Piermont Community Garden: NOFA MATERIALS LIST

Sunday, January 20, 2013

NOFA MATERIALS LIST

SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

Plant health depends on the continual addition of new organic matter to the soil and on the formation and breakdown of humus. As soil microbes and earthworms convert fallen leaves and other residues into humus, they also release plant nutrients and secrete gums which bind soil into stable crumbs, giving it a porous structure.

Organic soil fertility is built up and maintained by the use of such practices as crop rotations, cover crops, and green manuring, composting, mulching and the application of manure, organic fertilizers and soil amendments. A healthy organic soil teems with microbial life and has a high organic matter content, good tilth and a balance of plant nutrients and minerals.

PLANT DISEASE MANAGEMENT

There are three basic principles to disease prevention:

Building a healthy soil, rich in organic matter, with balanced nutrients, elements and pH. This promotes strong, vigorous plant growth and assures the availability of trace elements such as boron, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum and zinc. Trace elements are vital to the growth of healthy plants. If trace elements are deficient or unbalance, cell structure breaks down, inviting disease.
Using well adapted and resistant varieties. This includes the use of certified seed, and seed and stock from reliable, disease-free sources.
Using disease-prevention cultural practices such as the elimination of host weeds, diseased plants or parts of plants; the removal, composting, or digging under of crop residues; insect control, crop rotations, hot water seed treatment, interplanting, companion planting and harvesting crops when dry; careful cultivation to minimize mechanical damage to plants; and good air circulation.

When preventative methods fail, diseases can be controlled, but not eradicated, by fungicides.

INSECT MANAGEMENT

The most important practice which organic growers can undertake to limit pest problems in their crops is to develop soil fertility. Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Some measures which encourage plant health and reduce pest problems: composting, crop rotations & green manures, polyculture (planting a number of crops within a limited area), timely plantings with an eye to pest life cycles, the use of species and varieties adapted to local soil and climatic conditions, the use of trap crops and resistant varieties and the protection or release of natural predators.

APPROVED SOIL AMENDMENTS, FERTILIZERS, GROWTH PROMOTERS

Agricultural limestone, any brand
Agricultural gypsum - any brand
Animal manures, composted - any brand
Blood products - any brand
Borax Ground basalt
Bone meal - any brand
Biodynamic preparations - any brand
Calcitic Limestone
Cellulotic bacteria or other compost inoculants (for composting resistant materials)
Colloidal phosphate - any brand
Compost (on-farm produced)
Dolomitic limestone
Feldspar - any brand
Fish emulsion, non-fortified - Menhadden Fish Solubles,Fertrell Fish Emulsion #1, Cor-J Seafood, FoliaFish
Fish meal, non-fortified - any brand
Free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria, bluegreen algae, mycorrhizae and other beneficial microbial cultures
Granite dust or other rock dust products - any brand
Gypsum (calcium sulfate, only if mined)
Greensand - any brand
Herbal preparations including the biodynamic preparations
Humates
Kelp Meal - Algit, Thorvin
Kelp Extracts non-fortified - Maxicrop, Sea Crop, Fertrell Foliar Feed #3, Foliagro, Sudbury, Agri-kelp
Manure teas
Natural potassium sulphate - any brand
Oyster shell - any brand
Rhizobium inoculants for legumes
Rock Phosphate - any brand
Rooting hormones -- naturally occurring only (including auzin -- IAA)
Seaweed extracts containing natural cytokinins
Seaweed meal or seaweed extract (foliar)
Solubar
Sulphate of potash magnesia (langbenite, sul-po-mag, k-mag) - any brand
Vegetable meal ex: alfalfa meal, soy meal - any brand US or Canadian grown (Cottonseed meal is regulated due to suspected residues)
Wetting agents, adjuvants and spreader stickers which are plant or fatty acid based.
Wood ashes in moderation - any brand (High rates may over lime the soil, increase salinity and damage soil life)

NOTE: Vermiculite and Perlite (volcanic rock) can be used to lighten the soil & help retain moisture as can peat moss. Be aware that peat moss is a limited resource and being used less and less. Other than lightening and maybe slightly acidifying the soil there is little benefit.

REGULATED SOIL AMENDMENTS, FERTILIZERS, GROWTH PROMOTERS

Chilean Nitrate or bat guano (Discouraged because of high sodium content)
Epsom salts (If soil is high in both Ca and K while Mg is deficient)
Vegetable meal originating outside US or Canada (ie cocoa meal) (Must test for residues)
Potassium sulfate

APPROVED PEST/DISEASE CONTROL APPROVED PEST/DISEASE CONTROL

Mechanical Measures: nets, traps, hand picking, lights, noise, vacuuming, jets of water, physical barriers, trapping substances such as Tanglefoot or Stickum, and tree seals without fungicides or chemical pesticides added.

Pheromones and attractants used either to monitor or control pest populations.

Biological controls:

Bacterial and viral-specific insecticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), formulated
with chemically inert ingredients and no petroleum based synergists.
The release of natural predators and parasites -- lady bugs, lacewings, Encarsia formosa, Trichogramma wasps, predatory nematodes, etc.
Creation of favorable environments for wildlife and other natural predators such as birds, frogs, toads, snakes, etc.
Domestic predators -- geese, chickens, etc.
Sprays and Dusts: Plant derived sprays and dusts (unless listed elsewhere as regulated or prohibited) -- mild and non-poisonous sprays such as nettles (useful against whitefly and aphids) or garlic, also hot peppers.
Insect derived sprays such as essence of Colorado potato beetle, etc.
Dusting with lime and wood ash (If it rains, wood ash makes lye and can burn seedlings)

Baking Soda
Biodynamic preparations - any brand
Boric Acid
Botanical repellents - garlic & cayenne
Herbal preparations - equisetum
Natural acids - vinegar - any brand

REGULATED PEST CONTROL

Insecticidal soaps - Safers, M-Pede (Can result in plant damage and reduced yields)
Diatomaceous earth (Applicator should take care to protect lungs. Can damage many beneficial species, including earthworms.)
Rubbing alcohol for greenhouse use - any brand (Can be phytotoxic. Find lowest effective concentration by testing on a few plants first.)
Botanical Pesticides: Pyrethrum, Rotenone, Sabadilla, Ryania, Quassia (These products are extremely toxic and can be dangerous to humans, wildlife and soil organisms. They are also broad spectrum poisons which kill beneficials as well as pests. They should be used with discretion and not on a routine basis. Proper body protection should be used by the applicator.)

PROHIBITED

Pesticides found in either the allowed or regulated categories are prohibited if they contain xylene, toluene, benzene or other aromatic petroleum distillates. A more complete list of NOFA-prohibited substances can be found on the bulletin board of the Shed.

NEW ISSUE

The use of genetically altered seeds is also prohibited.

ACCEPTABLE/UNACCEPTABLE PRODUCTS

Per Howard Garrett and the TEXAS ORGANIC RESEARCH CENTER TORC 2007

In general: Toxic synthetic pesticides are specifically prohibited, i.e., neurotoxins including all carbamates, organophosphates, pyrethroids, organochlorines and all products containing piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Certain toxic organic pesticides are also excluded.

Acceptable Organic Soil Amendment and Fertilizer Products

Bioform Products
Bradfield Products
Coffee grounds
Compost
Composted biosolids
Corn gluten meal (60% protein or 9-0-0 analysis)
Granite Native cedar products
Cornmeal products
Cottonseed meal
Diatomaceous earth (natural)
Dry molasses
Earthworm castings
Fish emulsion and fish meal
Garrett Juice
Garden-Ville Soil Conditioner
Garden-Ville Products (except those containing urea)
Greensand
GreenSense Products
Hu-More Products
Hou-Actinite
Humates
Humic acid products
Lava sand
Medina Products
Seaweed products
Texas greensand
Vinegar (apple cider and other fruit-based products)
Volcanite
Wheat bran products
Zeolite

Unacceptable Fertilizer Products

Ammonium nitrate
Ammonium sulfate
Miracle-Gro Synthetic fertilizers
Osmocote
Peters 20-20-20
Synthetic growth regulators
Synthetic weed & feed fertilizers
Urea

Acceptable Organic/Natural Pest Control Products

Bactimos briquettes
Baking soda
Beneficial insects
Beneficial nematodes
Bioblast
Biological products
Bora-Care
Borate products
Boric Acid
Cedar-Cide products
Cinnamon products
Citrex
Citric acid products
Citrus products
Clove oil
Cornmeal products
D-limonene
Diatomaceous earth (natural)
Eco PCO D
Eco PCO Exempt
Eugene oil
Garden-Ville Soil Conditioner
Garlic tea products
Garlic pepper tea
Glue traps
Horticultural oil
Hydrogen peroxide
Insecticidal soap
Live traps
Mosquito Dunks
Neem
Niban (without PBO)
Orange oil
Pepper products (red and black)
Plant Wash
Spinosad
Tim-Bor
Vinegar (from grain alcohol, not distilled from 99% glacial acetic acid)

Unacceptable Pest Control Products

2,4-D
Acetic acid (petroleum based)
Amdro
Atrazine
Bayleton
BHA
BHT
BR-61
Broadleaf herbicides
Clopyralid
Copper products
Daconil
Diazinon
DSMA
Dursban
Enviro RainDrops
Ethoxyquin
Finale
Funginex
Glyphosate products
Grazon
Ironite
Manage
Merit
MSMA
Nature's Creation Organics
Orthene
Orthonex
PBO
Pendimethalin
Picloram
Piperonyl butoxide
Rotenone
RoundUP
Silica gel
SU herbicides
Synthetic fungicides
Tuffalo

Brand names are included by NOFA as a service to growers and do not imply endorsement. All possible brand names are not listed.

Excerpted from 1995 NOFA-NY and 1998 NOFA-MA

NOFA Standards, 4th Ed ,2009

NOFA Standards, 6th Ed, 2017

No comments:

RECIPES for THE GARDEN VEGETABLES and HERBS

TOMATO GLUT SAUCE

Adapted by Joan Gussow from The NY Times & found in her book This Organic Life p 195 with more suggestions for this sauce.

Preheat oven to 400º F

Put into a large roasting pan:

6 pounds tomatoes (plum are best) cored and quartered

1½ c coarsely chopped carrots (opt)

1½ c coarsely chopped celery (opt)

1½ c coarsely chopped onions

9 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

6 Tbl balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1½ Tbl each fresh thyme, basil, oregano, parsley

1½ tsp salt (or less)

1 Tbl freshly ground black pepper

Roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Process briefly to leave slightly chunky, and freeze in 2-cup portions. Makes 2 quarts (4 pounds)

TRANSFORM ALL THOSE CUCUMBERS into PICKLES!

Lacto-Fermented "Kosher" Dill Pickles

This is a great and easy recipe to make pickles and they taste like the deli pickles we buy in the store. I use horse radish leaves (which we have plenty) and whatever spices I have. I also put the lid on lightly so the air can escape and I don't have to burp it daily. Start checking after 3 days. ENJOY! Unda

CARROTS, SAUTEED
relish.com Andrew Cotto
Serves 2-3

1½ Tbl olive oil
1 lb carrots, cut diagonally into ½" slices
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper (opt)
Garlic clove, minced
½ Tbl balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over MED-LO heat.

Add carrots, sugar & oregano. Sprinkle with S&P. Cook, covered, 5 min, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic & cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are tender and slightly browned, 7-8 min.

Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

GREEN BEAN DRESSING
Adapted from ‘Eat Right 4 Your Type’
Serves 2

½ lb fresh green beans, steamed until done to taste.

DRESSING:
½ lemon -- squeeze juice into container
1 clove garlic (organic hardneck is the best!), crushed, minced or cut up in small pieces
½ tsp salt (original calls for twice as much salt.)
1½ Tbl olive oil

Mix lemon juice, garlic & salt, then add oil. Pour the dressing over the hot green beans and serve hot or refrigerate to serve as cold salad later. Dressing also good over plain rice.

IMAN BAYELDI – an EGGPLANT MAIN DISH

Translated: And the Priest Fainted (it was so good!)

from Superfoods by D. Riccio

Serves 4 as entree, 8 as appetizer
Bake 1 hr @ 400º F

2 med eggplant (3/4 lb each)
3+ Tbl olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
(not chopped or pressed)
1 lg onion, chopped
4 lg tomatoes, peeled & chopped (or drained 16 oz can)

½+ tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper to taste

juice of a half lemon

1 tsp sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Cut off strips of peel lengthwise at 1" intervals. On the flat side, make several deep slashes in the eggplant flesh, but do not cut all the way thru. Salt the cut eggplant and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse. Squeeze out excess water and pat dry.

Heat oil in skillet. Brown flat side of eggplant in oil and place halves in baking dish flat side up.

Sauté onions and garlic in the same pan; add more oil if necessary until they are soft. Add tomatoes, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook over MED-HI heat until tomatoes are sauce consistency. Spoon sauce over eggplant halves, pressing into slashes. Sprinkle on more thyme.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Put enough water in the baking dish to come half way up the eggplant sides. Add lemon juice, sugar & cinnamon stick. Cover tightly with aluminum foil tent. Bake 1 hour. Let cool in pan juices. Remove to serving dish. Serve at room temperature.

HAROLD'S BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Best carmelized in an iron frying pan

8 oz Brussels sprouts

water

1+ Tbl olive oil

1½ Tbl butter, cut up in cubes

salt to taste

¼ tsp dried dill weed

Clean and halve the sprouts. Arrange in a single layer in the frying pan. Add enough water to bring it halfway up the sprouts. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook about 6 min until tender.

Remove the lid and continue cooking until all the water is evaporated -- about 3 min.

Pour in the oil (at least 1 Tbl), spreading it around (turn the pan and tilt). Cook another 3 min to help caramelize & sweeten the sprouts.

Add butter around the sprouts. Shake a little salt over all. Sprinkle on at least ¼ tsp dill on top. Continue browning until tender. Serve.

IRISH VEGETABLE SOUP

from a casual eatery on the Burren in Co Claire, 1986

Sauté gently in a Dutch oven or similar pan:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 Tbl butter

Add:

1 qt chicken broth (canned or homemade)

3 medium potoates, quartered (can be unpeeled)

1 carrot, sliced

1 small to medium white turnip, quartered

1-2 sprigs celery top

1 BOUQUET GARNI:

¼ tsp thyme (dried)

½ tsp parsley (dried) or 1½ Tbl fresh

1/3 Bay leaf

Opt: 1 chicken bouillon cube

Bring all the ingredients to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 min. Cool. Remove bouquet garni and celery top. Purée in blender or food processor.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and garlic croutons. This soup can also be frozen.

PARSNIP FENNEL SOUP

from the kitchen of Sharon in Seattle, WA

1 lb parsnips, peeled & cubed (about 2¼ c)

1 lb fennel bulbs, peeled & (save fronds)

1 onion, chopped

6 Tbl unsalted butter

In a kettle on MED-LO, cook parsnips, fennel & onion in butter for 15 min or until softened.

¼ c flour

5 c chicken broth (canned OK)

Add flour to form a roux & cook 3 min, stirring all the time. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil & simmer for 15 min, stirring occasionally.

Cool enough to put in blender or food processor & cream, adding some fennel fronds for additional fennel flavor.

1 c half 'n half (original calls for heavy cream)--approximately 2 Tbl/cup of soup.

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Reheat in pot, add half 'n half and salt & pepper, simmering until heated through.

COLLEEN'S DEVILED EGGS

12 boiled eggs*
1 Tbl Dijon-style mustard
½ c mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)

½ tsp dry dill

salt to taste

paprika (opt)

Mix mayonnaise, mustard & dill while eggs are cooking.

Cut eggs in half; remove cooked yolks to separate dish, add salt to taste & mash well before adding the mayo mix or will be lumpy. Stir in mayo mix until yolks are moistened well and not lumpy. Using a teaspoon, fill the egg whites with the yolk mix. Top with paprika if desired.

*Boiling eggs -- older eggs peel better than real fresh ones: Cover the eggs well with water and stir while bringing to a boil to keep the yolk evenly spaced in the egg. After coming to a boil, remove from heat and cover for 13 min. Remove eggs and plunge in cold ice water to stop the cooking. Leaving in the heat too long will cause the outer yolk to exhibit a grey color. Fast cooling also helps when it comes to peeling the eggs. (Save cooled egg water which is great for your houseplants).

Piermont Community Garden

Autumn in the Garden