same produce.  

All in all, I think I made a good purchase today.  I basically spent my pumpkin income on seeds for next year's gardens which, in my mind, is like taking dividends from stock and re-investing in more stock, right?  If nothing else, my bees will be very happy come next summer!

Michelle Grosek
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com
www.bearbuttegardens.com

The Nutrition Levels in Our Food is Declining

This post is mainly a reference to a new article on the Mother Earth News website.  The article is titled "The Nutrition Levels in Our Food is Declining".  It is an interesting article.  I'm not certain if all the facts of the article are absolutely correct (some of the comments seem very critical), but I do believe the high-level message is accurate.

Why am I posting this? 
Well, people we know seem to be curious about our recent transition from Sturgis Center for the Arts, to Bear Butte Gardens.  Most people can easily understand the reasons why we left Sturgis Center for the Arts (e.g. volunteering seven years at the art center is a long time, it is time for new leadership and new ideas at the art center, our own kids are now in college, etc.).  But people don't really understand why we have started Bear Butte Gardens.  The short answer is that we like to garden.  Most people seem satisfied with that answer.  But there is more.  Much more.  A deep rooted purpose.  A real concern.  A strong desire to contribute to society in a positive manner.  A vision.  What is it?  Food!

I'm developing strong feelings about the current situation of our food sources.  I've always had my concerns, but the more research I do and the more I learn about it, the more concerned I become.  The article I reference above explains why I'm concerned.

There is a better way to produce food.  We don't know exactly how we will do it (e.g. organic, biodynamic, permaculture, a combination, etc.), but we do know why it needs to be done (read the article), and we do know how we don't want to do it (conventional, chemical-based agriculture).  One step at a time.

Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/

What Kind of Agriculture are We?

As we get deeper into our little agriculture business, I’m doing more and more research into agricultural methods and practices.  So far, I’ve only begun to understand various methods and approaches.  I’ve been studying about conventional, organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and sustainable agricultural approaches.  It is indeed a tangled web.  All approaches have overlapping principles, and stark differences. 

Here are some definitions that I’ve put together:

“Conventional” agriculture is the main-stream method practiced by the majority of producers.  These are generally the big farms and ranches that are probably owned by some big agri-business organization, have lots of land (thousands of acres), use big equipment, use lots of chemicals (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, etc.), use genetically modified seeds, and produce a very high yield.

“Sustainable” agriculture was defined in 1990 by US Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

“Organic” agriculture is the government’s (USDA’s) attempt to govern specific agriculture practices based on the public’s concern over the use of chemicals in the food chain.  As it turns out, the USDA has made a lot of compromises (influenced by big agri-business), so the rules & regulations are not as strict as you might think.

“Biodynamic” agriculture goes beyond just organic.  It is based on Rudolf Steiner’s work during the early 1900s.  Biodynamic concepts include:

• No artificial chemicals
• Farms are self-contained entities with their own individuality
• Develop interrelationships between soil, plants, and animals (e.g. use of manure, compost, etc.) to establish a self-nourishing system (i.e. use of nine specific “preparations”)
• Consideration for “astronomical” influences (e.g. planting by moon phase, etc.)
• Open pollination of seeds (e.g. farmers grow their own seed)

“Permaculture” builds agricultural systems modeled on the relationships found in nature – where each element supports and feeds other elements.  The main concept is based on observation of how ecosystems interact.

What do I make of all this?  It seems that conventional agriculture is the result of how main-stream farming has evolved, based on the primary goal of producing as much as you can.  However, conventional agriculture has a lot of very negative side effects.  Biodynamic and Permaculture are two alternative approaches that do not place high yields as the primary goal.  Instead, the primary goal is the health of the environment.  Organic and Sustainable agriculture is the result of the US government reacting to the negative side effects of conventional agriculture.

So, what are these negative side effects of conventional agriculture?  Well, I did a little research and tried to summarize it in a timeline of various agriculture revolutions.

Early Industrial Revolution (1760 – 1850)

Key points:

• Crop Rotation
• Farm implements made of metal
• Invention of the Horse Hoe (plow)
• Invention of the Steam Engine

Pros:

• Higher Yields
• Decreased Labor

Cons:

• Higher Cost

Later Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1950)

Key points:

• Invention of the Tractor
• Invention of the Combine
• Invention of the Chisel Plow
• Invention of Refrigeration

Pros:

• Higher Yields
• Decreased Labor

Cons:

• Massive Destruction of the Natural Environment (e.g. Dust Bowl of the 1930s)
• Higher Cost

Chemical Revolution

Key points:

• Invention of Chemical Fertilizers
• Invention of Chemical Pesticides
• Invention of Chemical Herbicides

Pros:

• Higher Yields
• Decreased Labor

Cons:

• Decrease in natural Soil Fertility (e.g. biota, hormones, enzymes, beneficial fungi, bacteria, worms, etc.), resulting in higher dependency on Fertilizers
• Decrease in a plant’s natural ability to fight Diseases, resulting in higher dependency on Pesticides
• Increase in Human Health Problems related to diet
• Higher Cost

Green Revolution (1940’s – 1960’s)

Key points:

• Widespread use of Mechanical Technology, combined with Chemical Technology
• Widespread use of Hybrid Seeds
• Number of Farms decrease; Size of Farms increase

Pros:

• Higher Yields
• Decreased Labor

Cons:

• Even more decrease in natural Soil Fertility, resulting in higher dependency on Fertilizers
• Negative impact on Environment (e.g. DDT effect on Bald Eagles, etc.)
• Negative impact on Water Sources (e.g. fertilizer run-off, etc.)
• Higher cost & increased dependency on Financial Institution Support (e.g. loans), resulting in deceased profit for the first time

Genetic Revolution (1990s - )

Key points:

• Widespread use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
• Widespread use of Genetically Engineered (GE) Crops
• Increase in Corporate Farming; Decease in Family Farming

Pros:

• Higher Yields

Cons:

• Continued decrease in natural Soil Fertility
• Increased negative environmental impact (e.g. genetically altered corn effect on Monarch Butterflies, etc.)
• Decreased Crop Nutrition (e.g. studies show 75% drop in nutritional elements critical for human and animal health compared to 50 years prior, etc.)
• Even more Human Health Problems related to diet (top six degenerative diseases are directly related to diet and food quality) – Scientists & Doctors are just now starting to understand impact

In this timeline format, with the key points, pros, and cons listed, it is easy to follow the evolution of higher yields and negative side effects.  The pattern is very clear, and very scary.

This realization is one of the driving forces behind Bear Butte Gardens.  We believe there is a need for food production that does not follow conventional agriculture practices.  Since Bear Butte Gardens is fairly new, we are not entirely sure where our path will lead us.  Organic? Biodynamic?  Permaculture? Some combination?  What I do know, is that we are not conventional.  :o)

Rick Grosek

Bear Butte Gardens

Rick@BearButteGardens.com

http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/

Biodynamic Gardening - What is it?

When I first started hearing my wife talking about "biodynamic gardening", I had my doubts.  What are these crazy ideas?  Who is this Steiner guy?  Planting crops by moon phases sounds silly to me.  If it's so good, then why aren't more main-stream farmers doing it?  You know, the guys with ten thousand acres of farmland and big tractors?  These guys are professional farmers, right?  They should know the best way to grow crops.  Right?

Hmmm... So what exactly is "biodynamic gardening"?  Well, maybe Google will know...  Here is a definition I found on the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association's web site:

Biodynamics is:

An impulse for deep social change rooted in the practice of farming. Biodynamics calls for new thinking in every aspect of the food system, from how land is owned to how farms are capitalized to how food is produced, distributed and prepared.

A type of organic farming that incorporates an understanding of “dynamic” forces in nature not yet fully understood by science. By working creatively with these subtle energies, farmers are able to significantly enhance the health of their farms and the quality and flavor of food.

A recognition that the whole earth is a single, self-regulating, multi-dimensional ecosystem. Biodynamic farmers seek to fashion their farms likewise as self-regulating, bio-diverse ecosystems in order to bring health to the land and to their local communities.

Hmmm... Well, that kinda makes sense.  But I'm still not sure.  Back to Google...  Here is the Wikipidia definition:

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants and animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food. As in other forms of organic agriculture, artificial fertilizers and toxic pesticides and herbicides are strictly avoided. There are independent certification agencies for biodynamic products, most of which are members of the international biodynamics standards group Demeter International.

Regarded by some as the first modern ecological farming system and one of the most sustainable, biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts and excluding of the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of an astronomical sowing and planting calendar. Biodynamics originated out of the work of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy.

That helps some more, but the descriptive phrase on the Wikipidia site that I like best is:

Biodynamic agriculturalists conceive of the farm as an organically self-contained entity with its own individuality, within which organisms are interdependent. "Emphasis is placed on the integration of crops and livestock, recycling of nutrients, maintenance of soil, and the health and well being of crops and animals; the farmer too is part of the whole." Cover crops, green manures and crop rotations are used extensively and the farms foster bio-diversity. 

Biodynamic farms often have a cultural component and encourage local community. Some biodynamic farms use the Community Supported Agriculture model, which has connections with social threefolding.

The description above makes a lot of sense to me.  This is very much a part of our vision for Bear Butte Gardens.  We are already practicing several methods that directly support this description.

So now, let's proceed a little deeper.  Biodynamic agriculture addresses the following methods:

• Field preparations
• Compost preparations
• Astronomical planting calendar
• Treatment of pests and weeds
• Seed production

Ok.  I can buy into that -- except for the "astronomical" bit.  Planting crops based on the sun, moon, and stars sounds kinda like hippie farming and witch doctor stuff.  So, back to Google again... 
Here is a short explanation of the moon stuff that I found on the Down Garden Services website:

Lunar Effects

The Moon reflects light and has a gravitational effect on the Earth.  Steiner proposed that this affects plant growth.  The Moon has a roughly elliptical orbit so the gravitational pull varies throughout its 28 day cycle.  Root growth is improved when Moon moves further out causing a decreased pull on the Earth and vice versa - this force also causes the ocean tides.

- Planting of flower, fruit and vegetable seeds is best done 2 days before a new Moon because light and gravitational forces are more favourable in the seven days that follow.

- During the next seven days the Moon appears larger each night approaching a full Moon. The increased light stimulates foliage growth, but the gravitational pull increases so root growth is less favoured - young shoots thrive and the roots rest.

- For the seven days following the full Moon the light decreases slowing foliage growth, but so does the gravitational pull and the roots can develop. This is a good time to transplant seedlings as it gives the roots better conditions to flourish.

- In the last seven days of the lunar cycle the light continues to decrease, but the gravitational pull increases so both foliage and roots rest in the run up to the new Moon of the next lunar cycle.

Hmmm...  Does the moon's gravitational pull and moonlight really effect plants?  When I was a young boy and learned about how the moon causes the ocean's tides, I found that pretty hard to wrap my mind around.  Is this really any more far fetched than moving an enormously huge body of water up and down by 50-60 feet?  The forces in play are absolutely huge!  As I understand it, plants use "capillary action" to move water & nutriants throughout the plant.  If the moon can cause tides, then it could certainly impact water & nutriant movement in a vegetable plant.

I don't fully understand the astronomical part yet, but at least I now know it has some basis on science and common sense, instead of "Oh! The full moon is so pretty!  My garden plants like it too!  They are gonna grow so good!" 

So, actually, the more I learn about biodynamic gardening, the more sense it makes to me.  I'm feeling good.   I'm on a roll.  I actually get this stuff!  ...Until I read the details about Steiner's "Biodynamic Preparations" and "Treatment of Pests and Weeds".  Da, da, da, dum!  Come on!  Horn of a cow?  Oak bark placed inside the skull of a domesticated animal?  Deploying ashes of field mice when Venus is in the Scorpious constellation?  Spraying weed seeds with the clear urine of a sterile cow?  Now I'm skeptical again.  This sounds like witch doctor tactics!  I guess I need to do more research, and try to find a more modern interpretation of this information.  There must be a reasonable explanation somewhere.  Oh Google...

If anyone can explain this to me, I'm all ears!

Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens.com
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/

Heirloom vs. Hybrid vs. Organic

I've been mulling this blog over in my mind for a few weeks now, doing a little research, trying to figure out the best way to make it informational, even though I'm still learning through trial and tribulation on all three of these subjects:  heirloom, hybrid, organic.  I guess I'll just lay out what I know and later on add info as I get it.

What I've come to realize is that there's a lot of information out there, some of it better than other.  Some people are extremely well-versed, some of us know a little, and a lot of people are pretty happy not having any knowledge of the differences between heirloom, hybrid, and organic.

For the purposes of this blog I'm going to assume the reader knows a little bit about each subject which is where I was at the beginning of the summer.  I have a history of working a couple seasons at a small locally-owned greenhouse business as well as going through the state training to become a Master Gardener about 6 or 7 years ago.  In both instances I had the opportunity to learn hands-on about hybrids vs. heirlooms and delve a little into the biology of the two.  In neither case did I have much exposure to "organic".  In South Dakota I think we can easily label our gardening methods many ways like hobby garden, truck garden, traditional garden, xeriscape garden, high production garden, etc., etc.  One method label I would hesitate to attach to most gardening in this rural agricultural area is "organic".

So let's just dive in and define and differentiate the topics:


Heirloom Tomatoes


Heirloom - an open-pollinated plant (bees, insects, wind) which maintains the qualities of its ancestor plant and when you keep a seed from an heirloom and plant it, you'll more than likely get another plant next year just like the one you had this year.  Of course now I have to throw in a disclaimer----if the helpful bees carried pollen from one lovely unique heirloom (let's say tomato) growing side by side with another lovely unique heirloom (tomato).....you may get a cross of those two heirloom tomatoes next year.  There are actually a few different interpretations of the term "heirloom", but all agree that "open pollination" is an absolute must and most agree that a lengthy time period, say 50 to 100 years, is necessary to consider a cultivar to be a true heirloom.

Hybrid Tomatoes

That leads me now to "hybrid".  To create a hybrid, two perfect specimens of a plant are chosen....a male with one kind of assets (let's say nice bulging.....form) and a female with another kind of asset,  let's say smooth skin.  Once the plants have been selected, the pollen-bearing anthers of the female plants are removed so that only pollen from the selected male plants can pollinate the female plant. The pollen is then manually transferred to the female plant and then the resultant cultivar provides this highly sought after round formed, smooth skinned tomato.  So now, in your garden, you determine that this round, smooth tomato is really wonderful and you want to grow the same one next year, so you keep some seeds out of one of the best tomatoes, dry them carefully, and plant them next spring to get another year of really fantastic round, smooth tomatoes, right?  Probably not.  Your tomatoes next year are probably going to be something totally different because you allowed your garden tomatoes to open pollinate and did not follow the same painstaking process the original growers utilized.  There's no telling what your new tomatoes will look like or taste like and the only way you will get that same exact perfect hybrid tomato is by going back and buying hybrid seed (or plants grown from that seed) from the company.  This is great for the plant breeders and the seed companies because they have a dedicated clientele year after year, coming back to buy that seed or the plants grown from the seed which is only produced by the plant breeder.

Seed Packets

 Chances are, you buy your seed every year anyway, whether it's heirloom or hybrid, so this may or may not be a big deal to you.  When it may become a big deal is if you decide you want to step up the number of plants you grow of a specific cultivar and you don't necessarily want to invest in all of that seed if you can dry it yourself from your own produce.  You can produce your own seed if you've been growing heirlooms, but not if you've been growing hybrids.

While we're talking about hybrids and heirlooms, let's delve into other reasons why hybrids have become so popular over the past several decades and these are my favorites.  We can narrow it down to a couple main obvious reasons:  better modes of and faster transportation (great interstate highways and refrigerated tractor trailers) and fast food restaurants.  This is a topic which is well-detailed in many books worth reading, so I'll just cover the high points here.  The popularity of fast food restaurants created a need for the cheapest food possible to be shipped as quickly as possible.  When you're talking about fruits and vegetables that are being sliced and diced and thrown onto burgers or salads, the focus is no longer on eye-pleasing shapes and colors and full flavors, but instead on how many can fit into a box while still green, be shipped across the country in a truck, and then hold a walk-in cooler shelf life as long as possible?  Or in the case of your local grocery store......same steps 1 and 2, but then hold a produce aisle shelf life as long as possible.

So now let's jump to topic #3 and contemplate "organic".  And I have to let you know right up front, this one is a touchy spot for me and here is the reason......a food does not have to be conscientiously grown to be labeled "organic".  Nor does it have to be a great cultivar to be labeled "organic".  Any hybrid or "picked green, cross country shipped, stored on the shelf" fruit or vegetable can be labeled organic as long as the water is right, the soil is right, and the fertilizer is right.  I'm over simplifying a bit here, but really, just having something labeled "organic" is not an assurance that you're doing the best you can for your body or your family.  I'm always a little baffled at my friends who order their produce which is shipped on a truck from Oregon or California so they can have "organic".

Here is what I know about organic and I'm going through a learning curve right now, so bear with me.  I may need to amend some of these thoughts as I learn more.

A plant or seed can be an heirloom OR a hybrid and still be organic as evidenced in the many, many seed catalogs.  A plant or seed can NOT be genetically modified and still be organic......this is a good thing that appears to be a firm truth at this time.

When growing something organic you have to take into account many things:

• What has been sprayed on your growing soil in the past and how long ago?
• Have the animals producing the manure/fertilizer been given any antibiotics or growth hormones?
• Have any synthetic fertilizers or other additives been put into the water used for the plants?
• Have any synthetic treatments been applied to the wood or the framing involved in the structures where the plants are grown?
• Do you utilize any synthetic pesticides or herbicides in the areas of or surrounding your gardens and how close?

So normally I truly do somewhat dismiss the "organic" label on something I'm going to eat and I pay more attention to how locally it was produced and by whom.  In the workings of my mind, I would rather know that something was conscientiously grown locally and support THAT practice rather than demand that something be true "organic" and then support the oil industry so that I can have that organic, shelf-ripened piece of produce shipped to my door.

But, in the interest of providing all things to all people (:-) I believe I will delve into the organic world and see what I can do locally.  My husband and I have an opportunity that a lot of people don't have.....we have the necessary space to experiment with crops, animals, irrigation, greenhouses, and all of that.  I believe I have the necessary knowledge and willingness to learn through process to give it a fair shot.  We have a lot of interested friends and family who are willing to help us along, even if that just means tasting the tomatoes when they're ripe (straight from the vine)!  But most of all, I truly do want what is the best and the healthiest for my friends and family, so obviously utilizing organic methods to do my gardening is just a logical practice and I look forward to incorporating those methods for everyone's well-being.

Michelle Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Michelle@BearButteGardens.com
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/

Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost, and Grass Clippings

What do Canada Thistle and gardening have to do with each other?  Well, maybe more than you think! 

Like many ranches in western South Dakota, we have some Canada Thistle too.  We have been trying very hard to control the thistles with mechanical methods (i.e. mowing, cutting, etc.).  But this year, there are more thistle plants.  Many more.  I'm not sure why there are so many more this year.  Maybe it's because of the additional moisture, or maybe I missed cutting one or more plants that went to seed last year.  So, we are doing some research and trying to become more informed on the topic in an attempt to control the noxious weed.  I've visited with neighbors, friends, the Soil Conservation folks, the Meade County weed control specialist, and a couple salesmen at Warne Chemical (a Herbicide distributor in Rapid City).  I've also read about the weed in several noxious weed books and studied many web sites.  I even downloaded a Noxious Weed application to my iPhone.

Anyhow, in our quest to understand the issue, Michelle came across a very interesting article published by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.  The article is titled "Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost, and Grass Clippings", and was published in 2010.  This is a MUST READ for any gardener that uses hay mulch, manure, compost, or grass clipping on their garden.

Here is the URL to the original article:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/ncorganic/special-pubs/herbicide_carryover.pdf

Target Audience:

• Hay Producers
• Livestock Owners
• Farmers
• Home Gardeners

Main Gist:
The article explains the potential danger and damage that can occur to a vegetable garden by applying manure, compost, or grass clippings that may un-knowingly still have herbicide chemicals that are active.

Primary Points:

1. Use of manure, compost, or grass clipping applied to a garden may still have active herbicide chemicals that can damage gardens.
2. List of herbicides of concern:
• 2,4-D based products
• products that contain picloram, clopyralid, or aminopyralid
3. List of crops known to be sensitive to herbicide carryover
4. How to prevent herbicide damage to non-target plants
5. How to test for the presence of herbicides
6. Complete herbicide breakdown and deactivation can take several years in some situations. 

Example #1:

1. Herbicide is applied to a hay field to control Canada Thistle or other noxious weeds
2. Hay is later cut, baled, and used for livestock feed (maybe sold to another rancher)
3. Cattle eat the hay and produce manure
4. Rancher moves manure (from barns, cattle shelters, feel lots, etc.) to storage/compost pile
5. Home gardener gets manure and applies it to a vegetable garden

Example #2:

1. Herbicide is applied to a lawn to control weeds
2. Grass clippings from the lawn are stored/composted (i.e. city or private compost program, etc.)
3. Home gardener gets compost and applies it to a vegetable garden

Personal Conclusions From the Article:

• A potential and common danger occurs when the herbicide chemicals are transferred from one form to another (i.e. hay, grass clippings, cattle, manure, compost, etc.), and from one person to another (i.e. hay producer to rancher, rancher to gardener, etc.), and knowledge of the original herbicide application facts are lost.
• Many people who apply herbicides have a mis-understanding of residue break-down.  I've heard from several people (i.e. neighbors, friends, etc.) statements like "wait 48 hours after spraying, then it is completely safe".  Safe for what?  Walking thru?  Hmmm...
• If you are a gardener and add hay mulch, manure, compost, or grass clipping to your garden, then do your homework first!  Know where it came from -- all the way back!

Be careful out there!

Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens.com
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/