Proper manure usage implies storage
By DIETER KRIEG
EDITORS NOTE: Tbls is
the fourth artide In a con*
tinning series on organic
farming.
KIMBERTON - The ideal
system of organic farming is
Paul Keene
totally self sustaining. That
is, it needs nothing for
support other than the inputs
which can be found within a
given system.
Fanners in this part of
Pennsylvania are already
doing that to some extent,
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Organic farming is a way of life
but many potential routes
towards the improvement of
soil fertility are overlooked.
Li Europe, for example,
farmers have been collec
ting the urine of their
animals for years. An
estimated 30 fo 40 per cent of
the'fertilizing agents found
in manure are present in the
liquid portions.
Another concept which has
been largely overlooked in
this country, and yet has
been in practice in Europe
for centuries is the proper
storage of manure rather
than daily hauling to the
field. Ideally, the manure
should be composted first if
the farmer wants to get the
most use out of it.
Well composted manure
stimulates the root system,
and develops a richer soil.
According to Dr. Herbert
Koepf, director of the School
of Biodynamic Agriculture
at Emerson College,
England, a self-sustaining
farming system can be
brought about through
diversification. He
recommends that crop and
livestock farming be com
bined into one, with each
complimenting the other and
that organic matter be
recycled. It’s a concept
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Dr. Herbert Koepf
which is used rather widely
in this part of Pennsylvania
and neighboring areas, but
not in complete harmony
with the principles ad
vocated by men such as
Koepf.
A former professor at the
University of Hohenheim in
Agway Feed Prepared
Seattle Slew
For Triple
Crown
Victory
Doesn’t your horse deserve
Triple Crown treatment?
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Germany, Dr. Koepf visited
southeastern Pennsylvania
last week to deliver a talk on
biodynamic agriculture. He
spoke at the Kimberton
Farm School, near here,
which at one time
specialized in training young
men in the principles of
organic farming. Although
“We found that Agway feed supplied
the right nutrition for the job we
wanted him to do,” said Dr. Jim
er of Slew along with
Mickey and Karen Taylor. “In fact,
we’ve got all of our two-year olds on
Agway feed.”
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Septembers, 1977
the school still maintains its
farms, teaching is now
limited to conventional
subject matter. Agriculture
is no longer on the
curriculum in any form.
Visitors to the talk and
slide presentation last week
were told that biodynamic
agriculture is a new ap-
Seattle Slew,
undefeated winner
of racing’s Triple Crown,
had Agway horse feed
as his training ration
during the Critical
yearling period.
proach to farming which was
put forth by Rudolf Steiner.
It embraces the thought that
“adherence to one-sided
technological thinking and
profit seeking has always led
to ecological, economic and
social disaster.”
According to Koepf and his
[Continued on Page 29]
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