The Rural Voice, 2001-08, Page 29dates, geared to the phase of the
moon and other extraterrestrial
forces, the belief being that there can
be an effect on plants similar to the
effect on tides.
Manure from the livestock, when
they're in the barns for the winter, is
composted in a static pile (not
turned). Because sheep manure is
fairly dry, it's important to keep the
moisture in for the composting
process to work. He covers the
compost pile with a covering like
straw or hay, and even tried some old
hay tarps to keep moisture in.
Because it isn't turned, the
manure is not piled too deeply for
composting, allowing air to enter.
This can cause problems in wet years
like 2000 when the pile can get
soggy,he admitted.
Boettcher uses a biodynamic
preparation made from
fermented herbs like yarrow,
camomile and stinging nettle to
inoculate the compost pile, a pinch
being inserted into holes spaced a
couple of paces apart throughout the
pile. He thinks this encourages all the
proper organisms necessary for
healthy composting activity. "There's
no doubt it's a quicker, more
complete composting," he says.
Once the composting process is
finished, Boettcher tries to spread as
thin a coating as possible over his
fields, using a manure spreader on a
very low setting and driving the
tractor as fast as possible. The
compost is quickly disked into the
field. (He does very little plowing,
preferring heavy disking instead.)
Using compost is more than just
fertilizing a field, he maintains, but is
inoculating the soil with beneficial
organisms that will promote
breakdown of old roots and crop
residues.
He uses a six-year crop rotation
with two years of livestock forage,
either hay or pasture or both, and
four years of row crops. The rotation
is based on the succession of heavy,
medium and Tight feeders among
crops. He doesn't grow soybeans
more than once every six years. He
makes use of spelt, winter wheat and
spring wheat. Since he switched to
organic production, oats have been
returned to his rotation, the crop
being targeted for human
consumption. He tries to alternative
Brussels
Agri Services Ltd.
\
SHEEP -
SUPPLIES"
• Gallagher Power
Fencing (sales &
installation)
• Hay & Grain Feeders
• Grober Milk Replacer
• Eartags, Hoofshears,
Handshears, etc.
• Feed
• Gates
Located at Brussels Livestock
(519) 887-9391
or Toll Free 1-877-887-9391
i
ATLAS TANNING
AND DYEING LTD.
P.O. Box 99 Blyth, Ont.,
Canada NOM 1H0
(519) 523-4595
Fax (519) 523-4565
Attention: Sheep Farmers
Atlas Tanning will purchase
your raw fleece wool
also available...
CUSTOM TANNING
of raw salted lambskins into
finished rugs
Visit our location on Hwy. #4
1 mi. south of Blyth
by THE OLD MILL
CaII 519-523-4595 f
THE
MILLER
GROUP
E.C. KING CONTRACTING
FOR COMPETITIVE PRICES, PROMPT DELIVERY
AND A QUALITY PRODUCT - CALL US
OWEN SOUND - 519-376-8155
PORT ELGIN - 519-832-5706
CLARKSBURG - 519-599-3140
DURHAM - 519-369-2100
COLLINGWOOD - 705-444-2224
Serving The Farm Community With Quality
Concrete Since 1946
AUGUST 2001 25