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Fall 2002 Bulletin
In March Dr. Robert Dixon, a soil scientist, spoke to the Committee about the importance of cover cropping and the success of a method called “land imprinting” in restoring perennial grassed to degraded and weed-infested land without irrigation or use of pesticides. Dixon said that fast-growing cover crops such as annual ryegrass can help manage weeds. Planting orchard grass and oats with alfalfa can help control weeds like Canada thistle during the first couple of years while the alfafa is getting established. Land imprinting machines have large rollers that leave a pattern of “dimples” in the soil while dispersing the desired seed mixes. These depressions in the soil collect rainfall, organic material and seeds and thus concentrate resources to encourage plant growth. When asked by an Amigos Bravos staff member if he thought the imprinting method would be possible to use to reclaim the Molycorp mine, Dixon said that given the proper support mechanism, imprinters can successfully establish vegetation on the steep slopes that are typical of mine sites. Goats are next on the agenda for the weed committee. In early May, Lani Lamming, owner of Ewe4ic Ecological Services, a business that uses goats to control noxious weeds, spoke at the Taos County Agricultural center to a crowd of more than 60 ranchers, agency representatives, organic farmers and other interested citizens. Goats prefer broad leaf plants such as Canada thistle, Russian and spotted knapweed, leafy spurge and white top over grasses. They also eat Chollo cactus, sagebrush, Russian olive and salt cedar. Basically what to us are horrible, aggressive invasive weeds are to the goats an array of delectable treats. Lamming asserts that goats are often times more effective than poisonous chemicals at controlling noxious weeds. The goats themselves are mini imprinters, their hooves leaving behind small divots that help aerate the soil and providing pockets in which seeds can germinate. All the while, as they munch and aerate away, they continually deposit organic fertilizer. Because goats prefer eating weeds, they give a selection preference to grasses and can help to restore native ecosystems. During the first two weeks of May the goats were helping to control sagebrush on a ranch west of Taos, then munched weeds on private land around Taos, and finished by mowing down a weed- infested stretch of right-of-way on Highway 285. There are plans afoot to bring the goats back either this fall or next year. There is even talk of establishing a Taos County goat herd. So keep an eye out for the traveling noxious-weed nibblers! The Taos County Weed Control Committee includes representatives from land management agencies (BLM, Forest Service), environmental groups (the Sierra Club, Native Plant Society, Amigos Bravos), organic farmers, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Taos County, the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District, the Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Society, and other interested land owners and citizens.
Dimples and Goats - alternative Methods of Weed Ontrol
Amigos Bravos is a participating member of the Taos County Weed Control Committee which was formed in response to concern about pesticide spraying in Taos County’s highway right-of-way. The goal of the Committee is to facilitate cooperation among land managers and other stakeholders in preventing the spread of noxious weeds within Taos County in a safe, effective, affordable, and practical way. This will be done by identifying, prioritizing, and implementing alternative weed controls. The Committee members hope to educate themselves, the public, and relevant land management agencies about identifying and safely controlling noxious weeds and to work closely with the Highway Department in figuring out the details of integrated control methods and schedules. The Committee was just awarded a $5,000 grant from the Resources for Community Collaboration Fund of the Tides Foundation. This money will be used to bring in guest speakers, to obtain
educational materials, and to develop a brochure about alternative methods of weed control. Amigos Bravos has agreed to be the Committee’s fiscal sponsor.
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