There may be some county agents out there who don't feel "comfortable" dealing
with organic agriculture questions, but they sure should be able to make an
effort to find someone who can. Most extension agents (at least the ones I've
met, anyway) are in the business of helping people - no matter who they are
(not just working with large-scale, traditional, input-intensive conventional
farmers). That's one reason why we're in Extension and not out there making
the big bucks working for Monsanto or DuPont or Pioneer or Smithfield Foods.
If people don't ask us the questions, we surely can't help them find answers.
At least in North Carolina, NC Cooperative Extension has been making more of
an effort to educate agents about organic and non-traditional agriculture, so
agents are at least somewhat familiar with the issues and problems these
farmers deal with so they can better work WITH them to find solutions.
Marjorie
On Oct 21, 11:03am, Byron Simonds wrote:
> Subject: Re: insect (true bug) control on pistachios
> People, People, that is the wrong approach! Call the agent and bother him/her
> until an satisfactory answer is obtained. Without input from the public, ie.
> questions/concerns, the University/Extension service will not know what
> direction to focus research/resources. There are no answers if there are no
> questions, only status quo.
>
> Regards,
> Byron Simonds, Ag Extension Agent, Nc Cooperative Extension Service
>
>
> On Oct 20, 3:49pm, Edna M Weigel wrote:
> > Subject: insect (true bug) control on pistachios
> > Dear SANETers:
> > I have a new friend who purchased a pistachio orchard and wants
> > to convert to organic methods. Their first harvest had severe damage
> > from leaf-footed plant bugs, stink bugs, and lygus bugs leaving some of
> > the nuts off tasting. Other pistachio growers in her area (high desert
> > in Arizona) spray with Pounce.
> > I know almost nothing about pistachios and I haven't been
> > especially successful at controling the occassional outbreaks of any kind
> > of sucking bugs (that is true bugs) in my own garden. Can any of you
> > help? I don't want to send her to our county agent who is NOT
> > sympathetic to organic concepts. Are there some cultural things she can
> > do? Are there some organic controls available? I will forward any
> > suggestions to her.
> > Best Regards, Edna
> >
> >
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> >-- End of excerpt from Edna M Weigel
>
>
>
> --
> Byron Simonds
> E-Mail : bsimonds@hertford
> Internet: bsimonds@hertford.ces.ncsu.edu
> Phone : (252) 358-7822
> Fax : (252) 358-7880
>
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>-- End of excerpt from Byron Simonds
-- Marjorie Rayburn, Area Specialized Agent, IPM E-Mail : mrayburn@chowan Internet: mrayburn@chowan.ces.ncsu.edu Phone: (252) 482-8431 Fax: (252) 482-0126
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