From: "Diane Green" <gtreenat@dmi.net>
To: "Cinda Williams" <CINDAW@novell.uidaho.edu>
Subject: Request for information
Date sent: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 10:26:44 -0600
Hi . I have a request for you, as I really have no idea where else to
connect with someone to help me find this scientific information.
In the recent issue of "Growing for Market", in their News briefs
section there is a brief article as follows:
The Demeter Association, which certifies Biodynamic growers, has
banned the use of bonemeal and bloodmeal as plant fertilizers. The
organization says "it is certainly likely" that bone and blood meal
contaminated by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow
disease, is on the market in the US. "Rendered remains of BSE animals
are sill infective," the organization says. "Applying bonemeal to
the soil will inoculate the soil with the BSE agent if it was present
in the raw material. It will stay in the soil forever. Livestock
grazing in the area in the future will be exposed to the BSE agent.
Farmers applying the bone and blood meal will be exposed also."
This news brief has sent our local organic growers, myself included,
into a state of serious concern. I need to find someone through the
University or knowledgeable source to follow up on this and find out
if this is real or just a freak-out of someone with a big imagination.
We sell both bone meal & blood meal and promote this to be used as an
organic soil amendment. I need some facts! Would you know of anyone
to forward this message to that might be able to find some
scientifically based facts behind this. My biological background
tells me that the norm is that disease does not live without a living
organism to host it.
Please, anything you can do to help me find some facts would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time! Have a good day.
-----Diane Green Greentree Naturals 2003 Rapid Lightning Rd.
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208)263-8957 gtreenat@dmi.net
Cinda Williams
Extension Support Scientist
Ag Econ & Rural Sociology
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2334
Phone: 208-885-7499
Fax: 208-885-5759
To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with "unsubscribe sanet-mg".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".