So by windfall, I was able to attend some workshops at the Georgia Organics Conference…
1. SMALL SCALE COMPOSTING | Duane Marcus
Interesting. He talked about compost. Real nice guy. He pretty much drove home the idea that a compost heap is nothing more than a controlled ecosystem. As gardeners, we have to make them work for us. Although it seems daunting, it’s actually really easy. The only requirement is consistent maintenance. Fungus, worms, and bacteria feast on the heap’s dirt and organic matter. Larger insects eat smaller ones and before you know it, you’re compost heap heats up to about 150°F! This happens when your mini-ecosystem has enough critters in it (i.e. when the pile is larger than about 3x3x3 ft.). Important note: Aeration is paramount because the digestion of these substances is aerobic. Turning the pile periodically will keep activity high and ensure the appropriate temperature.
2. SOIL TESTING AND SOIL FERTILITY | Dr. David E. Kissel & Robert Tate
The soil fertility section of the talk was redundant, especially since I took the composting class…moving on: the bit on soil testing was somewhat valuable. Dr. Kissel talked a lot about how pH is an integral part of soil dynamics. In a high pH environment (greater than 7), cationic (positively charged) minerals such as Aluminum and Manganese are not available to the plant because they form stable complexes with other elements. The opposite is true for low pH environments (less than 5): cationic minerals are in toxic abundance (toxic for some plants). I also learned that Clay is largely anionic (negatively charged) and so attracts minerals such as Calcium and Potassium to form precursors for rock. Bottom Line: soil pH needs to be 6.0-6.5 for growing most veggies.
3. POLICY INFLUENCE ON FOOD CHOICE AND ACCESS | Michel Nischan + CDC
Informative. At least Nischan’s part was. Michel is the purveyor Wholesome Wave and just wants folks (ALL folks, not just rich ones) to eat fresh food because it’s good for them. He started the Double Value Coupon program in Bridgeport, CT. The program subsidizes the purchase of local produce by matching each dollar spent. Dr. Diane Harris of the CDC was also interesting. As a former academician in cancer research, she became disenfranchised with the quest for a magical pill that cures cancer. She expressed a frustration with the reductionist view of decomposing food into compound supplements. Now she’s getting her masters in public health—KUDOS!
4. FOOD’S ROLE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT | Dan Nadenicek & Eric MacDonald
Substance-less. I can’t really fathom all that was said in this session. My notes have holes as does my memory. The UGA environmental design department had a dog and pony show that wasn’t impressive. Much talk about “green” architecture, but no real plans. The projector was down so I’ll cut them some slack.
…I did see some folks from Roswell, GA expo-ing an amazing herb drink:
it has basil, dill, and stuff. For food products they definitely get the blue ribbon!
