“Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex,
the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.” 
― Bill Mollison


Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy plants and healthy ecosystems.  Healthy soils are life sustaining, allowing strong robust plants to grow and thrive.  What organic growers strive for is healthy soil, that is teaming with the microbes required for soil fertility.  Cover crops that are nitrogen fixing, provide the essential nitrogen to plants and soil and in the food web to all other animals and plants.  Cover crops that have deep roots and the ability to bioaccumulate helpful nutrients, "mine" essential nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium and calcium and provide those nutrients to the food web.  Cover crops that attract pollinators ensure the production of seeds and fruits for the many organisms depending on seeds and fruit for food.  The pollinators also ensure the propagation of plants depending on pollinators for seed production. The many animals that eat those seeds and fruits ( birds, bats and mammals) are needed by the plants for seed dispersal.)  Cover crops that attract beneficial predatory insects ensure crops are protected from pest insects by controlling their populations.  

Compost restores nutrients to the soil but more importantly provides healthy microbes.  And manure also provides both nutrients and microbes to promote a fertile soil.

The fertility of the soil, teaming with microbes and organic matter is why organic produce has been documented as having higher nutritional values the conventionally grown produce.  There are more and more studies demonstrating the high yields of organic farming, in some situations, far exceeding that of  conventional farming.(1)

So it is simply not true that organic farming cannot feed the world's population. In fact, by adopting these practices and learning more about them, the yields can only improve.   Not only is organic  farming capable of providing similar yields to conventional farming, but the increase of insects, birds, fish, and mammals would be able to provide even more calories if they were needed.

1)http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4060
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5339

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAUoNtOFbCE

Photo credit By Teresa Prendusi, USFS botanist per [1] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

"When we protect the places where the processes of life can flourish, we strengthen not only the future of medicine, agriculture and industry, but also the essential conditions for peace and prosperity."
~ Harrison Ford

Water Sedge (Carex acutinella, Carex aquatilis ssp. altior, Carex aquatilis ssp. aquatilis, Carex aquatilis var. altior, Carex aquatilis var. substricta, Carex suksdorfii, Carex substricta)

This plant grows in wet to moist prairie,  prairie swales, riparian zones, and sedge meadows.  It is found in areas of shallow water or by its edge.  Sedges have an amazing ability to survive low oxygen environments.  When soil is flooded, the soil organisms consume oxygen faster than it can diffuse.  This leads to low oxygen and is a defining characteristic of wetlands.  Sedges have an amazing ability to grow under low oxygen conditions.  They develop air channels in their leaves, stems and roots.  called aerenchyma.  This structure of air channels allows oxygen from the air to be exchanged with the roots allowing these plants to thrive in places other plants would die due to lack of oxygen.  
Water sedge reproduces by seeds but mostly by forming a masses of  rhizomes called tiller clumps.  Seventy five percent of the biomass produced by sedges occur underground.  The dense tiller rhizomes can produce 1,000 to 2,000 shoots peer square meter forming sod and stabilizing riverbanks.  As its rhizome system decomposes, it can produce peat.  Therefore it has been used to revegetate areas where peat was harvested.

Sedges form the foundation of both aquatic and terrestrial food chains.  Their leaves are a source of food for many butterflies caterpillars.  Many small mammals such as rabbits, voles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and muskrats forage sedges.  Sedges are of special importance to bears in the spring after their awakening from hibernation when other food sources are scarce.  In spring, bears feed on the grass part of the sedges but also the starch rich roots.  Moose and elk graze water sedges and it is high in nutrition and  in protein content.  The seeds are eaten by many birds.  It is important cover for birds and small mammals.  It is a valuable feeding and breeding ground for water fowl such as geese and ducks

Historically, sedge leaves and roots were used by First Nation people to make rope, baskets, mats and clothing.  Most sedges are edible(rhizomes and nutlets)Traditional Edible, Medicinal Uses: Used by Gosiute First Nations, who ate parts of the plant boiled. Alaska First Nations ate crown of stem. Hesquiate Tribe used the plant for basket fibre. (USDA Natural Resouces Conservation Service)

Forage agronomist, Neil G Miller, from Alberta's Agriculture Food and Development Department notes that wetlands and agriculture should coexist.  He also recommends including wildlife in lowland development plans for cattle producers.  Lowlands, where water loving sedges and grasses thrive,  recharge the ground water and provide excellent wild life habitat.   When hay is produced from the lowlands, it recycles excess nutrients, causing purer water to flow down stream.  .  Lowland forage species including sedges like awned sedge, wooly sedge, beaked sedge and water sedge provide excellent hay when harvested at their peak (in Alberta, usually in early July)  He notes that 3 to 4 tons per acre of high quality hay per year could be harvested from these areas.  He does point out that harvest management is important, because if this type of grass is allowed to mature, it is no better than straw.

Including and utilizing lowland areas with sedges  on a property provides life sustaining places for wildlife to thrive.  Wetlands also allows groundwater to be recharged.   We depend on the recharge of ground water for our wells to provide us with water.  Wetlands with sedges and other marshland plants, improves the water quality of streams, lakes and rivers.  Wetlands have a vital role in the hydrological cycle.  Water evaporates from wetlands, providing clouds that return as rain for our crops.  Finally lowlands provides high quality hay when properly managed. 


1)http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/water-sedge
2)http://www1.foragebeef.ca/$foragebeef/frgebeef.nsf/all/frg96/$FILE/foragebeef_lowlandforages.pdf
3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carex_aquatilis
4)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carex_aquatilis
5)http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/carex_vernacula.shtml
6)http://www.bearsmart.com/resources/north-american-bears/food-and-diet
7)http://nativeplants.evergreen.ca/search/view-plant.php?ID=01198

Photo Credit  :By Tewy (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons




  Trembling  Aspen –(Populus tremuloides)


“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Trembling Aspen is a tree that is a member of the poplar family.

Aspen is known for its ability to sprout root suckers and form clones of many individual stems.  While each stem has a relatively short lifespan (50 to 150 years) the root and its clones can live for tens of thousands of years.  There is a clonal colony of trembling aspen called "Pando" in Utah with a root system estimated to be 80,000 years old.  "Pando" covers an area over 100 acres and has over 40,000 stems

Softwood Poplars are of immense importance to wildlife of the prairies since it occurs in stands throughout the prairies and especially in the Aspen Parkland biome.  The Aspen Parkland Biome is a transition zone between the Prairie and the Boreal Forest.  The climate is wetter and colder than the prairies but not as cold as the boreal forest.  Most of southwestern Manitoba including Roblin lies within the Aspen Parkland.  Because of its rich black fertile soils and abundant trees, ninety percent of this habitat has been converted into farmland.  Between logging for fuel, building, and pulp, and clearing for agriculture, the area of aspens declined dramatically in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

In the North East First Nations people Peeled back the outer bark which revealed the inner bark and syrup was produced for food.  Mohawk brewed a bark tea to expel worms and the Cree boiled its bark to make a cough syrup

Aspen is an important food and shelter plant for wildlife.  It is grazed by deer, moose and elk.  Many birds eat its twigs and buds. It is a favorite food of beavers, who use it for building.  In winter, it is a particularly vital source of nutrients to hooved animals, but also to snowshoe hare and to grouse.  Grouse rely on its winter buds.  In the scarcity of winter, many animals will eat its bark. Cavities develop in these trees due to its susceptibility to fungus.  This provides homes and shelter to woodpeckers, owls, squirrels and other wildlife. The leaves of the Quaking Aspen and other species in the genus Populus serve as food for caterpillars of various moths and butterflies.

Poplars have been recognized as valuable for forage for cattle and sheep and this is being studied in New Zealand.  In central and eastern Europe, there is evidence that leaf fodder was used for feeding cattle and other livestock for centuries.

Aspens are incredible trees that have a cascading effect on the food web.  Many insects feed on their leaves attracting insectivore birds and bats.  Porcupines eat their bark and rodents and shrews enjoy the insects and understory vegetation.  Next come the predators, the hawks, weasels and coyotes.  This tree is an especially important source of food and shelter for wildlife during the cold of winter when other food sources are scarce.  Because of the ecological importance of the aspen tree in ecosystems, US federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of and the Land Management, are interested in enhancing aspen stands.

By allowing poplars to grow, we give our cattle shade in the summer and wind and snow protection in the winter.  We provide food and shelter to wildlife especially during the scarcity of winter. People that allow groves of Aspen to live are caretakers of the human race because the trees will provide provisions and beneficence for many generations to come.

Jackie Braga

Herbicides, pesticides and fungicides  are used as formulations.  They contain adjuvants which are called inert and are often kept confidential(1)

When toxicology studies are done on these formulations,   only the the active principle is tested for toxicity but not the adjuvants.    This is very deceiving because the adjuvants may be much more toxic than the principle ingredient.  In March 2014, Biomed Research International published an article  that documents the  deception.  Studies on human cell lines demonstrates toxicity by up to 1000 times more for the formulations compared to the active principle alone.  

So we read the toxicology studies on these chemicals and feel reassured of their safety.  When the reality  in this study, for human cells is that their toxicity exceeds be hundreds of times in most cases that of the active ingredient alone.  So when we read about the toxicity these products have on the plants and animals we really don't know the reality.

This is another reason to discontinue the use of these poisons.  






Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014: 179691.
1)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955666/

“Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it.” Samuel Johnson

So what is the problem with herbicides?  To get an understanding, I will evaluate one herbicide in detail. The chemical Tordon 22K was listed on the Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association website for control of leafy spurge and other weeds.  

A quick overview read the material on the website provided by the company leaves  you  with the impression that eliminating the weeds that this product is designed for, is good for wildlife as well as government and industries.  You infer that using Todon  22K has those same benefits, that this chemical is good for the environment as well as for government and industry.  The work "Stewardship" is prominent and retained in your mind when you peruse the website.  You are left with the impression that using Tordon  22K is  safe and good for the environment and that by using it, you are a good steward of your land.  The word "Expert" is also featured and you are left with the impression that experts are recommending the use of this product.

Tordon 22K

What the manufacturer website say about this product

-This is the only tool for effective control of deep-rooted perennials   such as Leafy Spurge and Toadflax
-Residual. It provides control for an extended time between treatments
-It may take 5 years for it to be deactivated in the soil
-Clippings from grass or crops should not be used for mulching or composting
-Manure from animals fed the forage from treated fields should not be used with susceptible plants
-It should not be sprayed within a distance of 1.5 times the height of the trees or shrubs


What MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
-Is flammable
-Can cause eye irritation
-Decomposition gases are toxic
-moderately toxic to aquatic organisms
-is NOT  readily Biodegradable  according to OECD test guidelines
-Bioaccumulation is moderate
-Mobility in the soil is very high


What does the manufacturer label say about Tordon 22K

• ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS 
  
  
  • This product is moderately toxic to fish. Do not apply to any water bodies or in areas where the runoff from treated areas will reach fish-bearing waters. Do not contaminate water through spray drift, by cleaning of equipment or disposal of wastes. 
    
    
  • Tordon 22K may cause damage to sensitive non-target vegetation. Do not apply to irrigation ditches that contain or may contain water to be used for irrigation or domestic purposes

Do not apply to soils that are very permeable (textures of sandy loam to sand) throughout the entire profile and which also have an underlying shallow aquifer. 

Do not apply to soils containing sinkholes over limestone bedrock. 

Do not apply to soils whose surfaces are composed of severely fractured rock or unconsolidated gravel 
and underlaid with an aquifer.


TOXIC to aquatic organisms and non-target terrestrial plants. Observe buffer zones specified under DIRECTIONS FOR USE.

Picloram is persistent and will carryover. It is recommended that any products containing picloram not be used in areas treated with this product during the previous season.
The use of this chemical may result in contamination of groundwater particularly in areas where soils are permeable (e.g. sandy soil) and/or the depth to the water table is shallow.
To reduce runoff from treated areas into aquatic habitats avoid application to areas with a moderate to steep slope, compacted soil, or clay.
Avoid application when heavy rain is forecast.
Contamination of aquatic areas as a result of runoff may be reduced by including a vegetative strip between the treated area and the edge of the water body.(1)


Discussion


So this is a product that lasts for years, is toxic to fish and to aquatic plants, does not breakdown easily, can kill shrubs and trees and remains toxic to trees, shrubs and other plants even in the manure of animals that eat treated forage and in the water that it gets into.  

If this product gets into ground water, it will not breakdown because it only breaks down in water with exposure to sunlight in water.

I am not able to find on the internet what percent of farmers comply completely with the instructions on the product label.  But I am assured  by a concerned farmer's wife that not many would read the directions carefully and follow them.

Because of its persistence in the soil and its  mobility in the water, The EPA Environmental Fate and Water Branch recommended that picloram should not be reregistered because its use would pose unreasonable adverse effects to the environment.(2)

Review of Dangers of using Tordon 22K
-Surface runoff and persistance in water unless exposed to sunlight
-Toxicity to fish in low concentrations
-Toxicity to non target species such as shrubs and trees and water plants such as milfoil
-Persistence in ground water
-Persistance in the manure of animals that graze on the treated pastures  or with treated forage 
-Persistance of this chemical in the soil
-The many conditions that Tordon 22K  should not be used i.e. clay soils, compacted soils,  gravelling or clay soils with an aquifer, sloped soils, and soils near a body of water.  The many types of  soils, where this product is not to be used describe most of Manitoba soils
-detrimental effect on the wildlife due to the loss of non target plants,  trees and shrubs
-detrimental effect to wildlife in bodies of water due to the loss of plants and fish 

The polished website of the manufacturer of this product is very misleading.  This is not a safe product.  It really should not be used on most of Manitoba's soils given that Manitoba has mostly clay and compacted soils.  And that there is so much marshland and ponds in Manitoba.   The reality is that this product is that is has a long lasting destructive effect on the soil, water and  plants and animals.   We have to ask ourselves how much we want to compromise the plants and animals in our biome. 

We have to ask ourselves how much of an impact does this chemical have compared to the weed it is supposed to control?

When you look closely at the problems of leafy spurge, you discover this weed is not a problem of cultivated fields.  That it not all that toxic to cattle and that cattle can be taught to graze it in as little as 8 days. (3) As well, there is biological control available with beetles. (4) So when we choose to use a poison, one with long lasting and devastating environmental effects, we are neither being safe nor using expertise.  In fact we are contributing to the destruction of the wildlife of Manitoba's biome.  Rather than demonstrating expertise and stewardship, we are demonstrating stupidity and ignorance.



(1)http://www.ivmexperts.ca/pdfs/Tordon_22K_Label_English.PDF
(2)http://www.pesticide.org/get-the-facts/pesticide-factsheets/factsheets/picloram
(3)http://onpasture.com/2013/11/18/cows-eat-leafy-spurge/
(4)http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Biological_Control_Leafy_Spurge


 


 

“Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it.” Samuel Johnson

So what is the problem with herbicides?  To get an understanding, I will evaluate one herbicide in detail. The chemical Tordon 22K was listed on the Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association website for control of leafy spurge and other weeds.  

A quick overview read the material on the website provided by the company leaves  you  with the impression that eliminating the weeds that this product is designed for, is good for wildlife as well as government and industries.  You infer that using Todon  22K has those same benefits, that this chemical is good for the environment as well as for government and industry.  The work "Stewardship" is prominent and retained in your mind when you peruse the website.  You are left with the impression that using Tordon  22K is  safe and good for the environment and that by using it, you are a good steward of your land.  The word "Expert" is also featured and you are left with the impression that experts are recommending the use of this product.

Tordon 22K

What the manufacturer website say about this product

-This is the only tool for effective control of deep-rooted perennials   such as Leafy Spurge and Toadflax
-Residual. It provides control for an extended time between treatments
-It may take 5 years for it to be deactivated in the soil
-Clippings from grass or crops should not be used for mulching or composting
-Manure from animals fed the forage from treated fields should not be used with susceptible plants
-It should not be sprayed within a distance of 1.5 times the height of the trees or shrubs


What MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
-Is flammable
-Can cause eye irritation
-Decomposition gases are toxic
-moderately toxic to aquatic organisms
-is NOT  readily Biodegradable  according to OECD test guidelines
-Bioaccumulation is moderate
-Mobility in the soil is very high


What does the manufacturer label say about Tordon 22K

• ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
  
  
  • This product is moderately toxic to fish. Do not apply to any water bodies or in areas where the runoff from treated areas will reach fish-bearing waters. Do not contaminate water through spray drift, by cleaning of equipment or disposal of wastes.
    
    
  • Tordon 22K may cause damage to sensitive non-target vegetation. Do not apply to irrigation ditches that contain or may contain water to be used for irrigation or domestic purposes

Do not apply to soils that are very permeable (textures of sandy loam to sand) throughout the entire profile and which also have an underlying shallow aquifer.

Do not apply to soils containing sinkholes over limestone bedrock.

Do not apply to soils whose surfaces are composed of severely fractured rock or unconsolidated gravel
and underlaid with an aquifer.


TOXIC to aquatic organisms and non-target terrestrial plants. Observe buffer zones specified under DIRECTIONS FOR USE.

Picloram is persistent and will carryover. It is recommended that any products containing picloram not be used in areas treated with this product during the previous season.
The use of this chemical may result in contamination of groundwater particularly in areas where soils are permeable (e.g. sandy soil) and/or the depth to the water table is shallow.
To reduce runoff from treated areas into aquatic habitats avoid application to areas with a moderate to steep slope, compacted soil, or clay.
Avoid application when heavy rain is forecast.
Contamination of aquatic areas as a result of runoff may be reduced by including a vegetative strip between the treated area and the edge of the water body.(1)


Discussion


So this is a product that lasts for years, is toxic to fish and to aquatic plants, does not breakdown easily, can kill shrubs and trees and remains toxic to trees, shrubs and other plants even in the manure of animals that eat treated forage and in the water that it gets into.  

If this product gets into ground water, it will not breakdown because it only breaks down in water with exposure to sunlight in water.

I am not able to find on the internet what percent of farmers comply completely with the instructions on the product label.  But I am assured  by a concerned farmer's wife that not many would read the directions carefully and follow them.

Because of its persistence in the soil and its  mobility in the water, The EPA Environmental Fate and Water Branch recommended that picloram should not be reregistered because its use would pose unreasonable adverse effects to the environment.(2)

Review of Dangers of using Tordon 22K
-Surface runoff and persistance in water unless exposed to sunlight
-Toxicity to fish in low concentrations
-Toxicity to non target species such as shrubs and trees and water plants such as milfoil
-Persistence in ground water
-Persistance in the manure of animals that graze on the treated pastures  or with treated forage 
-Persistance of this chemical in the soil
-The many conditions that Tordon 22K  should not be used i.e. clay soils, compacted soils,  gravelling or clay soils with an aquifer, sloped soils, and soils near a body of water.  The many types of  soils, where this product is not to be used describe most of Manitoba soils
-detrimental effect on the wildlife due to the loss of non target plants,  trees and shrubs
-detrimental effect to wildlife in bodies of water due to the loss of plants and fish 

The polished website of the manufacturer of this product is very misleading.  This is not a safe product.  It really should not be used on most of Manitoba's soils given that Manitoba has mostly clay and compacted soils.  And that there is so much marshland and ponds in Manitoba.   The reality is that this product is that is has a long lasting destructive effect on the soil, water and  plants and animals.   We have to ask ourselves how much we want to compromise the plants and animals in our biome. 

We have to ask ourselves how much of an impact does this chemical have compared to the weed it is supposed to control?

When you look closely at the problems of leafy spurge, you discover 
-this weed is not a problem of cultivated fields.  
-That it not all that toxic to cattle and that cattle can be taught to graze it in as little as 8 days. (3) 
-As well, there is biological control available with beetles. (4) 


So when we choose to use a poison, one with long lasting and devastating environmental effects, we are neither being safe nor using expertise.  In fact we are contributing to the destruction of the wildlife of Manitoba's biome.  Rather than demonstrating expertise and stewardship, we are demonstrating stupidity and ignorance.



(1http://ws.greenbook.net/Docs/Label/L11608.pdf
New and changed https://www.corteva.ca/en/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/tordon-22k.htmlwww.corteva.ca/en/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/tordon-22k.html
(2)www.pesticide.org/pesticide_factsheets
(3)http://onpasture.com/2013/11/18/cows-eat-leafy-spurge/
(4)http://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-natural-resources-and-industry/agribusiness-farmers-and-ranchers/livestock/pastures-grazing-hay-silage/biological-control-of-leafy-spurge
(5)https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/pestmanagement/weedcontrol/noxiouslist/leafyspurge/leafyspurge


 


 

When you have corporate influence on our government outweighing the influence of citizens, that's terrifying. This is something we have to make a big, big noise about.
Josh Fox

Manitoba has very harsh legislation for so called Noxious Weeds.  Every one of the plants that I have featured on this website, except Bottle Gentian, are named as Noxious Weeds by that legislation.  And yet each of these plants except Alder buckthorn are native plants of Manitoba. These plants are specialists for our climate, soil and biome.   Each of these plants play vital roles for the fertility of our soils, the purity of our water and for providing homes and food for the wildlife of our province.  They are a vital part of food webs for many native bacteria, fungi, insects , reptiles, birds and mammals. 

The Noxious Weed Act of Manitoba calls for the elimination of every Milkweed,  Goldenrod, Wolf willow, Cattail, Anise Hyssop, Vetch, American Liquorice,  Prairie Rose,  PussyToes,  Shrubby Cinquefoil, Snowberry plant on Manitoba lands  as well as over 300 hundred other plants, native and non native.  
The Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association of Manitoba has the job of enforcing this Act.  And has the authority to enter lands and eradicate these plants and charge landowners for the cost.   Those land owners or managers who fail to comply with the Noxious Weed Act could face jail sentences.

This legislation demonstrates a shocking disregard for the functions these plants play for the benefit of their ecosystems.  The Manitoba Weed  Supervisors  Association mainly employs poisonous herbicides  to eradicate weeds.  The elimination of these plants is devastating to wildlife.  And then there is the toxicity of these chemicals.  These poisons can have devastating effects on the soil organisms, the aquatic life and can cause illness or death to insects, birds and mammals depending on what is used.    And they can be very persistant with long lasting effects.


We need to  love and appreciate these plants and the incredible ecosystems that  they are a part of.  Lets go to Nature  for our joy, for our knowledge and for our sustenance.  Let's join the countries and the people who are already working with nature and enjoying the abundance that way is able to bring forth.  Let's become much more integrated with the natural world.  Let's individually and together  speak up to our government against this backward and damaging legislation.