Next issue will be posted June 14. Read previous issues through our calendar of issues.

How gray water can be used
Water that is free of human waste and pollutants such as oil and fabric softener can be collected into a gray water system. Gray water can be used to irrigate lawns and fruit trees and even some vegetable plants. However, root vegetables that may be eaten raw should not be watered with gray water. Young plants or seedlings should not be watered with gray water as the salts from the soap can be harmful. Water should be applied directly to the soil and not through overhead sprinklers. Since gray water is alkaline, acid loving plants such as blueberries should not be irrigated with gray water. Disperse gray water over a large area and rotate with clean water to avoid sodium salts build up. There are many restrictions to this system, but it could save up to 50 percent of water consumption.

Identifying a gray water system
When designing a gray water system, you should decide if you want to collect the water year round or divert the gray water back into the sewer system or septic tank when not using it for irrigation. Unused gray water can be used to flush toilets, where 50 percent of indoor water is typically used. Collecting gray water year round needs to be protected from freezing so that it can flow. The tank could be submerged in soil to insulate it from freezing temperatures. Since the stored water should be used within a day, the level of insulation does not need to be extensive. If water is held in a tank, then it should be place up on a slope, at least six inches above the ground to prevent ice from plugging the outlet. It can be stored in a cement lagoon, but precautions need to be taken.

State regulations
To find information on your state’s regulations, you can visit this web site http://weblife.org/humanure/appendix3.html. Note that Michigan has no state requirements, but the 46 health departments have their own regulations. Each state is different and confirmation should be made with the contact information provided at this web site to assure current information.

Where to find more information
If, despite all these “Do Not’s” you are still considering how you can recycle gray water, then you may want to take a look at some of the references listed below.

Common mistakes for gray water systems. Oasis Design. 2006. http://www.oasisdesign.net/graywater/misinfo/index.htm#noh2o

Ludwig, Art. 2002. Create an Oasis with Gray Water Your Complete Guide to Choosing, Building, and Using Gray Water Systems Revised and Expanded Fourth Edition

Ludwig, Art. 2002. Builder's Gray Water Guide
Installation of Gray Water Systems in New Construction and Remodeling Includes text of new gray water law
A supplement to the book "Create an Oasis with Gray Water"

Safe Use of Household Gray Water. 1990. University of New Mexico. http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_m/m-106.html . May 2006.

New Hampshire Dept. of Env. Services. 2001. http://www.des.nh.gov/factsheets/ws/ws-26-5.htm May 2006.

Update on soybean aphid

Christina DiFonzo, Entomology, Michigan State University

In the first week of May, Dave Voegtlin from the Illinois Natural History Survey and Bob O’Neil from Purdue spent 4 days (1,300 miles) in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan looking for soybean aphid on buckthorn. Recall that buckthorn is the overwintering host for soybean aphid. Dave and Bob examined two known buckthorn hosts (Rhamnus alnifolia & R. cathartica) as well as “suspected” hosts (R. frangula and R. caroliniana). No soybean aphids were found on the suspected hosts, but 2 soybean aphid colonies were found near Bronson, Mich. (Branch County, on Highway 12 southwest of Coldwater) on Rhamnus cathartica. So aphids once again successfully overwintered and are reproducing on buckthorn, at least in southern Michigan!

Here is a comparison of soybean aphid observations between 2005 and 2006:

Suction trap catches of soybean aphids the previous fall:

• 2005: Heavy flight of aphids in fall of 2004
• 2006: Very low aphid numbers caught in Michigan suction traps

• 2005: Huge numbers – eggs were common and numerous. Researchers in most Midwestern states were able to find eggs in the fall or winter. Ontario located and marked over 6,000 eggs at one research site in fall ’05. My potted buckthorn nursery was loaded with eggs.
• 2006: Eggs difficult to find. In Ontario, only 2 eggs were located at the research site in fall ’06. No eggs found on my potted buckthorn nursery.

• 2005: Easy to find, many entomologist reported finding multiple colonies at multiple locations. Voegtlin and O’Neil’s survey found many colonies at Kellogg Biological Station in southern Michigan, and in Illinois and Indiana.
• 2006: Difficult to find. Voegtlin and O’Neil’s survey found only 2 colonies in Michigan.

• 2005: In Michigan, soybean aphid found on beans at MSU and Saginaw the first week of June.
• 2006: Who knows?

What does this mean for aphid numbers in soybean this year? Based on the lack of fall aphid flight, low overwintering egg numbers, and lack of colonies on buckthorn, I expect early season aphid colonization will be low on beans in Michigan. The one unknown is what will happen later in the season. We could get flights on aphid in late July or early August.

Yellow weed correctly identified as cressleaf groundsel

Dale Mutch, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University

In our last issue we identified the yellow weed in Ohio and Indiana as golden ragwort. Even though some farmers in that area call this weed golden ragwort, the actual name is “cressleaf groundsel.” For more information on cressleaf groundsel, please see the following article or follow this link: http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2006/CressLeafG06.pdf.

Sorry if this caused any confusion.

A bright, butter-colored weed is casting a beautiful hue over many fields and pastures. Unless farmers act quickly this spring, that beauty could turn into a beast according to Purdue University weed scientists Glenn Nice and Bill Johnson.

"What we're seeing in Indiana is a plant by the name of cressleaf groundsel, also known as butterweed," Nice said. "The plant is a winter annual weed. It comes up in the fall as a rosette and, in the spring when temperatures are right, it bolts and turns into the yellow plant that you see in the fields today."

“Cressleaf groundsel is a troublesome weed for farmers, especially when it takes over fields like it has this year,” Johnson said. "Although it looks very pretty, it actually creates tremendous problems for producers in the spring in getting their crops planted."

Cressleaf groundsel can be a problem for livestock, too. The weed is among the toxic Packera species. This species can be toxic to cattle and horses. Cressleaf groundsel, although not as toxic as its cousin to the West, tansy ragwort, can still produce toxic alkaloids. Poisoning is most often chronic, taking several weeks for symptoms to appear. Symptoms in cattle can range from scaly noses and rough coats, to listlessness and a decreased appetite with digestive problems.

In severe cases, cattle may be jaundiced and/or photosensitive. Calves can develop swollen jaws, while horses can become nervous and have 'sleepy staggers' where they bump into objects or become entangled in fences. Long-term exposure can cause liver damage.

Invitation to join listserv

Vicki Morrone, Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems, Michigan State University

A Michigan State University-based listserv is available for organic growers and researchers to interact, ask questions and offer advice and ideas. The Mott Group for Sustainable Food System at Michigan State University offers a listserv for organic vegetable and crop producers to easily share ideas and resources with fellow organic farmers in the Midwest/Great Lakes region.

This listserv is a place to announce events and seek information of interest to organic farmers and the community. You can share ideas, questions and brainstorm with fellow growers and have a way to get feedback with little effort. We will post updates about organic certification changes, new resources that pertain to organic farming and marketing and even grant opportunities for those interested in seeking funding for research and new ideas.

This listserv is now available. To subscribe just send an email to listserv@list.msu.edu and in the body of the email type subscribe MICH-ORGANIC@list.msu.edu For assistance, contact Vicki Morrone at sorrone@msu.edu

The ground has worked very nicely when we have had the chance. We opened a couple of fields that have been in pasture since 2001 and the tilth is outstanding. That ground should raise some high yielding popcorn. Our soybeans this year are for seed production, except 20 acres that are an experimental variety for specific end-use product. Our popcorn production is expanding and we will be needing new growers for the 2007 season. It is also variety specific and the demand is increasing rapidly. This is encouraging to me and the future of the organic industry.

Currently transplanting the greenhouses to basil and tomatoes and mulching heavy; prepping outside summer crop growing areas; weeding lettuces, kale, chard, cilantro and salad greens; and killing the last of the cover crops.

In one area we are trying something a little different with sweet corn. We mowed and tilled rows in the winter rye cover, planted corn in the tilled rows and sowed buckwheat in the tilled rows and still standing rye. I just mowed the rye to kill it and the buckwheat is coming up fine under the rye. This saved some tilling time and we hope buckwheat will suppress weeds and bring in beneficials. We are keeping up with orchard sprays and thinning fruit in spare time. We’re taking all plums off as plum curculio hit hard and this is the way to break their life cycle. We are working on a new processing room. Some interns have just starting to work with us and they are a great bunch of young people. Don’t let looks deceive you—braided beards, strange hair colors, nose rings, etc.—but a dedicated group that is in the serious planning stages of starting a community organic farm in Pennsylvania on the old homestead.

Today and tomorrow I want to get caught up on tilling and bed preparation. Due to cold weather, none of our sterile seedbeds have weeds germinated in them yet, and I need to get ahead on that. We anticipate transplanting basil and continue to do staggered corn plantings to stagger harvest. We have just a few more tomatoes to plant in the greenhouse. Doing weekly salad greens plantings, weeding, etc. I need to clean up the kale growing areas some. I am putting away all the row covers, hoops, etc. Asian pears and some apples need to be thinned. We are trying some floating row covers to protect Asian greens from flea beetle and also planting some in a pretty tight, fairly cool greenhouse with shade to see which method works best/easiest.

Central Indiana—George Mears
The weather has been cold with nine or 10 days of rain. I can’t kill weeds mechanically in the mud. The cold has kept weeds and crops growing slowly, but a crust has formed. Currently I am rotary hoeing corn for the second time and beans for the first time. In the next two weeks I will cut hay and cultivate corn.

Question
Can you make moonshine (ethanol) out of horseweeds (giant ragweed)?

Illinois
Southwest Central Illinois—Floyd Johnson
It finally got dry enough to get to crops. Finished planting corn Sunday (5/21) morning. Oats look good—about six inches tall, wet spots are a little pale. Corn is just sprouted. I am currently disking corn stalks to open them up for planting beans. During the next two weeks I need to spread some micro-nutrients and mow some weeds on green manure patches, then start hoeing corn.

Northwest Central Illinois—Anne Patterson
The cool weather and rain (1.1 inches in May) have slowed down planting of beans, tomatoes, tomatillos and more sweet corn, plus transplants of head lettuce and pac choi. It is drying out now over the past few days, but more rain is anticipated for tonight. Currently we are potting up various plants in hoophouse; planting melon, watermelon and cucumbers in flats; harvesting asparagus daily and cutting spinach, mesclun and rhubarb twice weekly. First harvesting of herbs began this past week. Weeding and mulching are also being done. I still have an area to till and get ready for melons and summer squash, which should have already been done. We’ve planted new raspberries and weeding and remulching of brambles needs to be completed. In the next two weeks I will plant sweet potatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, watermelon, summer squash and winter squash into beds. We will also catch up with weeding, mulching and mowing.

West Suburban Chicago—Steve Tiwald
We received 1.1 inches of rain around May 12, 13 and 14, but we are ready for more. This is a very busy time for us. Currently we are doing field preparations, tilling in advance of planting spring crops; direct seeding turnips, radishes, rutabagas, parsnips, parsley and cilantro; transplanting celery, celeriac, lettuce and fennel into the field; and greenhouse seeding more lettuce. In the next two weeks we will spread plastic mulch with irrigation tape underneath, then transplant summer squash, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant into the field.

Northern Illinois—Dave Campbell
We received 1.5 inches of rain on May 11, followed by light amounts of rain and very cold weather, which kept me out of the field from May 11 until late yesterday, May 22. The delay is not so much due to the rain, as it is due to light amounts of rain pretty much every day, cold weather and, of course, very poor drying conditions. A return to dry weather, along with temperatures forecasted to reach 90 degrees within the next couple of days will mean some very long days spent out in the fields, and also, believe it or not, I will need to do my best to avoid losing precious soil moisture, especially after last year’s drought. Field cultivated ground for corn yesterday (5/22) afternoon and starting to plant corn later today (5/23). Also did some tillage on ground going to soybeans yesterday, because of weed pressure (mostly mustard) due to recent extended wet spell. We sold buckwheat last week at a price of 22 cents per pound.

During the next two weeks we will field cultivate ground going to corn and hopefully finish planting corn by Saturday, May 27. We will rotary hoe corn ground twice; chop rye off on ground going to soybeans; moldboard plow followed by a disking of ground going to soybeans. We may be able to start planting soybeans the first full week of June. Also will be servicing hay equipment.

Michigan
South Central Michigan—Anthony Cinzori
It has been cold and rainy; now it is warming up and we are planting. Currently, we’re planting tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. In the next two weeks, we will finish all the planting, seed winter squash and seed fall cole crops.

Editor’s note: on the conference call today, Anthony asked about liquid calcium sources. MSU’s Vicki Morrone writes:

Regarding a liquid calcium source:  Agri-cal is your answer out of Missouri. It is a calcium activator, 10% calcium and NOP approved. You can purchase it from Crop Services International (CSI) in Grand Rapids, Michigan from Phil Wheeler. The cost is approximately $7.50/gallon (2.5 gal size) or $4.5-5/gal in 50 gallon drum. You apply to the soil at 2 gals /acre or 2 qts/acre for foliar application.  It is commonly used for fertigation and by organic growers when their soil/plants show a deficiency in calcium. Contact: 1718 Madison SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507. Their toll free phone number is 1-800-260-7933; Phone 616-246-7933; Fax 616-246-7933. Or visit their web page,
http://www.cropservicesintl.com/pages/2/index.htm

Southwest Michigan—Matt Wiley
We had a week of rain that totaled 2.25 inches. On May 21, we rotary hoed soybeans – only occasionally was a bean showing. Corn is being planted today. In the next two weeks we will rotary hoe and use tined weeder on both beans and corn, and spray compost extract on beans.

East Michigan—John Simmons
Heavy general rain 10 days ago (one to two inches) was followed by more than one week of nearly daily drizzly weather. This has aided in the emergence of spring planted grains and clover; accelerated the growth of fall planted spelt, rye, wheat and barley; spurred on the growth of cover crop, hay and pasture fields; and sprouted a great many weed seeds on land destined for corn, soy and sunflower. We plan to start field preparation for planting corn, soybeans and sunflowerstoday (5/23). Currently, we’re doing daily moving of pasture rotational fences, shipping seed and spreading manure/compost on fields that will produce corn/sunflower. In the next two weeks we plan to prep, plant and tend soybeans, corn and sunflowers, and mow first cut hay.

Question
Any news of aphids?