Soil progression Soil vitality Soil building Soil testing ... - Oregon Tilth

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Page Letters to the editor Dear Tilth Really Nice! Dear Editor, In your May/June edition of In Good Tilth, there was an article highlighting my baby food company, Nice Cubes. Thank you for the support and wonderful review of our products. I would like to point out an error in the article and kindly ask for a correction in your next edition. Our product is called Nice Cubes, and throughout the article it was called “Baby Cubes.” Baby Cubes is the name of a frozen organic baby food company that just launched in San Francisco. Perhaps the writer came across this company in her research, and confused the two of us when writing the article. In an effort to build an appropriatebrand identity for Nice Cubes, I appreciate your support. Sincerely, Katie McNamara Nice Cubes Inc. Free the seaweed Dear Tilth editor and readers; Although I fully support the leading role the Tilth has played over the years in educating the nation on organic issues, the number of ads, books and articles promoting the use of seaweed products in this and similar organically oriented publications is disturbing to me. Where do people think all this seaweed is coming from The majority of seaweed products sold in North America are harvested from wild populations in our intertidal and near shore areas. Older studies on harvesting impacts typically focused on whether a species grows back, and how fast, using various harvesting methods (a species based approach), but failed to address overall intertidal or nearshore ecosystem impacts, In Good Tilth impacts on other life forms within the ecosystem and harvesting impacts on reproductive cycles. Washington State stopped all commercial harvesting in the early 1990’s based on overall adverse ecosystem impacts, and Oregon followed by stopping commercial inter-tidal harvesting in 2007 for similar reasons. While leaving a portion of the photosynthetic blade and stipe (think leaf/stem) while harvesting is effective in speeding re-growth in some species that have the growth meristem at the base, recent Oregon studies indicate that several species commonly harvested don’t re-grow, even when blade cut, because the growth meristem quite simply isn’t at the base- it is cut off. Other popular species take years to grow back. Even when seaweed does re-grow, it still needs to reproduce to maintain population levels. Preliminary results from a Sonoma State study indicate a reduction in spore numbers and a delay in spore production when Sea Palm is blade cut by harvesters. Gardeners who save seed already knows this: if you keep harvesting an annual through the summer you will have fewer seeds that will mature later. In a world of changing weather patterns, and projected rises in sea levels seaweed spores from harvested alga may not mature in sufficient quantities or in time to sustain current populations levels. Inter-tidal life is a particularly vulnerable ecosystem and may be the first to go. The tendency to concentrate what is in ocean water makes seaweed a great nutritional supplement and soil amendment is a double-edge sword. There are no requirements for testing of seaweeds for contaminants on behalf of consumers in the U.S.A., and when they are tested for other reasons high levels of things like lead, arsenic, and cadmium are often found. A 2007 study at UC Davis found that seven out of nine kelp samples taken at random from health food stores in California had levels of arsenic exceeding FDA standards. We already know that some food plants and mushrooms have tendencies to selectively uptake toxic substances from soil but can’t accept that seaweeds do the same with ocean water. My personal experience is that the health benefits of seaweeds are best obtained by a swim in the ocean. The waves in the surf zone form an enormously powerful vortex, churning bits of seaweed non-stop into one of the earths best naturally occurring “bio-dynamic” preparations easily absorbed through the skin and inhaled. A healthy ocean is much more critical to our personal health and the health of the planet than seaweed recipes and soil amendments will ever be. Melinda McComb Newport Sexy Farmers Dear Oregon Tilth, I found it very cute that there was an article designed to convince youth that farming is sexy! as a 24 year old urban nonfarmer, (am I “youth”) I would say that it already is!!! I was fixin to go on a blind date with someone, and when he told me he was an organic farmer I KNEW he was going to be sexy- and he was! working outside, doing what you love, and communing with nature make for totally hot bods. I would say farming is just about the sexiest profession there is. wake me up at 4 a.m. to hoe your cabbage patch any day baby! It was a great article anyway, and I appreciate the focus on youth! thanks so much! Epic Erma farmer appreciator Great Kids I must say that I enjoyed this month’s (Kid’s theme) issue so much! I couldn’t put it down. Thank you too for the work you did lobbying back East. I have been spending a fair amount of time in Salem working on measure 37 stuff as well as the new proposed regs for farmers markets here in Oregon Jody Berry Volume 18, Number 3
In Good Tilth Page Cultivating good tilth By Chris Schreiner As the name suggests, Oregon Tilth’s connection and commitment to soil is undeniable. Dirt, loam, clay, sand, the earth beneath our feet – whatever term we use, its primacy remains the same. Throughout Oregon Tilth’s history, our work has been informed by a desire to support and promote the virtues of soil – that fundamental natural resource upon which agriculture and the human cultures it has engendered firmly depend. The art and craft of farming represents the ultimate homage to soil. Tilth’s founders represented a back-to-the-land movement and ethic. So in 1974, it was with reverence and care that the pioneering Tilth community set out to establish a system of biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. Thirty years later, Oregon Tilth continues to pursue this mission through education, research, advocacy and product certification. Our education efforts target both producers and consumers of food. Recognizing the wealth of knowledge that resides in our grower base, Oregon Tilth co-sponsors the annual Northwest Farmer-to-Farmer Exchange, where peer-to-peer education and information-sharing flourish. The Organic Education Center at Luscher Farm provides an experiential learning environment for urban gardeners, farm apprentices and youth. Recurrent outreach efforts, including speaking engagements and tabling events, help teach the public the importance of supporting the stewards of our soil. Perhaps the most universal challenge organic farmers face is weed management. Soil conservationists often express concern that managing weeds without chemical herbicides requires increased cultivation, thereby jeopardizing soil quality and retention. With funding support from Oregon Tilth, researchers at Oregon State University’s Department of Horticulture set out to address this challenge by producing Weed ‘Em and Reap. In this two-part DVD series, growers and researchers showcase tools and reduced tillage strategies for non-chemical weed management. Oregon Tilth’s advocacy efforts promote policies based upon healthy soils supporting healthy communities. In the 2007 Farm Bill, we’re advocating for a fully-funded Conservation Security Program, which rewards good stewardship practices on working lands. We’re also advocating for hunger-relief programs that improve equitable food access and food security. With a focus on capturing the food service purchasing power of hospitals, schools and restaurants, Oregon Tilth is helping to re-vitalize a regional Chris Schriener in the thick of public outreach and education at the 2007 Ag Fest in Salem. Tilthers not only keep organics strong through inspection and certification, but spend countless hours staffing information booths at numerous fairs and tradeshows, as well as serving as educational speakers at events far and wide. It is all part of our mission to promote organics. food economy that supports local and sustainable farms. With over 610 participating farm and livestock operations, the Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) program supports market-based recognition for producers who are dedicated to maintaining and improving the physical, chemical and biological condition of the soil. And with over 525 participating food processors and handlers, the OTCO program helps maintain traceability and reliability in this age of extended food chains. Working throughout the U.S. and internationally, OTCO strives to implement certification standards with a pragmatism that helps grow the organic industry balanced with the integrity that consumers have come to expect from the “organic” label. Healthy communities are like vibrant soils, teeming with life and interconnected in a complex web of symbiotic exchange and reciprocity. Today’s Tilth community is comprised of diverse participants in the food system - rural farms (small and large), food processors, retailers, restaurateurs, urban gardeners and foodie activists. Collectively, these constituents represent links in the food chain. Trace back the links in this extended chain, and you’ll find it firmly rooted in the soil. And whether you measure the soil under your care in hectares, acres or square feet, remember that we all contribute to the important work of cultivating good tilth. July / August 2007 Photo by Andrew Rodman
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