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Another chard question
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Posted by ddunbar z5 IN (My Page) on Sun, Jun 13, 04 at 16:50
Do any of you who sell chard take product to market with minimal insect damage? Although I am not organic, I do try to refrain from using chemicals. In the last week I've noticed a few tiny holes in my chard leaves. Short of dousing with chemicals this time of year, I'm not sure of a solution. So, please let me know if this is acceptable at market.
Thanks, DD |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Another chard question
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| A few tiny holes, maybe. I've had leaf miners this year & those leaves I won't take. I've learned to ask other people (friends, employees, etc.) would you buy this? Sometimes we're too critical & other times not critical enough. Other opinions are good. What we don't take becomes "family food". We know it's fine, but would never sell it - want people to think everything we grow is perfect. If they only knew. |
RE: Another chard question
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| I take greens with minor damage. I've explained once that "I can't bring myself to use chemicals so we have a few holes." Customers have been so happy to have fresh vegetables again that a hole here and there doesn't matter. Anything that has more than minimal damage is either eaten here in the house, fed to the livestock or composted. |
RE: Another chard question
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Thanks for the great input. Robin, you echoed my thoughts / practices exactly. I just wanted to make sure that I was being reasonable.
DD |
RE: Another chard question
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- Posted by nettle z8 Vancouver BC (My Page) on
Tue, Jul 6, 04 at 18:27
| get some remay cloth if you can to cover your leafy greens beds, it seems to keep many of the chewers at bay. i try to take the best possible product to market, because i don't want people to associate organic with substandard food. i find the quality of my produce is often better than the conventional growers bring to market. i eat the damaged ones, or take them to the local foodbank, which uses them for soup. the last destination is the compost pile, if other places fail. |
RE: Another chard question
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| Our market customers know we don't use pesticides so they are very tolerant of holes in leaves. I try to pick early in the morning the day of the market. I don't usually wash unless they are wet or dirty, cut off the stalks, put the leaves in a deep lastic bag so they are not exposed to air flow. I put the stalks in the bag, put upsidedown in another bag and into the refridg util time to go to market. Also this process works well to pick the night before. We almost always sell out. |
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