Organic farming is knowledge intensive. Our education section includes many of the current organic educational resources to help people understand organic production and learn how to improve their operations. Please let us know if there are further resources that we could add to our list.
Isabelle Masson – Office Manager
extension: 223
Frequently Asked Questions at Homestead Organics.
We collect here questions that our clients frequently ask us. Perhaps this can help you find a quick answer.
Question Catagories
Field crop production:
Gardening and lawn care:
How can corn meal and corn gluten meal be used in the garden?
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Ordinary corn meal (ground up dry shelled corn) has a powerful fungicide property in the garden. Further research showed that cornmeal contained beneficial organisms that were at least as effective as common chemical fungicides. Somehow cornmeal is able to attract a member of the Trichoderma fungus family, which is a good fungus that kills off disease causing fungi in a matter of weeks.
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Corn gluten meal is a powdery byproduct of the corn milling process. Originally used as a supplement in hog feed, it was accidentally discovered that it has properties similar to that of chemical pre-emergent herbicides. Part of a conventional lawn care program is the spring application of a pre-emergent herbicide to deal with the crabgrass seeds before they have a chance to takeover. Corn gluten is a great organic alternative to chemically derived herbicides.
Livestock production:
When I finish a batch of animals, can I give the left over feed to other types of animals?
- The feed products at Homestead Organics are generally safe for all animals for a short duration. They do not contain antibiotics, animal proteins, or other items that would made them dangerous for other species. However, prolonged use with a non-designated species can cause problems because of inappropriate levels of protein, calcium, copper and other minerals. When serving a left over feed, blend it 1 part of left over feed to 3 parts of the designated feed to reduce the risk of problems.
How much feed should I budget for my meat chickens?
- As a general rule of thumb, budget about 2 kg of starter feed per bird for the first month, and then about 7 kg of grower feed per bird until the day of slaughter. If you keep your chickens longer that 9 weeks, you will need more feed. For more details about the feeding program, consult our poultry production guide.
Marketing:
Personal nutrition
Other subjects: