IRRIGATION
Charles W.Harris Irrigation Co. (N. Dighton). Jim Peeler is the sales rep, and his toll free number is 1-888-water31 or 508-824-5607; email him at: jbpeeler@tmlp.com.
LIME
Comment taken from the emasscraft e-mail list
We’ve had two pretty good experiences with Randy Blackmere from Connecticut – (860) 923-2710. He waits will he has a few jobs lined up in the same area, but he seems to go all over New England. He’s a good old-fashioned lime guy with some good old-fashioned spreading equipment…
COMPOST (Taken from a post to the emasscraft list)
hey farmers,
This is an update to the FREE COMPOST offer I posted a while back. Brick End’s Farm has customized a finer mesh screen (1”) to work for them (in spite of the weather), so their free Farmer Mix compost is quite clean. These guys have committed their time, talent, and resources to facilitate local food production. And by the way, supply is NOT one of their limiting factors.
Brick End’s Farm compost is made by windrowing consistent ratio’s of 4 basic ingredients 1. Leaves 2. food service and grocery store wastes (produce, floral, and meat depts.) 3. ground up brush and 4. a relatively small amount of horse manure/bedding. Because it is made with manure and is not certified, certified organic growers may use the compost as they would “raw manure”, ie, spreading it 90 or 120 days prior to harvest, depending what part of the crop is usually consumed.
I used their compost last season, and had very impressive results. In addition to using it on 4 acres of fld production (2 of which drown), I put 10 yds into a 600 squ ft hoophouse (this is like 5” over the entire thing). I got great germinations in soil that was at least 60% compost. We did three plantings on most beds, with “only” the initial compost amendment. I expected weeds with the compost, but we had none to speak of. Almost all of our non-drowned crops had yields well beyond my expectations. (This was on land in a few different towns). Peas existed in a fungal paradise under the weeds, but they didn’t know it. I’ve been growing veges at the hoophouse site (moms backyard) for 20 years on and off, and it never grew like it did last year.
Over time (20 years), and space (different towns) heavy compost based fertility was the common denominator in getting a great crop. This is not exactly a revelation, but it is a testament to the quality of Brick End’s Farms’ product.
If you are considering importing some compost this spring, check out your trucking options. The compost is in Hamilton, on the north shore between Beverly and Ipswich. It seems to work out to $5-$12/yd for the trucking– a good price for great compost. Ecologically speaking, the efficiency with which Brick End’s Farm is diverting waste and mass producing compost more than justifies the trucking. I encourage folks who find decent trucking to share the info by sending it to this emasscraft yahoogroups, or at least to me.
I’ve elaborated on my experience with this compost in response to several general questions regarding its quality and/or degree of decomposition. This stuff is Done; these microbes are ready to get back onto the planting field. Maybe this season is an away game… Road trip. Weed seeds- they seem pretty done as well. I’ve never aspired to make weed free compost, but it sure is a privilege to work with it. This stuff is priceless……
Call or email to ask questions, schedule a pickup, or if you’d like help arranging trucking.
Mike Raymond, First Light Farm, Hamilton, MA