Ask Ed - Questions for the Organic Agriculture Extension Educator
I need a source of bulk compost. Are there commercial compost producers in Massachusetts and if so, where can I buy certified organic compost?Answer: Download the Baystate List of local products Answer posted February 10, 2004 I have been unable to find sources of information about raising sheep organically. I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants and would like some advice from those who have done it. Issues of worming and disease especially I feel at a loss about. So far, everything I've read depends heavily on chemicals. Any ideas about where I should look?Answer:Acres, USA sells a variety of books covering organic livestock health and management. They sell titles like; The Sheep Book, Living with Sheep, and Organic Livestock Handbook. Check them out on the web at www.acresusa.com or call 800-355-5313. NOFA holds a summer conference every year which hosts workshops on livestock. Join NOFA/Mass (www.nofamass.org) and get connected to other sheep people. If need be you could start an organic sheep growers group to share ideas. Answer posted October 10, 2007 I've been growing Nantes Fancy and Chantenay carrots. They are sweet and delicious when harvested but develop a bitter flavor during storage. If I peel them, and lose all those good vitamins, they are sweet. Presently I'm storing them in plastic bags (with pinprick holes) in an old refrigerator. Any ideas?Answer:I am interested in what other crops are stored in the carrot storing refrigerator. If ethylene-producing crops (fruits mostly) are or where also stored there then we have solved the problem. Ethylene gas, produced naturally by ripening fruit, can stimulate deterioration of some vegetables. Carrots will become bitter in storage when exposed to ethylene. Answer posted October 10, 2007 My family owns a beautiful five acre piece of land and I am very interested in making it into an organic fruit tree orchard. I want to start the farm next spring. Where do I start?Answer:Your orchard plans sound like an exciting venture. Planning is key. Now is the time to start planning for planting next spring. I recommend testing your soil so you have a baseline from which to start building it. Contact the UMass Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory at 413-545-2311 or soiltest@psis.umass.edu. for details. Next buy a good book on the subject. I recommend The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips. You can order it through your local bookstore or Acres U.S.A. Books at 800-355-5313. Answer posted October 10, 2007 I have possession of an old farm that has been out of production for the last 30 years. I would like to pursue organic certification because I have been growing (inadvertently) organic fruit for the last 7 years on my home property and would like to make my farm into a business. I have only had the farm for two years. Do I need to wait the three whole years of ownership? I have had a great deal of success with my fruit and feel it could market well if certified.Answer: The most commonly used organic certifying agency in Massachusetts is Baystate Organic Certifiers (www.baystateorganic.org). Don Franczyk is the director. He can be reached at baystateorganic@earthlink.net or 978-297-4171. Ask for information on the certification process and a copy of the Program Manual. There is no need to wait, now is the time to start the certification process. Good luck establishing your farm. Answer posted October 10, 2007 Question: I have harvested my organic garlic and found several fists have split out of the outside wrapping and exposed the cloves. I have had this problem with previous plantings. I also use my own planting stock. I wonder if this problem is inherent in the planting stock or if it is because I have waited too long to harvest some of the plants.Answer: The best method of preventing garlic from splitting is to harvest individual plants as they mature. Harvest when the first signs of leaf yellowing appear in July. You probably harvested a tad too late so some of the bulbs split. Use the split bulbs first and store the rest. Answer posted April 7, 2006 Question: I have always wondered about something in organic farming. Parking lots, even empty ones, often smell like a parking lot because of the leaked oil, or gasoline, from cars once parked there. On organic farms, heavy machinery and equipment are used just like conventional farms and unavoidably there will be leaks of such toxic chemicals onto the soil. Are there provisions to minimize such contamination?Answer: A fundamental difference between industrial and organic agriculture is the way soil is viewed. Organic growers look at soil as a living ecosystem that needs to remain healthy and biologically active to produce crop yields that can create enough income to keep the farm in business. Industrial agriculture looks at soil as a place to put agrochemicals and to hold the roots of the crop. If you are putting petroleum-based agrochemicals on your soil anyway oil from a tractor is just part of the process. If you view soil as living then killing it with petroleum products of any kind needs to be avoided at all costs. If organic farmers kill their soil they kill their livelihoods as well. But hydraulic hoses on tractors can break and when they do the oil that is spilled needs to be cleaned up ASAP and not ignored. Answer posted April 7, 2006 Question: My hens fly around a lot. Some will fly over the 6 foot high fence around their loafing yard and forget how to fly back over again. I never really understood the phrase Bird Brain until I owned chickens. Do I need a taller fence to contain my flock?Answer: I wouldnt buy a taller fence but I would ruffle some feathers. If you want to contain your escapees try cutting the primary flight feathers on one wing with scissors. Chickens need lift from both wings to effectively fly. By cutting only one side their flight becomes unbalanced. Unbalanced chickens dont fly far. Answer posted April 7, 2006 Question: I am moving to Mass. and will be gardening on a large scale. Ive had gardens in Maine and North Carolina most recently and I am just wondering where to find any sort of guidelines for planting times in the central Mass. region.Answer: Seed catalogs are wonderful sources of information. Both FEDCO and Johnnys Selected Seeds offer catalogs with information about growing individual crops. Contact FEDCO at 207-873-7333 or www.fedcoseeds.com and Johnnys at 877-564-6697 or Johnnyseeds.com. Answer posted April 7, 2006 Question: Do you know where I can buy a copy of the film The Future of Food? Do you know how it is possible to support farmers whose seed supply is being bought up by Monsanto?Answer: The future of food directly relates to the future of organic agriculture. The film The Future of Food does an excellent job at summing up some of the concerns surrounding the technology of genetic engineering. If genetically engineered crops are allowed to be grown they could easily contaminate nearby organic crops bringing an end to organic agriculture as we know it. For information on purchasing the film visit TheFutureofFood.com. The Social Action Committee of NOFA/Mass is working on genetically modified organism (GMO) issues in agriculture. If you want to become an active participant against this technology or need information about GMOs contact Jack Kittredge at 978-355-2853 or jack@nofamass.org. Answer posted April 7, 2006 Question: I am new to gardening but I want to grow organically for the health and safety of my family. What vegetables should I grow?Answer: The fact that there is no accounting for taste makes this a difficult question to answer. Seed catalogs contain extensive lists of fruits and vegetables all of which are worth a try. I suggest you grow what you like to eat. Grow what your family likes to eat and more importantly, if you have children, grow what they will eat. Question: Where can I purchase organically grown seeds?Answer: The following is a list of suppliers that was published in the January 2003 issue of Growing for Market:
Answer posted March 3, 2003 Question: I would like to raise a few meat birds in my backyard using pastured poultry methods but many of the resources I find focus on commercial production. Is good information available for home production of meat birds?Answer: Most of the information available for pastured poultry does relate to commercial production but enough information can be gleaned from these sources to get you going in the backyard. I suggest reading the commercial information and scaling it down to the size operation that you want to attempt. For example, commercial pens for chickens seem to average 10 X 12 feet with a height of 2 feet. Home production pens could be 8 X 8 feet with a height of 2 feet. Cheaper to build, adapts to smaller spaces, and are lighter and easier to move. The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) and the Cornell University Small Farms websites are excellent resources. ATTRA can be contacted at http://attra.ncat.org or 800-346-9140 and the Cornell Small Farms Program at http://www.cals.cornell.edu/agfoodcommunity/afs_temp3.cfm?topicID=416. Answer posted April 2, 2003 Question: Japanese beetles are eating everything. How can I control them in my garden and around my property?Answer: In my opinion, the best way to manage Japanese Beetles (JB) in suburban or semi-suburban settings is to mount a neighborhood campaign to reduce their populations. Japanese beetles are excellent flyers so movement between neighboring properties is not a problem for them. There are three organic tools besides hand picking that can be used by gardeners and in my experience; all three need to be employed to keep these critters at bay.
The parasitic nematodes and milky spore diseases are safe because they are specific for the target organisms and will not harm people or pets. Now you have to talk all the neighbors into implementing these management tools. Check your local garden centers for the above mentioned control tools. If they do not carry these items, ask the store to order them for you. If not, try Peaceful Valley Farm Supply at www.groworganic.com, Gardens Alive at www.gardensalive.com or Gardener's Supply Company at www.gardeners.com. Answer posted June 10, 2003 Last season I had terrible problems with cucumber beetles. Where can I get information on controlling these insects?Answer: Check out the ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas) program and their publication on cucumber beetles at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/cucumberbeetle.pdf Answer posted September 20, 2003 What is leaf mold? How do you make it?Answer: When leaves, including needles, decay they become leaf mold. Under natural conditions, this process takes place under trees. Leaf mold is not only an excellent source of organic matter but it also contains significant quantities of plant nutrients. The best time of year to start producing leaf mold is in the fall, when large quantities of leaf material are readily available. Leaves can be collected and left in a pile to decompose or they can be placed in a bin to decay. Bins can be constructed from fencing, pallets, scrapes of wood or any suitable material that can be formed to hold the leaves. Producing leaf mold is a rather slow process but what better way to dispose of all those leaves. The key ingredient to add to the pile of leaves to enhance the decomposition process is rich garden soil. Sprinkling a few shovels of soil with its many microbes among the leaves when making the pile really helps the decay process. Answer posted October 27, 2003 I have a terrible infestation of squash bugs whenever I try to grow summer or winter squash and pumpkins. I have tried rotating the crops and handpicking the eggs and adults, but it is a battle to get any fruit. Is there some way to control them?Answer: Handpicking can be quite the chore but if you are growing a small area, tenacious picking can be effective. Pyganic 5% (pyrethrum) and insecticidal soap are two organic products that are recommended for use against squash bugs. Both should be used when the insects are immature. In my opinion, row cover is the best protection against squash bug damage. The row cover needs to be installed over the crop as soon as possible after planting and removed when the plants begin to blossom so that the blossoms can be pollinated. Answer posted January 8, 2004 I need a source of bulk compost. Are there commercial compost producers in Massachusetts and if so, where can I buy certified organic compost?Answer: Download the Baystate List of local products Answer posted February 10, 2004 I have web-like tents on my trees filled with caterpillars. Their feeding is defoliating my trees. What are they and how can I get rid of them?Answer: You probably have tent caterpillars which are the larval stage of a yellowish-brown moth. They can defoliate many species of trees but seem to like cherry trees the best. During the spring of 2004, some sections of Mass. are experiencing heavy infestations. When the larvae are small, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis v. kurstaki) is effective. Bt is a bacterial disease that is specific for most leaf-feeding moth and butterfly larvae. It is harmless to humans, livestock and pets. If the caterpillars are large, they grow to about 2 inches long, then I recommend flaming them. Duct tape a small propane torch, the kind of torch a plumber uses, to a pole of some sort and burn the tents. Flame the tents in the early evening, before dark, when most of the caterpillars have returned to the nest. Be careful not to start the tree or shrub on fire. Answer posted May 22, 2004 My soil seems to compact on the surface after heavy rainfall. This rain induced compaction prevents my fine seeds (especially carrots) from germinating well. How can I prevent this compaction?Answer: This is a common problem on certain soils and is difficult to plan for given the number of T-storms during the spring. I recommend covering the carrot rows with row cover (Remay or other). The row cover breaks the force of the rain droplets preventing severe surface compaction yet is porous enough to let the water pass through it. After the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are growing, it is safe to remove the row cover. Answer posted June 15, 2004 Japanese Beetles are eating my roses and raspberries bushes. How can I easily catch them?Answer: Japanese Beetles can be brushed from plants into a 3-5 gallon bucket with an inch of soapy water at the bottom. The soapy water will prevent the beetles from leaving the bucket and will eventually kill them. A convenient collecting device can be constructed from two 1 gallon milk jugs. Duct tape the two jugs together at their openings and cut the bottom from one of the jugs. The two taped together jugs now look like an hour glass. Put an inch of soapy water in the uncut jug. Beetles can be collected by brushing them into the cut jug which funnels them into the soapy water. Answer posted July 18, 2004 Where can I find photographs that show the various vegetable pests in Massachusetts?Answer: The UMass Extension website (www.umassvegetable.org) has a link to the Extension Bookstore under Grower Services. Sign in under Fruit & Vegetable Production and here for sale is a booklet titled, New England Vegetable Management Guide Pest ID. This guide contains over 200 color photographs of weeds, insects and diseases that afflict vegetable crops in Massachusetts. The booklet can be ordered through the bookstore. Answer posted December 12, 2004 Where can I get my soil tested?Answer: UMass Amherst Extension offers a variety of soil and plant tissue testing options. They include; a standard soil test, pH test only, standard soil test plus organic matter, soil texture only, tissue test without nitrogen, and a tissue test with nitrogen. I recommend the standard soil test plus organic matter. This test includes; pH and lime requirements, levels of available plant nutrients and abnormally high levels of several toxic elements plus the percentage of organic matter in the soil. Recommendations on the amount of lime and fertilizer to add to the soil are included. Be sure to let the lab know that you are an organic grower and ask for recommendations in organic amendments. Tissue testing analyses plant nutrients from specific plant parts. If you are interested in soil or tissue testing contact: UMass Soil & Tissue Testing Lab, West Experiment Station, 682 North Pleasant Street, UMass, Amherst, MA 01003-9302, 413-545-2311 or www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/ Answer posted February 15, 2005 Have you ever heard of using corn gluten as an organic pre-emergent herbicide for weed control in vegetables?Answer: Corn gluten should be used with caution because it inhibits seed germination including vegetable seeds. You should wait 1-4 months after applying corn gluten, depending on soil and weather conditions, before direct seeding. If the temperature and biological activity of the soil is low and the soil is dry wait even longer (up to 6 months) to direct seed a crop. There should be little danger using this product on established plantings but trial small areas before applying to the entire crop. In wet years, corn gluten may actually favor weeds. In wet conditions, the herbicidal component of the gluten can be leached out of the soil and away from weed seeds while the nitrogen in the corn gluten can remain long enough to fertilize the weed crop. From an economic perspective, corn gluten is expensive and in large applications the results do not always justify the cost. Of course, it is important to make sure the corn gluten was processed from non-genetically engineered corn. Answer posted March 28, 2005 Question: I have a rather large compost pile that seems to be attracting rats. How can I prevent rats from living in or near my compost?Answer: Rats live were they live because they can make a living there. As soon as they can no longer make a living they usually move on. Your compost pile is providing those rats with some fundamental habitat requirements, namely food and shelter. If you want to rid your property of rats you must eliminate habitat. It is very difficult to reduce or eliminate the shelter component but food is another story. Rats eat a wide variety of food sources including meat scrapes, eggs, pasta, and seeds (corn, wheat, oats, soybeans, other grains) so not throwing rat food in the compost pile is critical. Once you eliminate their food supply, they should move elsewhere. Answer posted May 2, 2003 We recently bought a house with a small orchard (around 40 trees, mostly apple, some pear and plum) which had not been looked after for sometime. They are all about 20 years old. We’ve trimmed and cleaned them up but still get poor quality apples (though the pears and plums are excellent, when they fruit). We want to avoid chemical pesticides if at all possible. Any suggestions?Answer: It sounds as though you could have a nice little orchard operation but growing an organic apple requires tenacity and dedication. First, let me recommend a good book on the subject. In my opinion, the best book on organic apple growing is the “The Apple Grower” by Michael Phillips. He combines the wisdom of past orchardists with the latest scientific knowledge on the subject. You can order the “The Apple Grower” through your local bookstore or contact Acres U.S.A. Books at 1-800-355-5313 and ask for their book catalog. Acres U.S.A. has a small selection of other books relating to growing tree fruit organically. Answer posted August 31, 2005
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