- Saturday, December 17, 2011 Revision Gardening Hand Tool Sourcelist http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/gardening-hand-tools.faq =================================================================== Biointensive Gardening Guide and Farm & Garden Hand Tool Sourcelist =================================================================== Permanent Minimum-Till Biointensive Double-Dug Raised Bed Garden Preparation and Handtool Information & Sourcelist (work-in-progress - updated frequently) [update - agriculture, permaculture, gardening & biodynamics bibliography added (from books available through Amazon.com). - see below, near end of document. A brief update for those needing quick access to tool sources; most of this information is repeated further on in the document. = Over time, your most often used garden tools will likely be: Austrian scythe hand sickles and machetes (different types from all over the world) broadfork hand trowels and weeder/cultivators including Japanese, Korean and other Asian versions various eye hoes (Germany, Austria, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Central America) English-style D-handled spades, spade forks and digging forks long handled sharp and flat point shovels seeding rakes (Dutch or German) of varying width and number and length of tines forged steel heavy garden rakes pitchfork, compost fork manure forks or potato hoes of varying widths (make an excellent one of these by bending the tines on a pitchfork, indispensable for removing cut weeds from garden beds) This document lists most mail order sources for these tools. Don't forget to fabricate some yourself in your shop or contract with local craftsmen (woodworkers, blacksmiths, welders, machinists) Biointensive Gardening and Handtool Sourcelist http://biointensiveagriculture.blogspot.com/ biointensivegardening@gmail.com Biointensive Gardening and Hand Tools http://biointensivegardening.blogspot.com/ ecolandtech@gmail.com Garden Tools https://picasaweb.google.com/dirt.4arm/GardenTools# The weed/manure rake/hoe/fork made out of a pitchfork can be seen, first tool on the left, in this series of photographs, starting here: https://picasaweb.google.com/dirt.4arm/GardenTools#5472487141395137746 and ending here: https://picasaweb.google.com/dirt.4arm/GardenTools#5472487290264965282 Here are new resources for serious tool enthusiasts and tool makers: Machetes, Knives and Sickles ============================ Thailand-jungle-knife.wmv http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WyLnMqOwi-k Thai Kukri Knife Review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Jhj-gWZXI&feature=related couteaux thai traditionnels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiHEbfU6yIk&feature=related Amazing Knife Making Old style of making knives in Thailand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlZMTzjHQfE&feature=related Making Japanese knives - knife forging by Master Blacksmith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qABAEcmPvyg&feature=related 2 min tour - Japanese Knives - Handle Making Workshop this one is very enlightening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Faq8fG7emYQ&feature=related Making A Knife Handle (Quick Tips) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k31_CmdiovI&feature=related AUSTRIAN SCYTHES AND ACCESSORIES ================================ The Vidos (Kai, Peter, Alex and family); these folks wrote the book on traditional European scything: They offer for sale an enormous array of Austrian scythes, snaths, sickles and accessories and provide an encyclopedia of valuable information, links and reference material. Scytheworks http://www.scytheworks.ca/ Alexander Vido 71 Linden Avenue Victoria, BC, V8V 4C9 Canada phone: (250) 598-0588 scytheworks@shaw.ca Scythe Connection http://www.scytheconnection.com/ The Vido Family 1636 Kintore Road Lower Kintore New Brunswick, Canada E7H 2L4 scythe@scytheconnection.com phone: 506 273 3010 (a shack in the woods) or 506 273 2977 ("office" on an adjacent property) Both take messages and we check them daily. Scytheworks http://scytheworks.ca/ Video: http://scytheworks.ca/riseofthescythe.html Youtube comment with info: "Efficiency is relative. Did you ever try to cut tall grass like that with a bicycle lawn-mower, or any lawn-mower? The girl IS using her leg muscles to power her side-to-side movement. The strain on her arms is minimal with this technique. Of course, the scythe must be the right size for the user, and keeping the blade SHARP is crucial. Not all scythes are the same: the Continental European ("Austrian") design is far more ergonomic than the American pattern, but there's more to it than that..." Scythe Connection http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/retail/catalogue.html http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/retail/catalogueBlades.html Scythe Supply Carol Fishbein An excellent company with very nice scythes and lots of interesting, valuable information and a lovely website. They have a very wide selection of scythe blades, some made in the 1970's, and accessories http://www.scythesupply.com/ Scythe Supply 496 Shore Road Perry, ME 04667 Phone is (207) 853-4750 Email contact: http://scythesupply.com/emailUs.php The One Scythe Revolution Botan Anderson http://www.onescytherevolution.com/ This is an excellent company offering traditional Austrian blades and very fine Swiss snaths, whetstones, rakes, and other scythe accessories Lehman's http://www.lehmans.com/store/catalog?Args= Farm Hand Tools http://www.lehmans.com/store/Tools_Farm___Hand_Tools?Args=&view_all=&sort_by= Lehman's, One Lehman Circle, P.O. Box 270, Kidron, OH 44636 USA • Ph: 888-438-5346 Hours: Mon - Sat 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m. | Thur 8:00a.m.- 8:00p.m. | Closed Sun EYE HOES, BROADFORKS RIDGE-MAKING HOE AND SEEDING RAKES ======================================================= Gulland Forge Broadfork http://gullandforge.com/ "About the Broadfork The Broadfork, sometimes called a U-bar digger is used to loosen soil to prepare for planting or for adding soil amendments such as compost or mulches. It will open and loosen soil while minimizing damage to its living strata of flora and fauna that provide the nutrients for the garden bed. The Broadfork is also a great tool to choose for harvesting potatoes, beets, carrots, etc. The Details: Penetration depth - 9" Width - 17.5 " across tines Ash wood handles - 48" long Weighs just over 11 lbs. Protective coating of 50/50 Boiled Linseed Oil and Turpentine on all parts, safe for your soil." (this is the very best broadfork on the market, bar none) Hida Tool & Hardware Inc 1333 San Pablo Ave Berkeley, California 94702 (510) 524-3700 http://www.hidatool.com/ http://www.hidatool.com/shop/shop.html Ridge-making hoe Kusakichi Brand #553 Ridge Hoe Gardening Hoe An angled hoe designed to form the sides of a ditch. The total weight is 3.75 lbs. blade length overall size price N-7553 15inch x 6inch 48inch $70.60 Eye hoe (farmer hoe) Kusakichi Brand #524 Farmer Hoe Traditional hand-forged farmer hoe. A bigger version of the middle farmer hoe. It is useful for moving soils and weeding. The total weight is 3.9 lbs. blade length overall size price N-7524 7inch x 5inch 41inch $50.20 Three-tined (wide blades) cultivating eye hoe Kusakichi Brand #531 Farmer Rake Gardening Hoe A traditional hand-forged farmer rake. This tool is useful for turning soil and harvesting. The total weight is 4lbs. Kusakichi Brand #531 Farmer Rake blade length overall size price N-7531 8 5/8inch x 5 3/4inch 41 1/4inch $60.00 EARTH TOOLS, Inc. Walk-Behind Tractors and Compatible Implements hand tools for gardeners, homesteaders and farmers. 1525 Kays Branch Road Owenton, KY 40359 http://earthtoolsbcs.com (502) 484-3988 tel. (502) 484-3357 fa G30 - DeWit Seed Bed Rake Made of forged steel, the 9 super-heavy duty tines are spaced nearly 2” apart - perfect for ripping up and raking organic material out of old seed beds without pulling all the soil out too. Straight neck allows you to flip over and use the back to flatten bed. Head: 16.5" x 4" Length: 74" Weight: 4.4 lbs Price: $59.00 53565 - SHW ‘Root’ Hoe Heavier head for tougher chopping applications. Head: 4.5" x 8.5" Weight: 4.4 lbs Length: 54" Price: $43.00 Length: 75" Price: $49.00 54306 - SHW Grape Hoe The 'Big Mama' of hoes, available with your choice of two handle lengths (head shipped dis-mounted from handle) Head: 9.5" x 7" Weight: 5 lbs Length: 54" Price: $46.00 Length: 75" Price: $50.00 Gulland Forge Broadfork We are extremely pleased to have forged a partnership with Larry Cooper, owner of Gulland Forge, producer of this completely hand-made broadfork, which we feel is the finest on the market. The five forged tines have a 9" penetration depth and have a working width of 17.5". Supplied with custom-fitted ash handles and stainless steel bolts to hold them into the frame, the care that goes into making each fork is apparent. Both head and handles are coated with Linseed oil. Overall Length: 57" Overall Width: 21" Tine Length: 9" Tine Width: 17.5" Weight: 15lbs Price: $185.00 - History of biointensive, regenerative agriculture & soil quality information: The work of Bargyla Rateaver: Organic Method Primer Update: A Practical Explanation : the How and Why for the Beginner and the Experience by Bargyla Rateaver, Gylver Rateaver Book - January 1993 A Condensation of Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening A Condensation of Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening (1st Edition) by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, Bargyla Rateaver (Editor), Gylver Rateaver (Editor) Book - January 1973 <> The Work of Carey Reams: Carey A. Reams (1903-1985) was a man ahead of his time. Trained in mathematics, biophysics, and biochemistry he made many discoveries in the fields of human health, plant growth, energetics, animal health, and soil restoration. These findings were later codified in an overall view of life and energy known as Reams Biological Theory of Ionization (RBTI). Insect, weed and disease resistance in plants that have a high Brix reading and are nutrient dense. High Brix Farming and Gardening Nutrient Dense Food (this is now a popular trend guiding grocery shoppers to higher quality produce - Whole Foods now features certain fruits and vegetables that they advertise as being "nutrient dense") And the contribution of Acres USA again: http://www.crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm#DR.%20CAREY%20REAMS "Whatever the answer to those questions, it is known that he created a bombshell in the early 1970’s when he, refractometer in hand, walked into the office of ACRES USA and placed a simple chart on the editor’s desk. That chart correlated brix numbers with four general quality levels for most fruits and vegetables. Copied innumerous times, it has made its way around the world over and over." Reams Biological Theory of Ionization Understand what health is and what it means. Understand levels of body chemistry using urine and saliva. Understand the proper relationship of mental and spiritual aspects of health relating to body chemistry. "As a mathematical genius Reams was very familiar with Einstein's energy equation and understood its significance. During his many years of friendship with Albert Einstein he once chided him saying 'you know how to take matter apart but you don't know how to put it back together again.' Einstein immediately shot back that figuring out how to do that was a job for Reams." And a nice discovery: Free PDF Search Engine http://www.pdfgeni.com/ http://www.pdfgeni.com/book/carey-reams-pdf.html # Carey Reams in Usenet newsgroup archives at Google Groups # Carey Reams' Testing & Evaluation Methods, February 2007 • Vol. 37, No. 2 Acres USA article by Arden Anderson http://www.acresusa.com/toolbox/reprints/Feb07_ReamsTesting_andersen.pdf # PHOSPHATE By Dr. Carey A. Reams The factor which determines the ... http://www.proactiveag.com/upload/Phosphate%20-%20Dr.%20Carey%20Reams.pdf <> The work of Rex Harrill: USING A REFRACTOMETER TO TEST THE QUALITY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES Copyright 1994, 1998 by Rex Harrill PUBLISHED BY PINEKNOLL PUBLISHING P 0 BOX 6, KEEDYSVILLE, MD 21756 PH/FAX 301-432-2979 Cell phone 301-992-2979 http://www.crossroads.ws/brixbook/BBook.htm The Quest for Nutrient-Dense Food: High-Brix Farming and Gardening Jun 9, 2009 ... Suze Fisher interviews Rex Harrill on high-brix farming and gardening. www.westonaprice.org/The-Quest-for-Nutrient-Dense-Food-High-Brix-Farming-and-Gardening.html (link is 404) Weston Price interview with Rex Harrill. http://www.westonaprice.org/farming/nutrient-dense.html (also 404) <> Dr. Ana Primavesi (nutrient and microbial balances). Steve Diver summarized her work: http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/4/msg00085.html - This particular archive contains much useful information. It is made up of posts to sanet, permaculture and other forums over the years. You can browse summaries of the archives containing the individual posts or download each complete archive in plain text format containing all the messages in no particular order. <> Soil Foodweb, Inc. Elaine Ingham soilfoodweb@aol.com Soil Foodweb Approach http://www.soilfoodweb.com/sfi_approach1.html Soil Foodweb Oregon, LLC 635 SW Western Blvd, Corvallis OR 97333 tel: 541 - 752 - 5066 fax: 541 - 752 - 5142 info@oregonfoodweb.com soilfoodweb@AOL.COM <> Summaries of selected online resources: --------------------------------------- Compost Tea, Soil Foodweb, Soil Quality Discussion Archive 1 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/1/maillist.html Archive 2 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/2/maillist.html Archive 3 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/maillist.html Archive 4 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/4/maillist.html Archive 5 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/maillist.html Each archive as downloadable individual text files: --------------------------------------------------- CompostTea+NOSB-SanetMGThread 03-Jul-2008 16:44 2.1M http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/mailboxfiles/CompostTea+NOSB-SanetMGThread [ ] CompostTea+SoilFoodWeb 03-Jul-2008 16:44 1.4M http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/mailboxfiles/CompostTea+SoilFoodWeb [ ] CompostTea-SoilFoodweb 03-Jul-2008 16:47 4.8M http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/mailboxfiles/CompostTea-SoilFoodweb [ ] Composttea&Soilfoodweb-2 03-Jul-2008 16:43 182K http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/mailboxfiles/Composttea&Soilfoodweb-2 [ ] compost+soilfoodweb-sanetdiscussion 03-Jul-2008 16:43 848K http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/mailboxfiles/compost+soilfoodweb-sanetdiscussion Other useful information: ------------------------- Soils In Biological Agriculture http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/permaculture/mailarchives/discussion-threads/soil-quality Remineralize the Earth http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.selected-writings Glomalin: Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon - ARS Bulletin http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep02/soil0902.htm From: "ARS News Service" <isnv@ars-grin.gov> To: "ARS News List" <ars-news@ars-grin.gov> Subject: High CO2 Stimulates Soil-Building "Glue" Date: Wed, Aug 11, 1999, 11:03 AM High CO2 Stimulates Soil-Building "Glue" ARS News Service Agricultural Research Service, USDA Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov August 12, 1999 "In the first examination of the effects of high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on soil structure, an Agricultural Research Service scientist and cooperators found that the gas stimulates soil-dwelling fungi to produce more of a unique protein that greatly amplifies a soil's ability to store carbon. The study's results are described in a letter published in the August 12 issue of Nature magazine. One of the letter's authors, ARS soil scientist Sara F. Wright, previously discovered the protein and named it glomalin. She suspects it may be the primary glue that holds soil together. Now it appears that a little of this glue goes a long way toward helping soils keep carbon out of the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep02/soil0902.htm Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon A sticky protein seems to be the unsung hero of soil carbon storage. Until its discovery in 1996 by ARS soil scientist Sara F. Wright, this soil "super glue" was mistaken for an unidentifiable constituent of soil organic matter. Rather, it permeates organic matter, binding it to silt, sand, and clay particles. Not only does glomalin contain 30 to 40 percent carbon, but it also forms clumps of soil granules called aggregates. These add structure to soil and keep other stored soil carbon from escaping. As a glycoprotein, glomalin stores carbon in both its protein and carbohydrate (glucose or sugar) subunits. Wright, who is with the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, thinks the glomalin molecule is a clump of small glycoproteins with iron and other ions attached. She found that glomalin contains from 1 to 9 percent tightly bound iron." <> Chitin: http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/mycology/chitin.txt Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 08:18:07 -0500 Sender: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU> From: "Wilson, Dale" <WILSONDO@PHIBRED.COM> Subject: Chitin in laymans terms "Two basic strategies for mechanical support are found among living things, bones/muscles and tough, hard shells. Plants, fungi, insects, spiders, and crustaceans (including lots of tiny, tiny soil creatures) have shells or cell walls. Most of these exoskeletons and walls are made of sugar molecules spun together to make long chains. The sugar molecules are connected by a kind of linkage or bond that is very resistant to breakdown (unlike starch, which is easily broken into sugar). The plants make cell walls mainly out of cellulose, the main constituent of cotton and wood. The animals (and most fungi) that make cell walls and exoskeletons make them out of a substance very similar to cellulose called chitin, also fiberous and hard to break down. It is almost identical chemically to cellulose, except the sugar molecules have an amino group (contains N) stuck on the side. The fact that chitin contains all this nitrogen has important implications ecologically. Nitrogen is a scarce resource in most systems (well, not if you apply 200 lb/a!), and chitin is an important source of N, and sugar in many systems. There has been great pressure for the evolution of organisms that can exploit this resource. In soils with a large currency of chitin (soils with a lot of fungi) there are also many organisms that eat chitin for breakfast. In such situations, chitin is less effective as armor plate. It so happens that nematodes use chitin as armor plate, and of course most fungi do to. Soil with a high rate of formation and breakdown of chitin is less hospitable to nematodes and fungi. Flora must spend more energy defending itself. Plants have ways of exploiting this situation at the root/soil interface. It is all wonderfully complex and, well, miraculous (also very violent on a tiny scale)." Dale <> VAMs, phosphorous, clover, formononetin & Myconate: Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Soil solution concentrations of phosphorus Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:08:10 -0500 From: Beginning Farmers <beginningfarmers@gmail.com> To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@lists.ifas.ufl.edu> "Based on this result it was postulated that the plants were actually sending out a 'signal' when they were under P stress that 'told' the mycorrhizae 'we need help'. Another researcher, Muralee Nair, was able to isolate a compound called formononetin - an isoflavanoid (think soybeans) that was responsible for the signal. Formononetin was present in such small quantities that Nair didn't believe the results at first. But after isolating and synthesizing the compound, he consistently got significant increases in not only mycorrhizal colonization but also rhizobial nodulation (associated with nitrogen fixation) in legumes. You can get the paper for free here:" http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.1991.tb00568.x/abstract fungi-mycorrhizae.faq http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/mycology/fungi-mycorrhizae.faq mycology http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/mycology/ <> Soil quality, biointensive no-till gardening guide, gardening hand tool sourcelist: http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/gardening-hand-tools.faq June 4, 2010 Revision Gardening Hand Tool Sourcelist http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/gardening-hand-tools.faq =================================================================== Biointensive Gardening Guide and Farm & Garden Hand Tool Sourcelist =================================================================== Permanent No-Till Biointensive Double-Dug Raised Bed Garden Preparation and Handtool Information & Sourcelist <><><><> > The fine rock he is talking about, can it be anything? I have access > to granite dust, and basalt sand, but I don't know if its 200 mesh. I Yes to the above, basalt sand and especially the granite dust. Siltation pond fines are what you want, Every quarry has them and they are EPA regulated and the fines are clean. Screenings are a commercial product and use in the manufacture of asphalt; they are larger particle size then most sand. It does not have to be 200 mesh but obviously the finer it is the quicker it will break down through natural action. > am a potter too and mixing glazes we dont usually go below 100 mesh, > 200 is pretty small. That seems to be the point though. Any > suggestions finding rock powder that particle size? Thats it, that is the point. Smallest possible fines. Dust or larger. > I also feel pretty bad about our plans to till now. Double digging is The thing about rototilling is that it destroys life in the soil by disrupting the habitat of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, microarthropods, and earthworms. Also, regarding soil pH, Elaine Ingham of Soil Foodweb, Inc writes: "It is the biology in the soil that determines soil pH. <...> Until the habitat in the soil is changed so that beneficial bacteria and fungi are selected for by the soil environment, low pH problems will eternally haunt you. Constructing your beds using a spade or digging fork and a digging spade will allow you to retain a much higher percentage of the established colonies of these organisms." <> categories of soil inhabitants (unicellular and multicellular) Bacteria Fungi Algae Protozoa Nematodes Microarthropods Enchytraeids Earthworms Ants, termites, spiders Mollusks Others: rodents, snakes, voles, amphibians, dung beetles, fire ants, moles, armadillos, gophers Actinomycetes: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/4401/actinomycete "any member of a heterogeneous group of gram-positive, generally anaerobic bacteria noted for a filamentous and branching growth pattern that results, in most forms, in an extensive colony, or mycelium. The mycelium in some species may break apart to form rod- or coccoid-shaped forms. Many genera also form spores; the sporangia, or spore cases, may be found on aerial hyphae, on the colony surface, or free within the environment. Motility, when present, is conferred by flagella. Many species of actinomycetes occur in soil and are harmless to animals and higher plants, while some are important pathogens, and many others are beneficial sources of antibiotics. - What do bacteria do in soil: Colonize aerobic and anaerobic environments Decompose labile substrates Mediate redox transformations Nourish bacterivores Fix N - What Fungi Do in the Soil: Decompose recalcitrant organic compounds Penetrate residues Stabilize soil structure Nourish fungivores Form symbioses with plant roots and soil fauna Compete with plant pathogens Parasitize plants and soil animals Produce toxins e.g. aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus on peanut" - And there's more to this, obviously - I will add new info I have found as soon as I have edited it. LL <> The kind of fine tillage that a rototiller does is very disrupting and since you're working on small scale, incrementing preparation of small areas toward completion of large areas using a careful, gradual process you will gain much more in the realm of soil tilth, soil life and long and short term fertility and productive capacity in your garden by completing the construction process slowly and carefully. Its the tortoise and hare thing. 1) Adding rock fines will add significant tilth to your soil and will prevent it from becoming compacted thereafter. If you're going to hand dig your beds then start with Step One and compost the turf as you excavate the soil. Remove the living turf in slabs, invert (or don't invert) it onto shallow piles so it can decompose aerobically; add compost to it to speed this process up. Then get on with the business of hand digging, tilthing and amending the remaining soil in your beds to the depth you want. It all a logical process. Have your pile(s) of quarry fines (rock dust) (get a tandem load, triaxle load or dump trailer 36 yard load; its free usually, j ust pay for trucking to your site), manure(s), any aged materials to use as compost, i.e. rotted sawdust or bark or leaves or spoiled hay and specialized NPK/mineral/trace mineral commercial amendments on hand ready to add to your excavated soil on hand before you start work. This will make the work go more rapidly and will be more interesting. > serious work. I'll start there. I had thought maybe after turning > under the sod, I could U-bar my way down. We will have to see. You don't just turn under the sod, you remove it from the garden completely to rot, with extra compost, aerobically. Also read about Huegelkulture and how that can be used to make big, sometimes above grade, growing beds and how turf is incorporated into them. Permies.com has documents on this as well as ongoing discussion threads with pictures. Read both. This is an alternate way to create growing beds but, in your case, you need to stick with conventional double digging to convert your pasture to production gardens as that is orderly and efficient and the definitive method you can use for bed maintenance and expansion on a permanent basis. You use the UBar to loosen soil below the depth you have excavated with your digging spade and spade fork, i.e. loosened/tilthed in situ but not inverted, left in place. This is the process followed periodically after the beds are done and you need to tilth them seasonally or between crops; inverting the soil is not done then or ever after initial bed construction. The UBar can be used from the start to make double digging go faster and it is generally a good idea to use it throughout as long as you do not compromise the double digging process, which proceeds in a controlled and orderly fashion for a reason, efficiency and thoroughness of tilthing and incorporation of amendments added. Thoroughness of tilthing means conversion of compacted unimproved soil to soil with more biological activity and therefore more naturally occuring tilth and fertility. Less tilling is better then more but when you are working with compacted clay soil you may have to go to some length to achieve this goal; often involving improving soil in growing beds in a rotational strategy. Excavate soil and leave it to break down and loosen, with the addition of compost, naturally over a longer period of time. Meanwhile you are completing the final prep stages of other beds that are almost ready for planting or mulching and/or cover cropping, then planting with food crop. <><><><> (from a sanet-mg post by D. Hinds) categories of soil inhabitants (unicellular and multicellular) Bacteria Fungi Algae Protozoa Nematodes Microarthropods Enchytraeids Earthworms Ants, termites, spiders Mollusks Others: rodents, snakes, voles, amphibians, dung beetles, fire ants, moles, armadillos, gophers Actinomycetes: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/4401/actinomycete "any member of a heterogeneous group of gram-positive, generally anaerobic bacteria noted for a filamentous and branching growth pattern that results, in most forms, in an extensive colony, or mycelium. The mycelium in some species may break apart to form rod- or coccoid-shaped forms. Many genera also form spores; the sporangia, or spore cases, may be found on aerial hyphae, on the colony surface, or free within the environment. Motility, when present, is conferred by flagella. Many species of actinomycetes occur in soil and are harmless to animals and higher plants, while some are important pathogens, and many others are beneficial sources of antibiotics." What do bacteria do in soil: Colonize aerobic and anaerobic environments Decompose labile substrates Mediate redox transformations Nourish bacterivores Fix N What Fungi Do in the Soil: Decompose recalcitrant organic compounds Penetrate residues Stabilize soil structure Nourish fungivores Form symbioses with plant roots and soil fauna Compete with plant pathogens Parasitize plants and soil animals Produce toxins e.g. aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus on peanut "He doesn't specifically mention producing phyto-hormones or antibiotic substances but the phyto-hormones are formed in symbiosis with plant roots and antibiotics work by competing with (and thereby interrupting) one or more of a pathogen's fundamental metabolic processes." Soil Ecology Primer includes information from <http://soils.usda.gov/>: "Soils is part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, an effort of Federal and State agencies, universities, and professional societies to deliver science-based soil information." Lawrence mentioned a need to establish "primary categories" and referred to 7 categories Elaine Ingham presents. It would be interesting to compare her classification system with the taxonomical approach used by National Cooperative Soil Survey mentioned by Joel and available via the above website. The Soil Foodweb approach to soil management emphasizes the importance of soil microorganisms and focuses on the use of compost, compost tea and soil testing. Soil Foodweb provides information and offers lab services and courses related to those key elements. <http://www.soilfoodweb.com ATTRA, the National Agriculture Library (NAL), WinRock and the principle agricultural universities' websites are other sources that surely contain information relevant. (There's another on-line soil library with links to an important work, original from Russia on soil organisms not available elsewhere. Biologist Lynn Margulis has published a number of important works, including: Five Kingdoms: An illustrated guide to the phyla of life on Earth (1998) Symbiosis in Cell Evolution: Microbial communities in the Archean and Proterozoic eons (second edition, 1993). Her classification system for organisms is unique and deserves attention. Google search "soil ecology" The Soil Ecology Society (SES) is an international organization of researchers, students, environmental professionals and others interested in the ... www.wcsu.edu/ses/ses.html - 4k - Cached - Similar pages Soil ecology D C Coleman & D A Crossley in 'Fundamentals of soil ecology, 1996, assign functions and influence on nutrient cycling and soil structure to these groups in ... www.seafriends.org.nz/enviro/soil/ecology.htm - 55k - Cached - Similar pages Soil Ecology Lab Study Questions. Exam Questions from Labs. Soil Ecology Links .... For more information on soil ecology and soil organisms, visit The Microbe zoo ... cropsoil.psu.edu/courses/soils101/labs/ecology.html - 17k - Cached - Similar pages Gordon's Soil Ecology Page An Introduction to the amazing world of the soil, its inhabitants and their ecology. www.earthlife.net/insects/soileco.html - 50k - Cached - Similar pages Soil Ecology in the Yahoo! Directory Yahoo! reviewed these sites and found them related to Soil Ecology. dir.yahoo.com/Science/Ecology/Soil_Ecology/ - 7k - Cached - Similar pages Applied Soil Ecology - Elsevier Applied Soil Ecology addresses the role of soil organisms and their interactions in relation to: agricultural productivity, nutrient cycling and other soil ... www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/524518 - 68k - Cached - Similar pages GSF Soil Ecology The primary concern of the Institute of Soil Ecology is the conservation and evaluation of soil in its role as the support for plants and as a significant ... www.gsf.de/iboe/ - 8k - Cached - Similar pages Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Microbiology Research projects and publications (University of Rhode Island, USA). www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/seml/ - 7k - Cached - Similar pages Soil Ecology and Restoration Group Primary focus is on soils and below-ground processes in arid and semiarid ecosystems with emphasis on microbial ecology and plant-microorganism ... www.sci.sdsu.edu/SERG/ - 3k - Cached - Similar pages Soil ecology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Soil ecology is the study of the interactions among soil organisms, and between biotic and abiotic aspects of the soil environment. ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_ecology - 22k - Cached - Similar pages <> One approach is investing in a lot of time, tillage and materials up front, inverting the soil, fragmenting its crumb structure, with associated temporary disruption of soil life and soil structure, oxidation of organic matter and release of co2 through exposure of humus to air in order to improve and deepen soil tilth, fertility, drainage, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, organic matter content and overall soil quality providing an improved, healthy medium for hosting beneficial microorganisms and other creatures that make garden soil their home. You remove much of the soil in the bed, add organic matter and mineral based soil amendments to it, homogenize these materials then return the amended, enriched soil mix to the bed. This is done in increments of one (typical short (42" to 48") English D-handled *see below) digging spade blade width wide and one spade blade length deep for the width of the bed (38-50" wide depending on the gardener's height). You want highly mineralized soil, high in tilth and fertility, producing vegetables and fruits with exceptional flavor. Add rock dust from quarries to your garden soil for trace minerals, microbe food and tilth, permanently eliminating soil compaction. This is called siltation pond fines. It is so fine that if you put some in a glass of water it turns cloudy and stays that way for quite a while before settling into a layer of sludge on the bottom; so fine it would take a microscope to see the individual particles. This is great material to feed plants and soil microorganisms and invertebrates in your garden. I think we are talking 200 mesh or finer; some fines are a little coarse by comparison to my basalt/volcanic tuff fines and some are an aggregate with the largest component almost microscopic, like the talcum powder in pyrophylite fines (dredged from the quarry's siltation ponds). To prevent compaction, permanently, fines act mechanically to interfere with clay and silt particles that when compressed when wet become highly compacted when dried out - a serious problem for gardeners needing productive high-tilth soil. I have used this material to enrich soil for the benefit of plants, microorganisms and invertebrates and to permanently prevent any compaction of my soil that would significantly reduce the productivity of the gardens. The materials include "siltation pond fines" from the following types of rock: granite, volcanic tuff (maybe basalt, very hard rock, 2nd hardest in NC) and pyrophyllite screenings. I am glad to hear that granite, high in silica is a sink for lime making my soil acidic, good for most crops, pH 6.1 to 6.6 or so. Tillage is expensive, disruptive of soil life and inconvenient when it needs to be done and the soil is too wet; i.e. weeds can get out of control and go to seed when tillage can't be done, like in Spring, to remove them and create a fine, weed free seedbed for new plantings. Fines are mixed with existing soil on site, sometimes in a 30 or 40 to 50 ratio. The clay or silt particles become permanently separated from each other and cannot be seriously compacted again. This effect is also achieved with the addition of compost or manures to the soil. The fines feed the microorganisms that help break down the fines and make trace minerals available to plants; these microbes also break down any raw or composted organic matter added to soil to become humus, feed released nutrients to crops and improve the soil crumb structure providing added tilth to your garden soil. The extra trace minerals in garden soil makes crops taste much better. The famous tomatoes grown in volcanic soils in places in Italy taste so good for this same reason. That's how fines relieve compaction and add to soil health and vitality, crop health and disease and predator resistance and crop flavor, appearance and keeping qualities. More about fines dissolved in water. In places in the high country areas in Eastern countries people drink cold river water that is cloudy and high in mineral content; they live long lives. I would remove the top 8" or more of your raised bed-to-be. Then, "in situ" (without turning or inverting the soil layers) tilth or dig up and pulverize an additional, lower 8-12" of subsoil; add amendments of all sorts to the 8" of soil you removed then put it back in place on top of the subsoil layers you just tilthed - then you will have a "raised bed", the new garden bed surface will now extend 4-8" above existing grade. This will address any concern about your garden drying out during drought times if you use raised beds. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages and with the following technique you will have no problems whatsoever. Avoid having paths between the beds that are level with existing grade but ditches or furrows between the beds. These provide much needed drainage and you can fill these ditches with mulch, weeds, hay, etc all the way up to the tops of your raised beds. You want to to accomplish the objective of increasing depth of tilth and fertility in the soil in your beds. Mulching the top layer is mandatory. Mulch will decompose leaving the seedbed fine and loose while leaching humus and compost tea into lower layers of garden soil including sub soil areas to depths of several feet (partly because you have already tilled this zone). You want a permanent, notill, biointensive raised bed that gets better each year through the action of compost tea, humus and nutrients that leach from the top layers into the lower layers; that's a real "trickle-down bioeco-economy" with big pay back in quality produce for the table and for market. This is real Pay Dirt as J.I. Rodale described it. After this process is completed you need never again turn your soil, except to a depth no greater than is necessary to control newly emerging weeds, break crust and create a fine, loose seedbed. You now have biointensive no-till, permanent raised beds. This technology has been around for centuries and it works. There is a very big net gain for soil, its inhabitants and the environment. See John Jeavons books, Alan Chadwick's literature and lectures (links on my website) and Aquatias' "Intensive Culture of Vegetables, French System". Double digging is as essential and indispensible to gardening anywhere in the world, where the climate does not mandate other methods, as grain is to bread. * -> One of these spades: Wooden D-handled digging spade: 28" length for most people, 32" for tall people or get the long straight handled version, see below. http://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/img/products/thumbnails/5610012820_500x263.jpg http://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/index.php?mod=3&id=7&rid=1 Long straight handled version: http://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/index.php?mod=3&id=12&rid=1 This is the big dog on the block when it comes to traditional English hand gardening tools; these were available at the beginning of the modern organic gardening and farming movement in the 1960's: Bulldog - Quality Garden, Contractor and Agricultural Tools Rollins Bulldog Tools "Bulldog Tools have been made at Clarington Forge in Wigan, England, for over 200 years. Generations of Farmers, Contractors and Professional Landscapers stand testimony to a quality of product upon which their livelihoods depend. The skill and craftsmanship that were the key to the company's success in those early days are still maintained and are available to this day." \|/ = /|\ For hand tools unavailable elsewhere in the USA see: EARTH TOOLS, Inc. Walk-Behind Tractors and Compatible Implements hand tools for gardeners, homesteaders and farmers. 1525 Kays Branch Road Owenton, KY 40359 http://earthtoolsbcs.com (502) 484-3988 tel. (502) 484-3357 fa Indispensable tools from them include: G30 - DeWit Seed Bed Rake Made of forged steel, the 9 super-heavy duty tines are spaced nearly 2” apart - perfect for ripping up and raking organic material out of old seed beds without pulling all the soil out too. Straight neck allows you to flip over and use the back to flatten bed. Head: 16.5" x 4" Length: 74" Weight: 4.4 lbs Price: $59.00 53565 - SHW ‘Root’ Hoe Heavier head for tougher chopping applications. Head: 4.5" x 8.5" Weight: 4.4 lbs Length: 54" Price: $43.00 Length: 75" Price: $49.00 54306 - SHW Grape Hoe The 'Big Mama' of hoes, available with your choice of two handle lengths (head shipped dis-mounted from handle) Head: 9.5" x 7" Weight: 5 lbs Length: 54" Price: $46.00 Length: 75" Price: $50.00 Gulland Forge Broadfork We are extremely pleased to have forged a partnership with Larry Cooper, owner of Gulland Forge, producer of this completely hand-made broadfork, which we feel is the finest on the market. The five forged tines have a 9" penetration depth and have a working width of 17.5". Supplied with custom-fitted ash handles and stainless steel bolts to hold them into the frame, the care that goes into making each fork is apparent. Both head and handles are coated with Linseed oil. Overall Length: 57" Overall Width: 21" Tine Length: 9" Tine Width: 17.5" Weight: 15lbs Price: $185.00 AUSTRIAN SCYTHES AND ACCESSORIES ================================ The Vidos (Kai, Peter, Alex and family); these folks wrote the book on traditional European scything: They offer for sale an enormous array of Austrian scythes, snaths, sickles and accessories and provide an encyclopedia of valuable information, links and reference material. Scytheworks http://www.scytheworks.ca/ Alexander Vido 71 Linden Avenue Victoria, BC, V8V 4C9 Canada phone: (250) 598-0588 scytheworks@shaw.ca Scythe Connection http://www.scytheconnection.com/ The Vido Family 1636 Kintore Road Lower Kintore New Brunswick, Canada E7H 2L4 scythe@scytheconnection.com phone: 506 273 3010 (a shack in the woods) or 506 273 2977 ("office" on an adjacent property) Both take messages and we check them daily. Scythe Supply Carol Fishbein An excellent company with very nice scythes and lots of interesting, valuable information and a lovely website. They have a very wide selection of scythe blades, some made in the 1970's, and accessories http://www.scythesupply.com/ Scythe Supply 496 Shore Road Perry, ME 04667 Phone is (207) 853-4750 Email contact: http://scythesupply.com/emailUs.php The One Scythe Revolution Botan Anderson http://www.onescytherevolution.com/ This is an excellent company offering traditional Austrian blades and very fine Swiss snaths, whetstones, rakes, and other scythe accessories Lehman's http://www.lehmans.com/store/catalog?Args= Farm Hand Tools http://www.lehmans.com/store/Tools_Farm___Hand_Tools?Args=&view_all=&sort_by= Lehman's, One Lehman Circle, P.O. Box 270, Kidron, OH 44636 USA • Ph: 888-438-5346 Hours: Mon - Sat 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m. | Thur 8:00a.m.- 8:00p.m. | Closed Sun \|/ = /|\ You will also need (all from Bulldog or Spear & Jackson or other manufacturer) 1) a D-handled garden spade (less angle between handle and blade) 2) a D-handled digging fork 3) a D-handled spade fork All of these can be seen at the Bulldog site \|/ = /|\ You will need an eye hoe, preferably the Japanese farmer hoe with short handle and a few other tools, available from Hida Tool: Hida Tool http://www.hidatool.com/shop/shop.html (this is the most useful eye hoe to get, the other is lighter in weight) Kusakichi Brand #524 Farmer Hoe item# blade length overall size price N-7524 7inch x 5inch 41inch $49.20 This is an amazing tool, used to clean silt and OM from between beds to put back on beds - ridge making hoe - or move dirt or make beds Kusakichi Brand #553 Ridge Hoe item# blade length overall size price N-7553 15inch x 6inch 48inch $69.60 Kusakichi Brand #531 Farmer Rake item# blade length overall size price N-7531 8 5/8inch x 5 3/4inch 41 1/4inch $59.00 This is a three wide-tined hoe, great for weeding and tilthing, disturbs soil structure less. \|/ = /|\ Sneeboer tools are excellent. Great if you can find a source for them in the USA. The tools to get from them are the variois sizes and configurations of their SEEDING RAKES; they are indispensible! They also have a great garden spade and an exceptional Dutch-style spade fork, a one of a kind tool, as are the seeding rakes (you will find it difficult to do without several sizes of this useful tool. SNEEBOER & ZN http://www.sneeboer.com/ Products http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19 (an amazing array of quality tools) These are the seeding rakes: -The best seeding rakes for preparing a seedbed for new plantings are -the ones with 6 and 8 medium length tines - the others are less -useful for this aplication. Sloothark 4t 4 long tines & 185 cm length http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=114 Klauw of Hark 8t 8 medium tines http://www.sneeboer.com/popup.htm?beheer/ass/img/org_product115-1.gif http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=115 Klauw of Hark 6t 6 long tines Tuinhark 8t 8 medium tines, 167 cm overall length http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=117 Tuinhark 6t http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product118-1.jpg 6 medium tines 167 cm http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=118 Tuinhark 5t http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product119-2.jpg 5 long tines 167 cm. length http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=119 Tuinhark 4t 4 long tines http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product120-2.jpg http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product120-1.jpg http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=120 Fijnhark 10 t http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product207-2.jpg 10 medium tines http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=207 Amerikaanse Hark 10 t American style rake 10 medium tines http://www.sneeboer.com/beheer/ass/img/org_product208-2.jpg http://www.sneeboer.com/index2.php?page=19&articleID=208 http://www.sneeboerusa.com/ Sneeboer USA c/o Cole Gardens 430 Loudon Road Concord, NH 03301 phone 603-229-0655 fax 603-229-0657 doug@sneeboerusa.com Garden Rake, 4 prongs, fine toothed http://www.sneeboerusa.com/Images/Large/6007.jpg http://www.sneeboerusa.com/Images/6007.jpg Width : 5.2 in (13 cm) Handle Length : 59 in. (150 cm) Price : $83.00 Product Code : 6007 American Rake, 10 tined http://www.sneeboerusa.com/Images/Large/6070.jpg http://www.sneeboerusa.com/Images/6070.jpg Width : 12 X 3.1 in (42 X 8 cm) Handle Length : 66.9 in. (170 cm) Price : $118.00 Product Code : 6070 \|/ = /|\ http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/images/garden-tool-english-spade.jpg http://www.vegetablegardener.com/assets/uploads/posts/2873/kg17-double-digging-01_lg.jpg http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/images/double-digging.jpg http://hubpages.com/hub/HubMob-Topic-Of-The-Week-Green-Thumb-Hubbers-Landscaping--gardening-and-loving-your-yard_1 http://shop.waycooltools.com/images/1192658156236-807030603.jpeg This company offers an amazing selection of good tools for biointensive gardeners and double diggers, much to choose from: WayCoolTools.com # P.O.Box 235 White Hall, VA 22987 # 877-353-7783 # contact@waycooltools.com # 434-823-4600 http://shop.waycooltools.com/category.sc?categoryId=3 \|/ = /|\ Here's more; this is good material from the BBC: Gardening Guides Digging your garden http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/soil_digging1.shtml Double digging Double digging is useful when drainage needs to be improved, or if the ground has not been previously cultivated. This is a time-consuming process but is worth the hard work and will result in good soil. * The soil is worked to a depth of two spades, rather than one, and it’s essential to keep the two layers of soil (subsoil and topsoil) separate. In order to do this, the lower half of the trench can be dug over in situ. * Remove the soil from the upper and lower spits of the first trench and from the upper spit of the second, placing it aside on the ground in three separate, clearly marked piles. * The soil can then be transferred from the lower spit of the second trench to the base of the first trench, and from the upper spit of the third trench to the top of the first. This ensures that the topsoil and subsoil remain separate. * Continue digging trenches in the same way, until you reach the end of the bed where soil saved from the first trench can be used to fill the appropriate layers in the final trench. \|/ = /|\ And this great blog article with extensive links on double digging using the Chadwick/Jeavons French Intensive biointensive method: Double Digging http://constructal.blogspot.com/2006/04/double-digging.html "In 2004 we also volunteered at the Center for Sustainability to help double dig some of their garden plots. Double digging is the first step in the bio-intensive gardening technique, which we were unfamiliar with. So I did a little bit of research on the technique and this year I am going to try it on our garden plot. This technique was developed by Alan Chadwick and furthered and promoted by John Jeavons of Ecology Action. It aims at maximizing the yield from the available area AND maintain the soil quality at the same time through sustainable organic methods of gardening. The center for sustainability has a very good webpage about this technique. Some other links I found are at the bottom of this post." Center For Sustainability http://www.engr.psu.edu/cfs/ and there, on double digging: http://www.engr.psu.edu/cfs/projects/biointensive.aspx Ecology Action http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/Ecology.html See also Bountiful Gardens http://www.bountifulgardens.org/ Other links: http://constructal.blogspot.com/2006/04/double-digging.html#Links Biointensive Gardening Technique http://www.engr.psu.edu/cfs/projects/biointensive.aspx Bountiful Gardens http://www.bountifulgardens.org/growbiointensive.html Ecology Action Biointensive Gardening http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/GROW-BIOINTENSIVE.html Books by John Jeavons http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/book.html \|/ = /|\ Soil Quality resources, webforum archives, materials from various lists: souscayrous' biological farming & permaculture collection Hazelip, Bonfils and more http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/souscayrous Soils In Biological Agriculture http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/permaculture/mailarchives/discussion-threads/soil-quality/ Remineralize the Earth http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.selected-writings Additional Soil Quality Links and Literature http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/soil-links+lit.html Compost Tea, Soil Foodweb, Soil Quality Discussion: Archive 1 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/1/maillist.html Archive 2 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/2/maillist.html Archive 3 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/maillist.html Archive 4 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/4/maillist.html Archive 5 http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/maillist.html \|/ = /|\ Gardening Hand Tool Sourcelist (needs revising) http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/documents/gardening-hand-tools.faq Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/index.html \|/ = /|\ Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep02/soil0902.htm Glomalin, extracted from undisturbed Nebraska soil and then freeze-dried. (K9969-2) A sticky protein seems to be the unsung hero of soil carbon storage. Until its discovery in 1996 by ARS soil scientist Sara F. Wright, this soil "super glue" was mistaken for an unidentifiable constituent of soil organic matter. Rather, it permeates organic matter, binding it to silt, sand, and clay particles. Not only does glomalin contain 30 to 40 percent carbon, but it also forms clumps of soil granules called aggregates. These add structure to soil and keep other stored soil carbon from escaping. As a glycoprotein, glomalin stores carbon in both its protein and carbohydrate (glucose or sugar) subunits. Wright, who is with the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, thinks the glomalin molecule is a clump of small glycoproteins with iron and other ions attached. She found that glomalin contains from 1 to 9 percent tightly bound iron. A microscopic view of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus: Click here for full photo caption. A microscopic view of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus growing on a corn root. The round bodies are spores, and the threadlike filaments are hyphae. The substance coating them is glomalin, revealed by a green dye tagged to an antibody against glomalin. (K9968-1) Glomalin is causing a complete reexamination of what makes up soil organic matter. It is increasingly being included in studies of carbon storage and soil quality. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of its interest in carbon storage as an offset to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, partially funded a recent study by lab technician Kristine A. Nichols, a colleague of Wright's. Nichols reported on the study as part of her doctoral dissertation in soil science at the University of Maryland. That study showed that glomalin accounts for 27 percent of the carbon in soil and is a major component of soil organic matter. Nichols, Wright, and E. Kudjo Dzantor, a soil scientist at the University of Maryland-College Park, found that glomalin weighs 2 to 24 times more than humic acid, a product of decaying plants that up to now was thought to be the main contributor to soil carbon. But humic acid contributes only about 8 percent of the carbon. Another team recently used carbon dating to estimate that glomalin lasts 7 to 42 years, depending on conditions. For the study, the scientists compared different chemical extraction techniques using eight different soils from Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Nebraska. They found that current assays greatly underestimate the amount of glomalin present in soils. By comparing weights of extracted organic matter fractions (glomalin, humic acid, fulvic acid, and particulate organic matter), Nichols found four times more glomalin than humic acid. She also found that the extraction method she and Wright use underestimates glomalin in certain soils where it is more tightly bound than usual. Soil scientist examines a soil aggregate coated with glomalin: Click here for full photo caption. In her Beltsville laboratory, soil scientist Sara Wright examines a soil aggregate coated with glomalin, a soil protein she identified in 1996. (K9972-1) In a companion study, Nichols, Wright, and Dzantor teamed up with ARS chemist Walter F. Schmidt to examine organic matter extracted from the same soils under a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imager. They found that glomalin's structure differs from that of humic acid—or any other organic matter component—and has unique structural units. In a current study in Costa Rica, partly funded by the National Science Foundation, Wright is using glomalin levels and root growth to measure the amount of carbon stored in soils beneath tropical forests. She is finding lower levels of glomalin than expected and a much shorter lifespan. "We think it's because of the higher temperatures and moisture in tropical soils," she explains. These factors break down glomalin. Forests, croplands, and grasslands around the world are thought to be valuable for offsetting carbon dioxide emissions from industry and vehicles. In fact, some private markets have already started offering carbon credits for sale by owners of such land. Industry could buy the credits as offsets for their emissions. The expectation is that these credits would be traded just as pollution credits are currently traded worldwide. Soil scientist and technician examine extracted soil organic matter constituents: Click here for full photo caption. Soil scientist Sara Wright (foreground) and technician Kristine Nichols use nuclear magnetic resonance to examine the molecular structure of extracted soil organic matter constituents. (K9971-1) How Does Glomalin Work? It is glomalin that gives soil its tilth—a subtle texture that enables experienced farmers and gardeners to judge great soil by feeling the smooth granules as they flow through their fingers. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, found living on plant roots around the world, appear to be the only producers of glomalin. Wright named glomalin after Glomales, the taxonomic order that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi belong to. The fungi use carbon from the plant to grow and make glomalin. In return, the fungi's hairlike filaments, called hyphae, extend the reach of plant roots. Hyphae function as pipes to funnel more water and nutrients—particularly phosphorus—to the plants. "We've seen glomalin on the outside of the hyphae, and we believe this is how the hyphae seal themselves so they can carry water and nutrients. It may also be what gives them the rigidity they need to span the air spaces between soil particles," says Wright. Technician checks progress of corn plants: Click here for full photo caption. Technician Kristine Nichols checks the progress of corn plants growing in containers specially designed for glomalin production. (K9973-1) As a plant grows, the fungi move down the root and form new hyphae to colonize the growing roots. When hyphae higher up on the roots stop transporting nutrients, their protective glomalin sloughs off into the soil. There it attaches to particles of minerals (sand, silt, and clay) and organic matter, forming clumps. This type of soil structure is stable enough to resist wind and water erosion, but porous enough to let air, water, and roots move through it. It also harbors more beneficial microbes, holds more water, and helps the soil surface resist crusting. Scientists think hyphae have a lifespan of days to weeks. The much longer lifespan of glomalin suggests that the current technique of weighing hyphae samples to estimate fungal carbon storage grossly underestimates the amount of soil carbon stored. In fact, Wright and colleagues found that glomalin contributes much more nitrogen and carbon to the soil than do hyphae or other soil microbes. Two rows of dried soil samples: Click here for full photo caption. Dried samples of undisturbed soil (top row) and material left after extractable organic matter has been removed (bottom row). Although minerals are the most abundant components of soil, organic matter gives it life and health. Soil samples from left to right are from Maryland, Nebraska, Georgia, and Colorado. (K9974-1) Rising CO2 Boosts Glomalin, Too In an earlier study, Wright and scientists from the University of California at Riverside and Stanford University showed that higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere stimulate the fungi to produce more glomalin. They did a 3-year study on semiarid shrub land and a 6-year study on grasslands in San Diego County, California, using outdoor chambers with controlled CO2 levels. When CO2 reached 670 parts per million (ppm)—the level predicted by mid to late century—hyphae grew three times as long and produced five times as much glomalin as fungi on plants growing with today's ambient level of 370 ppm. Longer hyphae help plants reach more water and nutrients, which could help plants face drought in a warmer climate. The increase in glomalin production helps soil build defenses against degradation and erosion and boosts its productivity. Wright says all these benefits can also come from good tillage and soil management techniques, instead of from higher atmospheric CO2. "You're in the driver's seat when you use techniques proven to do the same thing as the higher CO2 that might be causing global warming. You can still raise glomalin levels, improve soil structure, and increase carbon storage without the risks of the unknowns in global climate change," she says. Putting Glomalin to Work Wright found that glomalin is very manageable. She is studying glomalin levels under different farming and ranching practices. Levels were maintained or raised by no-till, cover crops, reduced phosphorus inputs, and the sparing use of crops that don't have arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on their roots. Those include members of the Brassicaceae family, like cabbage and cauliflower, and the mustard family, like canola and crambe. "When you grow those crops, it's like a fallow period, because glomalin production stops," says Wright. "You need to rotate them with crops that have glomalin-producing fungi." In a 4-year study at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Maryland) Agricultural Research Center, Wright found that glomalin levels rose each year after no-till was started. No-till refers to a modern conservation practice that uses equipment to plant seeds with no prior plowing. This practice was developed to protect soil from erosion by keeping fields covered with crop residue. Glomalin went from 1.3 milligrams per gram of soil (mg/g) after the first year to 1.7 mg/g after the third. A nearby field that was plowed and planted each year had only 0.7 mg/g. In comparison, the soil under a 15-year-old buffer strip of grass had 2.7 mg/g. Wright found glomalin levels up to 15 mg/g elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region. But she found the highest levels—more than 100 mg/g—in Hawaiian soils, with Japanese soils a close second. "We don't know why we found the highest levels in Hawaii's tropical soils. We usually find lower levels in other tropical areas, because it breaks down faster at higher temperature and moisture levels," Wright says. "We can only guess that the Hawaiian soils lack some organism that is breaking down glomalin in other tropical soils—or that high soil levels of iron are protecting glomalin." It's Persistent and It's Everywhere! The toughness of the molecule was one of the things that struck Wright most in her discovery of glomalin. She says it's the reason glomalin eluded scientific detection for so long. "It requires an unusual effort to dislodge glomalin for study: a bath in citrate combined with heating at 250 °F for at least an hour," Wright says. "No other soil glue found to date required anything as drastic as this." "We've learned that the sodium hydroxide used to separate out humic acid in soil misses most of the glomalin. So, most of it was thrown away with the insoluble humus and minerals in soil," she says. "The little bit of glomalin left in the humic acid was thought to be nothing more than unknown foreign substances that contaminated the experiments." Once Wright found a way to capture glomalin, her next big surprise was how much of it there was in some soils and how widespread it was. She tested samples of soils from around the world and found glomalin in all. "Anything present in these amounts has to be considered in any studies of plant-soil interactions," Wright says. "There may be implications beyond the carbon storage and soil quality issues—such as whether the large amounts of iron in glomalin mean that it could be protecting plants from pathogens." Her recent work with Nichols has shown that glomalin levels are even higher in some soils than previously estimated. "Glomalin is unique among soil components for its strength and stability," Wright says. Other soil components that contain carbon and nitrogen, as glomalin does, don't last very long. Microbes quickly break them down into byproducts. And proteins from plants are degraded very quickly in soil. "We need to learn a lot more about this molecule, though, if we are to manage glomalin wisely. Our next step is to identify the chemical makeup of each of its parts, including the protein core, the sugar carbohydrates, and the attached iron and other possible ions." Nichols is starting to work on just that. "Once we know what sugars and proteins are there," says Nichols, we will use NMR and other techniques to create a three-dimensional image of the molecule. We can then find the most likely sites to look for iron or other attached ions. "Researchers have studied organic matter for a long time and know its benefits to soil. But we're just starting to learn which components of organic matter are responsible for these benefits. That's the exciting part of glomalin research. We've found a major component that we think definitely has a strong role in the benefits attributed to organic matter—things like soil stability, nutrient accessibility, and nutrient cycling." As carbon gets assigned a dollar value in a carbon commodity market, it may give literal meaning to the expression that good soil is black gold. And glomalin could be viewed as its golden seal.—By Don Comis, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff. This research is part of Soil Resource Management, an ARS National Program (#202) described on the World Wide Web at http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov. Sara F. Wright and Kristine A. Nichols are with the USDA-ARS Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Bldg. 001, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705; phone (301) 504-8156 [Wright], (301) 504-6977 [Nichols], fax (301) 504-8370. "Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil Carbon" was published in the September 2002 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. \|/ = /|\ Irish brush hook. Bulldog Tools makes an Irish Brush Hook You will have to get a printed catalog to see it http://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/home.html A Division of American Tool Companies Clarington Forge Wigan, Lancs. WN1 3DD UK Tel: (01942) 44281 Fax: (01942) 824316 BULLDOG TOOLS Division of Record Tools Parkway Works Kettlebridge Road Sheffield S9 3BL Telephone: 0114-2449066 Fax: 01142-561788 Tel: 01142-449066 Fax: 01142-434302 e-mail:sales@recordtools.co.uk web:www.bulldogtools.co.uk Our Products All Season Bulldog Evergreen Premier BULLDOG TOOLS have been made at Clarington Forge in Wigan for over 200 years. Seven generations of Farmers, Contractors and Professional Landscapers stand testimony to a quality of product upon which their livelyhoods depended. The skill and craftsmanship that were the key to the company's success in those early days are still maintained and are available to you today, in the products you will find in this web site. All products are fully guaranteed against faulty workmanship and material Available from: James Cooksons Cheshire, UK FREEPHONE, In UK: 0800 458 5752 FAX: +44 (161) 480 8579 (Maybe someone from the UK in the PC List could phone Cooksons and find out their overseas telephone number and post that to the list. Graham?) cooksons.com ltd. Armstrong House Swallow Street Stockport Cheshire SK1 3LG United Kingdom Cooksons carries all Bulldog tools and will do mail order to the USA http://www.cooksons.com/store/browse.php3?section=14&level=2 http://www.cooksons.com For more info and reviews of Bulldog Tool see: http://www.fredshed.co.uk/tradesecrets.htm Other sources for Bulldog Tools, Spear and Jackson Tools and more: Peaceful Valley Farm Supply http://www.groworganic.com http://www.groworganic.com/a/a.html?sCategory=117 P.O. Box 2209, Grass Valley, CA 95945 Tel:(530) 272-4769 Order Toll Free (888) 784-1722 Email:contact@groworganic.com Smith & Hawken 800/776-3336 800-9401170 http://www.smith-hawken.com http://www.smithandhawken.com/jhtml/site/catalog/Category.jhtml;$sessionid$HN0UWGYAABLPNUPWC0SXBM4R4YLKY2G4?CATID=68&PARENTCATID=16 Gardener's Supply Co. 800/863-1700 http://www.gardeners.com http://www.naturalgardening.com/cgi-bin/shop/S-Mart.cgi?command=listitems&type=group&pos=0&pg=tools&group=garden See the Swwiss-made (60' handle X 6" head) 4-prong cultivator and the long handled spade and long-handled fork (Bulldog) phone (707) 766-9303 FAX: (707) 766-9747 Order by mail: P.O. Box 750776, Petaluma, CA 94975-0776. This is the article in Taunton's "Kitchen Garden" magazine with a review of the Broadfork from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply that I mentioned in an earlier post, also covers the old Smith & Hawken 3-tine grub eyehoe which is now available in a modified format from Hida Tool (http://www.hidatool.com - 800/443-5512) as their "Farmer Rake" also Bulldog spades and forks. http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00011.asp For more articles in Kitchen Garden (no longer in print) see: http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/fg_feat_kitchgard.asp Seeds of Change http://www.seedsofchange.com/catalog/tool.html http://shop.store.yahoo.com/seedsofchange/bulrectool.html Record Tools North America (Canada, wholesale) The Bulldog heavy-duty digging spade, spade fork and digging fork are three basic tools for a raised bed gardener > Then I'd take my brush scythe to the rest. This is the best and most complete scythe dealer in the USA: Scythe Supply http://www.scythesupply.com/ they offer several types of brush and ditch scythes and well as the grass/grain types > A Swede axe is good on small trees. Gransfors is a brand that comes to mind though there are others, available from: Garrett Wade or Lee Valley Tools Also: Ralph Martindale & Co., Ltd. Wonderful machetes, like you've never seen before - you can do an amazing lot of clearing with a good machete: grasses, woody weeds, cornstalks, saplings, trees http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ralphmartindale/latinamerica1.html See my Gardening Handtool Sourcelist: http://market-farming.com/gardening-hand-tools.faq for contact info for RM, Ltd. - also Crocodile USA/www.karnaf.com, the Chillington/Ralph Martindale Ltd. USA Representative will import these tools for you; Contact: Ilan Segura ilan@karnaf.com 408-888-7478 Santa Clara, Calif. Website: (these tools are in stock in their US warehouse:) http://tools.karnaf.com/products.html Importer of Ralph Martindale machetes and Chillington eye hoes, spades and forks - SNEEBOER TOOLS http://www.sneeboer.com/ Fa. A. Sneeboer De Tocht 3a 1611 HT Bovenkarspel The Netherlands tel. +31 (0)228 511 365 fax +31 (0)228 514 524 e-mail: info@sneeboer.com Manufacturer of exclusive handforged garden tools in stainless steel. Spades, planters, trenching and drainage tools, digging forks, tilthing forks, etc. small hand tools, dibbles, rakes and more. Other links to info on Sneeboer Tools: http://www.kiel.dk/Sneeboer/omuk.html http://www.madetolast.co.uk/s000012p0001.html http://www.madetolast.co.uk/ Available in the U.S.A. from: GARRETT WADE http://www.garrettwade.com/ Garrett Wade Co., Inc. 161 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10013 By e-mail: mail@garrettwade.com Toll Free Telephone: 800 221 2942 (USA and Canada) Toll Free Fax: 800 566 9525 International Telephone: 212 807 1155 Garrett Wade carries a line of Sneeboer Tools spades, one of the finest 4-tine digging spade forks ever made - T-handled long and short versions to a narrower 3-tine version, a large, heavy-duty tool for getting the job done, from tilthing a garden bed to turning it. See them at this URL: http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=105662&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=10107&iSubCat=10108&iProductID=105662 "The 3-Tine Border Fork (6" wide) is somewhat lighter to use than the larger 4-Tine (9" wide). Both are 47" long. The Long Planting Spade is designed to be wedged in the earth in one stroke - and is 43-1/2" long overall. The 5 small Hand Tools have handles of Cherry. These are exceptional, commercial-quality garden tools - for those who want to use the best." Other Sneeboer Tools at GW: http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=105527&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=10107&iSubCat=10108&iProductID=105527 "The Large and the "Ladies" Digging Spades are 45 and 42-1/2" long overall respectively with blades about 6" wide. The short and long Planting Spades are 22" and 43-1/2" long overall. The "flat" pointed blades on these are designed to be "wedged" in the earth in one stroke and to make a planting pocket with one move of the handle. (Note: The Small size is used when working on your knees.) These tools feature Ash hardwood handles." And: Boxhill Farm Nursery Phone: 425.788.6473 E-mail: Boxhillfarm@mindspring.com 14175 Carnation-Duvall Road Duvall, WA 98019 "Sneeboer Tools Hand crafted to perfection In the small town of Bovenkarspel, in the Westfrisian area of Holland, three brothers Aad, Jaap and Frank make hand forged garden tools. Their grandfather Arie, founded the company in 1913, and their father, Paul, continued it after the war. Much of the company remains unchanged; the coal fire, an anvil, the hammering. What has changed are the customers; formerly market gardeners, they are now private gardeners with a passion for their garden and good quality tools. As well as the standard range of tools, the Sneeboer brothers can make tools to suit individual needs if required, from hand tools to full sized garden tools. Always made from the best stainless steel and the finest wood, anyone who has ever had a Sneeboer garden tool in his hand will never want to use anything else." - HARMONY FARM SUPPLY & NURSERY http://www.harmonyfarm.com/ 3244 Hwy. 116 North Sebastopol, CA 95472 (707) 823-9125 FAX (707) 823-1734 info@harmonyfarm.com LEE VALLEY TOOLS http://www.leevalley.com/home/main.asp Woodworking and gardening tools and hardware. Garden tools: http://www.leevalley.com/garden/index.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2 Lots of useful and well-made domestic and imported gardening hand tools; See their product category listing. E-mail: From anywhere in the world: customerservice@leevalley.com Phone: Customer Service: From USA: 1-800-267-8735 From Canada: 1-800-267-8761 From other countries: 1-613-596-0350 To Place an Order From USA: 1-800-871-8158 From Canada: 1-800-267-8767 From other countries: 1-613-596-0350 Our telephones are staffed Monday to Friday from 7 am to 7 pm and from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday (Eastern Time). We are closed on Sundays. Answering machines are used outside these hours. Fax: From USA: 1-800-513-7885 From Canada: 1-800-668-1807 From other countries: 1-613-596-6030 Our fax machines are on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Letter Mail: From USA: From Canada and other countries: Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 1780 Ogdensburg, NY 13669-6780 Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 6295, Station J Ottawa, ON K2A 1T4 <>-<> European Scythes ---------------- Scythe Supply Elliot Fishbein 496 Shore Road Perry, Maine, 04667 (207) 853-4750 http://www.scythesupply.com info@scythesupply.com European scythes, blades, snaths, acccessories, information & scythe preparation "Scythe Supply offers European style scythes, scythe blades, snaths, whetstones, hammers, anvils and equipment." Quality Scythe Supply (Turk's Head), Marugg, Schmeide, Redenbacher & Green River Tool blades; Marugg (curved & straight) & Green River Tool snaths; complete scythe systems; accessories: stones, anvils, hammers, sheaths, peening jigs, ring clamps & keys; standard & custom outfits, custom sizing; sharpening & repair; books; workshop, photo gallery & links; excellent website with much information on scythe use, maintenance and history. <><><><> Hida Tool & Hardware, Inc. Phone: 510-524-3700 Toll-free: 1-800-443-5512 Email: hidatool@hidatool.com 1333 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA 94702 http://www.hidatool.com/ http://www.hidatool.com/gardenpage/hoes.html Pix on the above page - get the Farmer Hoe and Farmer Rake; there's also a Middle Farmer Hoe that's lighter Farmer Hoe G-2002 $44.90 Farmer Rake G-2001 $46.80 Lee Valley Tools: From US: Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 1780 Ogdensburg, NY 13669-6780 From elsewhere: Lee Valley Tools Ltd. P.O. Box 6295, Station J Ottawa, ON K2A 1T4 Customer Service: customerservice@leevalley.com From USA: 1-800-267-8735 From Canada: 1-800-267-8761 From other countries: 1-613-596-0350 To Place an Order From USA: 1-800-871-8158 From Canada: 1-800-267-8767 From other countries: 1-613-596-0350 http://www.leevalley.com/home/main.asp Hoe page: http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=44823&category=2&SID=&ccurrency=2 (pix on this page) and order the Vineyard Hoe (pointed) 43" handle $16.95 and Italian-Style Hoe (square) 43" or 51" handles $13.50 <><><><> Garrett Wade 161 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY 10013 1 800 221 2942 http://www.garettwade.com Imported Dutch T-Handled Garden Forks: 3-tine long garden fork (6") 4-tine long digging fork (9") (very fine tool) 4-tine short planting fork (6") Imported Dutch T-Handled Garden Spades: Long planting spade Short planting spade Border shovel Large digging shovel (very fine tool) <><><><> You can find three variants on the Japanese eye hoe (from S & H in past years) available in hardware stores and mail order: A nice short-handled Portuguese-made eyehoe from Lee Valley Tools - two types of heads & less than $20 each - excellent quality cast steel head, well designed with a good heavy duty handle Several eyehoes from Hida Tool Co., Japanese-made: -Farmer Hoe - like the old S&H but lighter duty - still a beautiful tool - same proportions on blade and with the usual slight tapering of blade thickness from edge to eye -Farmer Rake - this is one of the most beautiful tools I have ever seen - heavy duty - three flat 1" wide, very long, tapered (in thickness) tines in a wide configuration, heavy Japanese oak handle - a lifetime tool to do real work with - there is no other tool like it on the market today - its not a rake but is a digger/tilther/earth mover/weeder - a serious tool for the serious gardener -Ridge-Making Hoe - This, too, is a serious heavy-duty large hilling hoe for prepping raised beds and rows and generally moving dirt. . From: Hida Tool and Hardware Co. http://www.hidatool.com hidatool@hidatool.com 1333 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA 94702 510-524-3700 (telephone) 510-524-3423 (fax) 9:00 to 5:00 (PT) Mon to Sat 1-800-443-5512 (telephone) 1-888-524-7473(fax) Hand tools Japanese Woodworking tools Handcrafted Japanese Garden & Bomsai Tools (there's no pix of these tools & you'll probably have to call them to get a price (about $45 each) Get the Hida Tool catalog to get the price sheet The Ames or Seymour versions that are made in Austria - lots of different head configurations, nicely made forged but none as functional or heavy as the Japanese version - not pricey and available from AE Leonard mail order and many hardware stores "MUTT" from Lowes or Home Depot, heat and bend the blade to make it into a hoe; has a socket for a long handle - beautiful tapered blade, heavy, long -- has lots of potential - comes in two versions: long/narrow, short/wide - all have 1/4" steel or better - heat treat and temper it for better edge-holding and weed/turf slicing <><><><> From: rick valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>: Marugg Co. for scythes <Marugg@BLomand.Net> and Hida Tool Co. for Japanese gardening, carpentry and bamboo working tools 1-800-443-5512 They're a fine outfit, excellent service & the best quality - Japanese tools come in a huge range of quality. Hida is the Co. I get the Ebinata from, a hatchet-type tool I wrote up for the Activist once- great for mulching up trees. Another fine company is Bellota, out of the Basque country in Spain- I have a 10yr-old catalog and one eye hoe, beautifully forged of incredible steel- double-ended, a three-inch chisel & two 5/8 inch prongs on the other. They also manufacture in Venezuela. Bellota: Tel. 34-43-730-000. Fax 34-43-733-524. Expect Spanish, but they'd probably love it if you spoke Basque. ARS saws and pruners are also favorites of mine; a wholesale source of them and more, that'll lead you to a retail source is Barnel: (800) 877-9907 or <info@barnel.com> Rick Valley, Rick Valley Northern Groves PO Box 1236, Philomath, OR 97370 Mobile-(541)602-1315, hm.& msg. (541)929-7152 Bamboo catalog $2 or at <http://www.teleport.com/~dbrooks/bamboo.html> "Useful Bamboos and other plants - Permaculture education - Ecological design & consultation centering on water, landform and horticultural systems" - Broadforks or U-Bar Diggers: ---------------------------- Eliot Coleman's design sold by Johnny's Selected Seeds as "Johnny's Broadfork". $109.00. Description (edited) from Johnny's website: "Eliot Coleman design, Maine made. A remarkably light but strong 24" wide steel fork base with 10 1/2" long tines and 50" oiled ash handles. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/cgi-local/Minishopsql4.cgi?action=page&adver=other&partnumber=9677 (in the picture on the website it looks like it may have 5 or 6 tines) <> Peaceful Valley Farm Supply offers a very heavy steel alloy/non-rusting, tig-welded model which was written up in Taunton Press' "Kitchen Gardener" in an article about the author's favorite tools. PVFS calls this tool the "Deep Spader". The four pointed tines are 16" long; tool width is 18". The tine section is bolted to to the long handle made of 1" pipe. The Deep Spader weighs 30 pounds and costs $139.00. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply Toll free: 1-888-784-1722 PO BOx 2209 Grass Valley, Calif., 95945 530-272-4769 <> A.M. Leonard catalogue has a great cast broad fork for around $80.00 delivered. It is great for digging through compost, straw, etc; very well made and a dream to use (800) 543-8955. <><><><> Burgon & Ball Ltd http://www.burgonandball.com/html/home.htm Sales & Marketing Office Burgon & Ball Ltd Sir Peter Thompson House Market Close Poole Dorset BH15 1NE England Specialist manufacturers of agricultural & garden hand tools since 1730! for mail order sales call - 0114 233 8262 alternatively fax - 0114 285 2518 for trade sales call - 01202 684 141 alternatively fax - 01202 684 242 Sheep care tools, shears, pruners, scythes, knives, billhooks, scythe stones, silage and hay knives, topiary shears <><><><> - The Chillington Tool Company 011 44 1902 826826 Telephone (for USA access; this translates from: +44 (0) 1902 826826) Mr. Lawrence Askey (laskey@ralphmartindale.com) A Ralph Martindale Group Company crocodile@chillington.co.uk http://www.chillington.co.uk/chillington.html Crocodile USA (Chillington's USA Branch) http://www.crocodileusa.com/ info@crocodileusa.com <> The Ralph Martindale Group of Companies http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ E-mail: Crocodile@RalphMartindale.co.uk Ralph Martindale (Birmingham) Ltd Telephone: +44 (0) 1902 826826 Fax: +44 (0) 1902 826827 Crocodile House, Strawberry Lane, Willenhall, West Midlands WV13 3RS, England - Ralph Martindale & Co., Ltd. http://www.ralphmartindale.co.uk/ralphmartindale/ Web: www.ralphmartindale.co.uk E-mail: crocodile@ralphmartindale.co.uk Matchets Agricultural Hand Tools Cane Knives Survival Knives Sharpening Files & Saws Knives & Files Digging/Construction Tools Sickles Sheaths Gardening Tools From their website: "The genuine "Crocodile" blade is made from hot rolled high quality British Steel by our own Mill. The strip is tapered in section to optimise the unique cutting characteristics with the weight of the tool. Each face of the blade has three grooves which assist the blade's removal from sapwood. The grooves extend to the tang of the blade to form a mechanical lock with the handle. Our product is therefore lightweight and easy to use. The blade is roll forged to give an outstandingly well balanced tool to meet the arduous demands of rural farmers throughout the tropical regions of the world. Only "Crocodile" brand machets are made from tapered steel section with grooves which makes our product distinctly better than our competitors. Quality is assured because we control every stage of production from steel billet to finished machet. Every blade is individually tested to ensure the hardened and tempered steel characteristics conform to our strict quality controls. We guarantee 100% inspection. All our handles are made from German beech wood. We monitor the moisture content of the timber to make sure the product is consistent and does not split under normal circumstances. The timber is cross-sawn for maximum strength and stability. The handle is fitted to the blade with solid steel rivets and washers. A special factory fitting technique is employed which has been perfected from 125 years experience to ensure our product is the best value for money and outlasts the life of other brands." - The Chillington Tool Company A Ralph Martindale Group Company http://www.chillington.co.uk/chillington.html Web: www.chillington.co.uk E-mail: crocodile@chillington.co.uk From their website: "The Chillington Tool Company has been supplying the agricultural and construction industries with quality hot forged Hoes and Forks for over one hundred years. Using high carbon British steel, Chillington sets the highest standard for quality worldwide. Chillington manufactures a large selection of patterns in a wide range of sizes. Chillington Hoes and Forks are sold throughout the world under a number of different brand names, the most famous being the "Crocodile". All Chillington products are recognised as the hallmark of quality, durability and reliability." <> Crocodile USA Highest Quality hot forged Hoes and Forks Tel: (408) 330-9222 Fax: (408)-330-9221 457 Mathew St. Santa Clara, CA 95050, USA info@crocodileusa.com http://www.crocodileusa.com For a complete display of tools available see: http://www.crocodileusa.com/brochure.html See also: http://www.chillington.co.uk/chillington.html http://www.chillington.co.uk/latinamerica.html http://www.chillington.co.uk/northafrica.html http://www.chillington.co.uk/asia.html http://www.chillington.co.uk/srilanka.html - (old contact information:) The Chillington Tool Co.Ltd., Bridge Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1UA, UK. Phone : + 1444 417 220 Fax : + 1444 457 662 "The prices seem pretty reasonable, and they do Mail Order. They're a set of tools where the blade is set at a right angle to the handle - used like a mattock, and very versatile, as you can dig, cut through roots, hoe etc. Whenever you see farm workers in the Developing World on TV, they're using this type of tool," <><><><> BELLOTA Spain http://www.bellota.com http://www.bellota.com/catnaveg.jsp?idGrupo=51&idMarca=1 (Possibly out of date contact information:) Tel. 34-43-730-000. Fax 34-43-733-524 For AGRICULTURE-GARDEN: agricultural handles, garden, hoes & forks, machetes, prunning range, sickles & scythes See a complete display of Forks and Hoes at: http://www.bellota.com/catnaveg.jsp?idGrupo=486&idMarca=1 Sickles and Scythes here: http://www.bellota.com/catnaveg.jsp?idGrupo=487&idMarca=1 Machetes here: http://www.bellota.com/catnaveg.jsp?idGrupo=262&idMarca=1 Agricultural handles here: http://www.bellota.com/catnaveg.jsp?idGrupo=505&idMarca=1 Contact: CPE UN Norte America Corona Clipper, Inc. Tel. +1 909 7376515 Fax. +1 909 7378657 mkt@corona.bellota.com http://www.bellota.com/i_contact.jsp# CORONA CLIPPER, INC A Bellota Company http://www.coronaclipper.com/ Corona Clipper, 1540 East Sixth Street, Corona, California 92879 Phone: General Office: (909) 737-6515, Toll Free Sales Office: (800) 847-7863, Toll Free Customer Service: (800) 234-2547, Fax: (909) 737-8657 mkt@corona.bellota.com Human resources rrhh@corona.bellota.com <><><><> Tata Steel http://www.tatasteel.com/agrico/aboutus.htm From their website: TATA Agrico, a division of Tata Steel is the pioneer manufacturer of superior quality agricultural implements in the country. Since 1925, it has been the leading manufacturer of Shovels, Powrahs, Crowbars, Kudalies, Pickaxe and Hammers. These implements cater to the needs of Agricultural, Horticulture Industry, Maintenance of Roads, Dams, Railway- Tracks, Collieries, etc., in India and abroad. See this page for an amazing display of eye hoes: http://www.tatasteel.com/agrico/products.htm <><><><> WOONG CHUEN IND. CO., LTD. Address: HEAD OFFICE Seobong Bldg., 72, Samjeon-dong, Songpa-ku, Seoul, 138-180 Korea (South) FACTORY "Farm & Garden Tool" IN CHINA Phone: 82-2-419-8940 Fax: 82-2-419-5542 Contact: President / Dan Lee. E-mail: woongchuen@woongchuen.com http://www.woongchuen.com See this page for an impressive display of hoes, shovels, forks and other farm and garden tools: http://www.woongchuen.com/product.htm <><><><> PANZERI TOOLS s.n.c. ITALY panzeri.tools@iol.it http://www.panzeri-tools.it/ PANZERI TOOLS s.n.c. via Luigi e Pietro Pozzoni n.16 24034 Cisano Bergamasco ITALY Tel. +39 035 787016 Fax +39 035 787555 Costruzioni Attrezzi Agricoli da Giardino e Forestali Manufacturing Agricultural Tools Forestry Tools Gardening Tools Hand tools forged <><><><> Agricultural Hand Tools MICROCER - KANJIZA - Exprt-Import trading company Voice contact is on hungarian and serb languages. Fax and other (E-mail) send on European languages. ADDRESS: D.O.O. MICROCER Strosmajer 22. 24420 Kanizsa Yugoslavia E-MAIL: office@microcer.co.yu Telefon: (+381) 024 873-435 Fax: (+381) 024 874-435 http://www.microcer.co.yu http://www.microcer.co.yu/mezgaz/mezgaze.html http://www.microcer.co.yu/indexe.html <><><><> Okapi Knives Cane, Bush and Assorted Agricultural Knives http://www.okapi-knives.com/ <><><><> The Striking Tools Company http://www.strikingtools.net/shovel3.html Gardening and agricultural hand tools C - 1/19, Safdarjang Development Area New Delhi -110016 INDIA Tel +91-11-3715431/3722159 Fax +91-11-3715096 E-Mail info@strikingtools.net <><><><> Interesting picture of handmade hoes, froes and adzes http://y23.50g.com/yoffe3/lg_00003106.JPG <><><><> Japanese gardening tools: - Japanese KAMA scythes are of high-quality steel and come in a size to suit every need. Their knives (splitting bamboo etc) are excellent. For more information contact Matsumoto-san, a permaculture activist in Japan with good contacts with many local factories that make high quality tools, often by hand. His address is: Noboru Matsumoto 402 Shiyona-Zho Kasugai-Shi Aichi, Japan. Catherine Pawasarat (asaka@gol.com) should know his email address - Seeds of Change Bulldog Garden Tools (made in England at factory in Wigan, sold under the Record name) Seeds of Change® PO Box 15700 Santa Fe NM 87506 1-888-762-7333 Email address: gardener@seedsofchange.com http://st4.yahoo.com/seedsofchange/bulrectool.html Bountiful Gardens 1999 Main Catalog http://www.bountifulgardens.org/bgmain.htm -- Biointensive and organic -- garden seed and supplies Garden tools and supplies: http://www.bountifulgardens.org/toolmain.htm Spear & Jackson digging tools (D-handles fork & spade, other English & oriental tools Bill and Betsy Bruneau, Managers Bountiful Gardens 18001 Shafer Ranch Road, Willits, CA 95490-9626 USA voice/fax 707-459-6410 Email: bountiful@zapcom.net (C) Copyright 1999, Ecology Action of the Midpeninsula, Inc. dba Bountiful Gardens. Garden Tools of Maine http://members.aol.com/gtmaine RR2, Box 2208, Holden, Maine 04429 Phone: 888 271 2672 Fax: 888 271 2674 Email: gtmaine@aol.com - Hortus Ornamenti http://www.greenwich.co.uk/hortus/index.htm "Fine Gardening Tools Hortus Ornamenti prides itself on producing some of the finest quality hand made gardening tools and accessories available today. The designs are inspired by those of bygone eras, these are ideal gifts for the discerning gardener." Address: Hortus Ornamenti 23 Cleveland Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 2HF United Kingdom Telephone/Fax: +44(0)1243 782467 Email to fax: remote-printer.Hortus_Ornamenti@7.6.4.2.8.7.3.4.2.1.4.4.tpc.int - Lee Valley & Veritas http://www.leevalley.com "If you have ideas for new tools (either gardening or woodworking), or other recommendations, we would like to hear from you. You can reach us by mail at these addresses: USA & International We serve USA and international customers by mail order. Packages can be shipped by UPS ground to anywhere in continental USA. Packages to Alaska and Hawaii are shipped by UPS air. Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Mail Order Center 12 East River Street P.O. Box 1780, Ogdensburg, N.Y. 13669-6780 USA Canada We serve Canada by mail order and through our retail stores. See our store location maps for the store nearest you. Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Mail Order Center 1090 Morrison Drive P.O. Box 6295, Stn. J, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1T4 Canada or by telephone at these numbers: USA 1-800-267-8735 Canada 1-800-267-8761 International 1-613-596-0350 or e-mail us at customerservice@leevalley.com - A. M. Leonard http://www.amleo.com Sales: (sales@amleo.com) Customer: Service (custserv@amleo.com) General Information: (info@amleo.com) To order call toll free number 24 hours a day at (800) 543-8955. Customer Service/Technical Assistance call 8:00am - 5:00pm EST at (800) 543-8955. Fax: 24 hours a day, toll free, at (800) 433-0633 A. M. Leonard, Inc. 241 Fox Drive Piqua, Ohio 45356-0816 Tree maintenance and nursery equipment, miscellaneous gardening/landscaping tools/supplies, eye hoes, scythes - Smith & Hawken http://www.smith-hawken.com http://st3.yahoo.com/smithandhawken "Tools of the Trade - A Complete Source For the Organic Gardener" Orders: 2 Arbor Lane, Box 6900 Florence, Kentucky, 41022-6900 1-800-776-3336 Customer Service: 1-800-776-5558 General info: 25 Corte Madera Mill Valley, California, 94941 1-415-383-2000 Also excellent! you may need to ask them what tools they have for sale that are not listed in their catalogue, held-over stock offered in out-of-date ones - i.e. the 4"X7" Japanese field hoe (grub-type eye hoe using 1 3/4" X 54" handle) they used to offer, an indispensible tool! They now offer English Bulldog brand eye hoes; also a complete line of digging forks, digging spades, spade forks, border forks and border spades and straight snath scythe systems. = = Smith & Hawken and A.M. Leonard sell a scythe system with a straight wooden snath (lightweight, strong & easy to use) and an Austrian lightweight grass & grain blade that is thin, long and can easily be sharpened. This tool is perfect for cutting lawns. It _can_ remove weeds/grass right down to the ground. It's fairly easy to maintain the proper stance and swinging motion to cut your grass to a consistant height and in regular arcs that blend together evenly. A wonderful tool, indespensible for the rural dweller and suburban gardener alike. Smith & Hawken sells a straight two-handled model while AM Leonard sells a slightly curved one with one handle (you grip the top of the handle with your other hand). It is possible that S & H no longer carries their model, but if they get enough requests for it that might offer it again. = = Gardex http://www.gardexindia.com "Gardex offers the widest and most comprehensive range of agro/garden tools from India. We can develop any model as per your requirement" - Marketing Office: 808, Antriksh Bhawan 22, Kasturba Ghandhi Marg New Delhi - 110001 (India) Tel. : (91 - 11) 3715431, 3722159 Fax. : (91 - 11) 3715096 E- Mail : sarat@gardexindia.com - Corporate Office: C- 7 Focal Point Jalandhar - 144 004 (India) Tel. : (91 - 181) 290889, 293890, 293891 Fax. : (91 - 181) 290562, 225581, E- Mail : corporate@gardexindia.com - Peaceful Valley Farm Supply http://www.groworganic.com Tel: (530) 272-4769 Fax: (530) 272-4794 OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST PEACEFUL VALLEY FARM SUPPLY P.O. Box 2209 Grass Valley, CA 95945 Spear & Jackson Tools + many other useful brands - Walt Nicke 1-978-887-3388 Walte Nicke's Gardentalk A Catalog of Fine Tools for Gardeners http://www.gardentalk.com <><><><> This sourcelist contains new information on mail ordering English-made Bulldog (Record-Bulldog) garden tools from companies in the USA. Until recently there has not been a source for them here; for those not familiar with Bulldog, they are lifetime quality tools traditionally hand-forged, highly functional, strong and durable. - James Cooksons (Stockport) Ltd. Cheshire, U.K. http://www.cooksons.com Spear & Jackson, Bulldog (Record/Bulldog) and other brands of high-quality traditional English hand garden tools. Many different types of spades, forks, hoes and other implements. Contact them for a catalog - they do mail order sales to USA (no duty, no VAT, depending on where you live you may only pay state use tax). - Seeds of Change P.O. Box 15700 3209 Richards Lane Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87506 1-888-762-7333 505-438-6529 gardener@seedsofchange,com Retail mail order sales of English Record/Bulldog garden tools: heavy duty digging fork and digging spade and many others - The Kinsman Co. Kinsman Garden Company, Inc. River Road P.O. Box 357 Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania, 18950 1-800-733-4146, 215-297-0890 (local) info & orders Fax: 215-297-0450 215-297-5613 wholesale Website: http://kinsmangarden.com Email: kinsmangarden@bux.com Retail mail order sales of English Record/Bulldog garden tools Kinsman carries a half dozen or so of the more popular English Bulldog tools under the Record name (Record now owns the Bulldog garden tool line). They have their own catalog with these and many other garden items listed: digging spade, border spade, digging fork, border fork, poachers spade (rabbiting tool - good for planting or transplanting), hand fork & trowel - Record Tool North American Distributor Record Tools, Inc. 1920 Clements Rd. Pickering, Ontario, Canada, L1W-3V6 (Canada #) 905-428-1077 (USA #) 716-842-1180 Record Tools, Inc. provides wholesale and retail outlets with a very wide array of Record/Bulldog garden tools. Call or write them for their garden tool catalog. <><><><> - Miscellaneous phone numbers: Gardener's Supply Co. (800-863-1700) A.M. Leonard (800-543-8955 Smith & Hawken (800-981-9888) Langenbach (800-362-4410) Kinsman Co. (800-733-4146) Walt Nicke's Garden Talk (508-887-3388) Harmony Farm Supply (707-823-9125) Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (916-272-4769) - Request a catalog from: Johnny's Selected Seeds Foss Hill Road Albion, Maine, 04910 Customer service: 1-207-437-4301 They supply EARTHWAY and PLANET, Jr. seeders and will, on request give you information on suppliers of other seeders (i.e. a small hand-carried corn/bean seeder. You may want to hybridyze the EW and the P, Jr. when planting small seeds in rough terrain. An organic vegetable grower in North Carolina has successfully done this. http://www.johnnyseeds.com - Whole Earth "Ecolog" mentioned five tool suppliers for farm and garden supplies; my hunch would be try Lehman's Hardware and Appliances, Their catalog is $2.00 from: PO Box 41, 4779 Kidron Rd., Kidron OH 44636 - The Cook's Garden "Seeds and Supplies for the New American Kitchen Garden" P.O. Box 535 Londonderry, Vermont, 05148 802-824-3400 Fax: 802-824-3027 Offers the Korean "HO-MI" hand cultivator (curved trowel/cultivator), well-designed and effective - Necessary Trading Co. One Nature's Way New Castle, Virginia, 24127-0305 FAX - 703/864-5186 Phone: 1-703-864-5103 "Natural Solutions for Farm, Home and Garden" Wide range of supplies, books, fertilizers, tools and equipment - catalogue headings include: books, composting equipment & supplies, soil testing equipment & supplies, cover crop seeds, fertilizers (their largest offering), pest management supplies and equipment, wild bird supplies, animal care supplies and miscellaneous hand tools. A major supplier, along with Zook & Ranck and Fertrell, for organic farmers and market growers in the Eastern U.S. - Snow & Nealley Axes & Mauls, Gardening and Woodworking Tools http://www.sntools.com/contact.htm Order Desk Hours, 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday Eastern Time. Telephone: (800)-933-6642 FAX: (207) 941-0857 Postal address: P.O. Box 876, Bangor, ME 04402-0876 Electronic mail: General Information, Sales, & Customer Service: info@sntools.com - Garden & Landscaping Connection at Where-AT (tm) website http://www.where-at.com/your_home/gardening.htm Lots of gardening links - Hand & Garden Tool Connection at Where-AT (tm) website http://www.where-at.com/your_home/tools.htm LOTS of links to all sorts of tool and equipment manufacturers & dealers - HARMONY FARM SUPPLY P.O. Box 451 Graton, CA 95444 - Cumberland General Store Catalog $3.00 from: Rt. 3 box 81, Crossville TN 38555 615-484-8481. - Mellinger's 2310 W. South Range Road North Lima, OH 44452-9731 216-549-9861 Offerings: seeds, woody plants, perennials, tropical plants, tools, growing supplies - Forestry Suppliers, Inc. P.O. Box 8397 205 West Rankin St. Jackson, Mississippi, 39204 "Quality Forestry, Engineering and Environmental Equipment, Shipped Worldwide" tools, equipment and supplies for the forestry industry - Langenbach P.O. Box 453 Blairstown, N.J., 07825 Toll Free: 1-800-362-1991 - Ben Meadows Company Equipment for Natural Resource Managers 3589 Broad Street Atlanta, Georgia, 30341 1-800-241-6401 Fax: 1-800-628-2068 Mail Order address: P.O. Box 80549 Chamblee, Georgia, 30366 e-mail: mail@benmeadows.com http://www.benmeadows.com (great Web page!) See pages 132-139 for garden handtools information; see esp. page 134: Adze Hoe & Pic'N Planter tools - Shepherd's Garden Seeds Shipping Office 30 Irene St. Torrington, Connecticut, 06790 860-482-3638 - You might also call the folks at ATTRA (Appropriate Technology for Rural Areas) at 1-800-346-9140. They might have some other names & addresses for you. - P.A. Bonvallet's Sons Inc. R.R. 1 Box 160 St. Anne, IL 60964 815-427-8222 Offerings: pots, containers, soil conditioners, fertilizers Comments: wholesale distributor - W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 300 Park Ave. Warminster, PA 18991-0001 Offerings: seeds, perennials, bulbs, woody plants, supplies Comments: separate seasonal catalogs are available - Dayton Bag and Burlap 210 Dowdle St., Unit 5 Algonquin, IL 60102 708-658-8488 Fax: 708-658-4197 Offerings: nursery supplies Comments: wholesale distributor - Dramm Corporation 2000 North 18th Street PO Box 1960 Manitowoc, WI 54221-1960 USA 920-684-0227 Voice 920-684-4499 Fax 800-258-0848 Toll Free USA webiste: http://www.dramm.com email: garden@dramm.com Dramm Products can be ordered on line at.. http://www.gardengift.com gardengift.com 619 South 26th Sreet Manitowoc, WI 54220-3707 USA email: service@gardengift.com Offerings: irrigation equipment - Earl May Seed Company 208 North Elm Street Shanandoah, IA 51603-0099 712-246-1020 Offerings: woody plants, seeds, perennials, growing supplies - Garden's Alive Hwy. 48, P.O. Box 149 Sunman, IN 47041 812-623-3800 Offerings: tools, equipment, IPM supplies, beneficial insects - Gardener's Supply 128 Intervale Rd. Burlington, VT 05401 802-863-1700 Offerings: tools, equipment, IPM supplies - Gempler's P.O. Box 270, 211 Blue Mound Rd. Mount Horeb, WI 53572 800-328-8473 Fax: 800-551-1128 Offerings: agricultural supplies, protective equipment - Grower's Supply Company P.O. Box 1123 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 313-662-6058 Offerings: indoor stands, lights and trays - Henry Field's Heritage Gardens 1 Meadow Ridge Rd. Shenandoah, IA 51601-0700 605-665-5188 Offerings: woody plants, perennials, tools, supplies - Innis Violets 8 Maddison Lane Lynnfield, MA 01904 617-334-6679 Offerings: African violet growing supplies, high dome terrariums - J. W. Jung Seed Co. 335 S. High Street Rondolf, WI 53956 Offerings: seeds, woody plants, perennials, tools, supplies - Midwest Trading P.O. Box 384 St. Charles, IL 60174 708-742-1840 Fax: 708-888-3818 Offerings: horticultural supplies, equipment, tools, and structures. Comments: wholesale catalog - Park Seed Company Cokesbury Road Greennwood, SC 29647-0001 Offerings: seeds, bulbs, perennials, growing supplies Comments: separate seasonal catalogs offered - Ringer 9959 Valley View Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3585 800-654-1047 Fax: 612-941-5036 Offerings: tools, equipment, growing supplies, IPM supplies Comments: offers a range of organic lawn and garden products - Wayside Gardens 1 Garden Lane Hodges, SC 29695-0001 800-845-1124 Offerings: perennials, woody plants, growing supplies Comments: illustrated catalog - Wingert Pottery 1185 Atlantic Dr. West Chicago, IL 60185 708-293-9097 Fax: 708-293-9114 Offerings: clay pots, garden ornaments Comments: an extensive selection of clay pots, wholesale and retail, a division of Ceramo Company, Inc. <> Recommended reading on permaculture, agriculture, gardening and biodynamics: Bibliography <> How to Know Higher Worlds [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner Agriculture Course: The Birth of the Biodynamic Method [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner The Philosophy of Freedom: The Basis for a Modern World Conception [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Michael Wilson (Translator) \ The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar 2012 [Calendar] Maria Thun (Author), Matthias Thun (Author) The Biodynamic Year: Increasing Yield, Quality and Flavour: 100 Helpful Tips for the Gardener or Smallholder [Paperback] Maria Thun (Author) Secrets of the Soil : New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet [Paperback] Peter Tompkins (Author), Christopher Bird (Author) The Secret Life of Plants [Paperback] Peter Tompkins (Author), Christopher Bird (Author) Gardening for Life [Paperback] Maria Thun (Author), Matthew Barton (Translator) A Biodynamic Farm, For Growing Wholesome Food [Paperback] Hugh Lovel (Author) Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture [Paperback] Toby Hemenway (Author) The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming (New York Review Books Classics) [Paperback] Masanobu Fukuoka (Author, Afterword), Larry Korn (Translator), Wendell Berry (Preface), Frances Moore Lappe (Introduction) Voodoo Vintners: Oregon's Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers [Paperback] Katherine Cole (Author) Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World [Paperback] Paul Stamets (Author) How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine [Paperback] John Jeavons (Author) The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields [Paperback] John Jeavons (Author), Carol Cox (Author) The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses [Paperback] Eliot Coleman (Author) Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long [Paperback] Eliot Coleman (Author), Barbara Damrosch (Author), Kathy Bray (Illustrator) The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book) [Paperback] Eliot Coleman (Author), Sheri Amsel (Illustrator), Molly Cook Field (Illustrator) Agriculture: An Introductory Reader (Pocket Library of Spiritual Wisdom) [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Richard Thornton Smith (Introduction) Nutrition: Food, Health, and Spiritual Development [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner How to Know Higher Worlds [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author) Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment: An Esoteric Spiritualism Initiation (Forgotten Books) [Paperback] Rudolph Steiner Anthroposophy in Everyday Life [Paperback] Rudolph Steiner Bees [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Thomas Braatz (Translator) What Is Biodynamics?: A Way to Heal and revitalize the Earth : Seven Lectures [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Hugh J. Courtney (Introduction) Book Description Publication Date: October 30, 2005 Created from indications by Rudolf Steiner around 1924, and based on a deep understanding of the life forces at work in nature, farming and gardening with biodynamic methods are spiritual, artistic, and sophisticated forms of organic horticulture that nurture and enhance the earth. It emphasizes the interdependence and unity of all the elements of an ecosystem or landscape including soil, plants, animals, and weather. Taking the soil as the foundation for the vitality and diversity of a farm or garden, biodynamic methods use special herbal "preparations" to increase the energetic quality of the soil, stimulating plant growth and health. Biodynamic methods go beyond organic practices to actually heal the earth herself. Typical of the biodynamic approach are companion planting, crop rotation, cover crops, green manures, liquid manures, compost, the integration of crops and livestock, and planting and harvesting in harmony with the lunar and planetary cycles. This introduction to biodynamic methods contains five lectures by Rudolf Steiner and an extensive introduction by Hugh Courtney of the Josephine Porter Institute, who unravels not only the practice of biodynamics, but also its spiritual and esoteric background. <> Amazon.com: The Wholeness of Nature : Goethe's Way Toward a Science of Conscious Participation in Nature (9780940262799): Henri Bortoft: Books http://www.amazon.com/Wholeness-Nature-Goethes-Conscious-Participation/dp/0940262797/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324051316&sr=1-1-spell <http://www.amazon.com/Wholeness-Nature-Goethes-Conscious-Participation/dp/0940262797/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324051316&sr=1-1-spell> The Wholeness of Nature : Goethe's Way Toward a Science of Conscious Participation in Nature [Paperback] "Book Description ISBN-10: 0940262797 | ISBN-13: 978-0940262799 | Publication Date: November 1, 1996 | Edition: 1st Whereas most readers are familiar with Goethe as a poet and dramatist, few are familiar with his scientific work. In this brilliant book, Henri Bortoft (who began his studies of Goethean science with J. G. Bennett and David Bohm) introduces the fascinating scientific theories of Goethe. He succeeds in showing that Goethe's way of doing science was not a poet's folly but a genuine alternative to the dominant scientific paradigm. Bortoft shows that a different, "gentler" kind of empiricism is possible than that demanded by the dualizing mind of modern technological science and demonstrates that Goethe's participatory phenomenology of a new way of seeing-while far from being a historical curiosity-in fact proposes a practical solution to the dilemmas of contemporary, postmodern science. If you read only one book on Goethan science, this should be the one!" Other interesting books advertised on this page: The Metamorphosis of Plants [Hardcover] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Author), Gordon L. Miller (Introduction) Goethe on Science [Paperback] Jeremy Naydler (Author), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Author), Henri Bortoft (Foreword) Goethe's Way of Science (Suny Series, Environmental & Architectural Phenomenology) [Paperback] by David Seamon, editor Theory of Colours (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) [Paperback] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Author), Charles L. Eastlake (Translator) Goethe's Theory of Knowledge: An Outline of the Epistemology of His Worldview (Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner) [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Peter Clemm (Translator), Christopher Bamford (Introduction) The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World [Paperback] by David Abram Catching the Light: The Entwined History of Light and Mind [Paperback] by Arthur Zajonc Colour [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author) Intuitive Thinking As a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom (Classics in Anthroposophy) [Paperback] Rudolf Steiner (Author), Michael Lipson (Translator)