In 1962 a graduate student:

[valley ranch]

In 1962, the professors had taken off to give lectures on how much they knew, leaving a 22year old graduate student in charge of the pathology at University.
A rancher brought in 30 lambs that had died the night before of a group of 500 lambs that perished that night.
The student questioned the rancher concerning different food, any change in chemicals used or sprayed on pasture. There was none.


Autopsy showed the blood of the lambs was the color of chocolate milk, Nitrate Poisoning, he asked for samples, the water sample showed high concentration of Nitrates, a neighbors corn field up hill had leached during rains to the fields and contaminated the well water.

BUT! why did 500 die in one night?

Autopsy also showed the thyroid glans rather than the size of a Lima Bean and firm, were the size of plumbs and like black berry jam.

Checking the temperature, in that part of Missouri, it was found to be 19 degrees F on that night.

Conclusion: The animals because of the condition of their Thyroid Gland couldn't regulate their body temperature and had died of hypothermia,

He wrote a paper that was published, he became known world wide in AG Medicine over night.


Dr. Joel Wallach

 

[ducks4you]

Every Spring we choke when the farmers use this cheapo method to fertilize the adjacent fields and the wind kicks up. I keep wanting them to take my stall leavings and clean up after the cattle ranch close to us, or ask to clean up where they keep buffalo 10 minutes drive from us. I am sure that they could put that out in a field in the Fall and have just as good a crop next year.

 

[valley ranch]

That would be great way to feed the crops and land. We use that for our crops.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This doctor Wallach believes also that: when we stopped burning wood as fuel, and of course stopped using wood ash for soil enrichment, we lost close to 90 minerals that were in our veggies. That now we and AG add only 3 minerals to soil and therefore are have become deficient which causes diseases of deficiency.

That makes sense to me. I have in the past used wood ash, I plan to do it for more of what we grow in addition to what our animals provide.

 

[ducks4you]

How do you use your wood ash? Every time I read about using ashes, everybody says no. Confused.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I simply dump our wood ash on the compost pile. Have done that for many years. I've been putting a 5 gal. can of ash out there about once a week since it has turned cold. Wood ash is acidic so it tends to decrease the Ph of the soil but we need that here at PlayStation. No lime needed in our gardens.

 

[thistlebloom]

How do you use your wood ash? Every time I read about using ashes, everybody says no. Confused.

It depends on the pH of your soil. When used in the compost pile it evens things out as decomposition takes place, but it will raise the pH of your soil if applied directly to the garden. Wood ash is an alkalizer.
Generally the less rainfall your area gets the higher your soils pH will be.

Here's a little more info: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/wood-ash-can-be-useful-yard-if-used-caution

This is from OSU, and our soils in the western states tend toward more alkalinity than those in the east, so you could check with your local extension for information more specific to your area.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks!

 

[catjac1975]

How do you use your wood ash? Every time I read about using ashes, everybody says no. Confused.

I have never heard no to wood ash. It is supposed to be good for brocoli and related crops.

 

[valley ranch]

I use to just toss it over the growing area here in the mountains. In the high desert I add manure and build soil using some soil or mineral earth there as well as bringing duff from the mountain to mix in, so I think I'll do the same.