<< Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 15:13:09 -0500
From: "gcouger" <gcouger@ionet.net>
Subject: Alternative Wood Preservatives
; My name is Dave Jackson, and I am the proprietor of an 11 acre hardy
;kiwi research, development, and extension site which supports trials of 52
;cultivars and arbors 3000 vines.
; The multi-cultivars are trialed for micro-climate adaptation,
;hybridization and are evaluated for viability, productivity, and;
;marketability.
; The arbor is a T-bar design consisting of 8 foot, 8 inch circumference;
;CCA (chromated copper arsenate) driven tie backs and line posts.
; CCA posts fit the requirements of hardy kiwi in uniformity, strength,
;and endurance but not for that of "organic" hardy kiwi.
; I have been told of three alternatives to CCA, those named are:
; (ACQ) ammoniacal copper quartenary
; copper azole
; copper citrate
; My question is how do these alternatives to CCA fair with the Organic
;Standards and are there any other alternatives to be considered?
Two other woods are Bois De'arc( Osage Orange) and catlapa I am
not sure of the spelling of either. Osage Orange heart wood last for ever.
After it is aged you will have to drill holes for fasteners.
In my part of the world steel is about the same cost as wood post and
a lot less expensive to install.
Gordon
>>
Hello Gordan,
OFPA, the Organic Foods Production Act 1990 prohibits all synthetic substances
from being used on certified organic farms and allows for all natural
substances, as well as not necessarily "organically produced" substances to be
used on organic farms. Synthetic is defined in OFPA.
Section 2103 (21) SYNTHETIC. The term "synthetic" means a substance that is
formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that
chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant,
animal, or mineral sources, except that such term shall not apply to
substances created by naturally occurring biological processes.
OFPA does provide for a few exemptions for the allowed use of synthetic
substances on organic farms. Treated post is not one of the categories of
possible exemptions.
Therefore,
To be consistent with OFPA, naturally occuring woods that are resistant to rot
are allowed and any natural substance used to treat posts is allowed.
Bodark or Osage Orange and mulberry, black locust, walnut, Alaskan Yellow
Cedar and a few other native N. American woods fit the bill of being extremely
resistant to rot.
Best Regards,
Eric Kindberg
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