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Build
It Green The alternative "green" home built on eco-friendly design and construction principles is moving closer and closer to the mainstream realm. Even national retailers such as Home Depot are responding to the client and builder demand for environmentally friendly building options. Jerry Johnson, department manager of lumber for Home Depot, says, "There's absolutely the demand for these products, especially here in Eugene." Johnson says Home Depot has stopped carrying any old-growth lumber, specifically replacing the one-by clear Doug fir with one-by hemlock, which functions similarly to Doug fir without the impact on old-growth forests. In addition to these environmental concerns in building, health issues come into play. Construction of homes and small commercial buildings often involves the use of materials containing pretty nasty building blocks, such as formaldehyde, solvents, evaporative petro-chemical distillates, aromatic chemicals, etc. "Sick building syndrome," where these components break down and create toxic off-gassing within the home, has become a modern home hazard. Even traditionally accepted construction practices, such as wrapping a home's interior walls with Visqueen plastic or using particle board based countertops, are coming under suspicion as health hazards. While there's no consensus on the actual danger of using this or that product or the hazards associated with some construction practices, it's become clear that there are people who suffer adverse reactions, sometimes severely adverse reactions, to chemicals in the environment — many of these people feel sicker at home than in almost any other setting. As cost and availability are always factors in determining use of these "easier" building materials, Alec Dakers, designer with Rainbow Valley Design and Construction, says, "Our consumption has become disconnected from the product." Dakers is the go-to guy for green design at Rainbow Valley. He says that green, or sustainable, building often overlaps with good design principles. He explains that a well-designed building has a lot to do with efficiency; spatial efficiency (also known as "right sizing") and energy efficiency are just two factors that play into good design, as well as into a green, sustainable structure. Dakers believes the recent spike in utility costs has a lot to do with more and more people looking for building alternatives. "The energy crisis is a big deal. It has people really considering energy efficiency in their homebuilding projects."
This is only part of the reason that green building is moving from the alternative fringes to the mainstream. Bruce Sullivan, president of the Eugene chapter of Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, says, "What characterizes the national green building scene is to say, 'There are pockets of interest …'" Sullivan believes that this interest is indeed growing. "Judging from the attendance at our monthly classes, there's a tremendous amount of interest. We pack the McNail-Riley House every month to standing room only." Sullivan also cites EWEB's recent adoption of the Earth Smart program, and former Gov. Kitzhaber's sustainability agenda as signs of public interest, particularly Pacific Northwest public interest, in issues of green building. But what exactly is green building? Dakers says, "It's very complex. There's no real consensus on what green construction is. Essentially, what you build should have as little impact on the environment as possible. You try to keep a few simple, basic tenets in mind." Dakers explains that a lot goes into the definition of green building and especially into green building materials. "There's something called embodied energy that looks at the whole lifecycle of a product — how much energy it takes to make the materials, how many people are actually involved in production, even how far the materials have to be transported for use — all of this can factor into the degree of green building…" Green building makes use of recycled materials and, Dakers says, renovating or remodeling can be a really great way to use sustainable practices in building. As for cost, Dakers says, "It runs roughly 10 percent more up front. But in the long run, green building can cost less." Without a standardized method to measure green-ness, sustainable building could go the precipitous route of organic food labeling. Both Dakers and Sullivan mention Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in Green Building Rating System (LEED). LEED provides a point system to rate green construction, as well as certification and accreditation programs for builders. But, for the most part, green construction is open to interpretation. Sullivan mentions that David Eisenberg will be speaking in Eugene at 7 pm May 9 at the EWEB Training Room. Eisenberg is director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) in Tucson, Ariz. DCAT provides education and support to building officials, designers and builders nationwide to promote sustainable construction and development practices. "David is doing a lot of really good work in terms of trying to make changes at the national level to support sustainable building." But Sullivan adds, "Change in this industry comes very slowly — it took 30 years for builders to accept and use sheetrock." Green building is gaining momentum. Sullivan is glad to see changes like those being made at Home Depot. "It's just like organic food. Once we put the green materials on the shelves where people can see and compare, people will buy them. We're just at the beginning of this curve." And in the long run, green construction could mean better, healthier, more efficient buildings that fit the global landscape more appropriately than just any old McMansion. As Dakers says, "The boundaries for the affects of green, sustainable construction are much farther out there than we think — it's not just your house; it's community."
Green
& Intentional Jan Spencer lives off River Road in a ranch-style house converted into what he calls a "living boycott" of the economic system: The house uses less energy and makes more use of "what's already onsite: water, soil and sun." Spencer has no lawn. Instead he uses that space as a garden to grow much of his food. Instead of purchasing non-local, petroleum-based fertilizers, he composts his waste, which also makes for less waste to be hauled away. Instead of depending entirely on water being pumped in from the city, he catches rainwater from his roof into two 1,600-gallon drums. Instead of depending on imported power to heat his water tank, he has a solar hot water heater. Instead of depending on an imported-fuel consuming automobile, he rides a bike. Spencer and his like-minded neighbors participate in a neighborhood co-op. He defines it as a "network of people who want to develop more neighborhood-oriented activities, so you don't have to go driving off into town." For example, they have regular work parties in which members meet at someone's house and help that person with a project, such as gardening. But Spencer says, "It goes way beyond work parties." They share tools and knowledge, watch each other's children, and have gatherings, fun, and conversation. Even the kids get involved by having their own work parties where they help each other with chores. The neighborhood co-op contributes to what Jan calls "local culture," which fits in with his philosophy of satisfying needs closer to home. Similar to many intentional communities, part of the purpose of this suburban renewal project is to act as a model for the future. Spencer believes, "Over time the political, economic system will lead to more people doing similar things…As the political, economic system becomes more unpleasant, intentional communities will be considered as germinations." He would like to see his neighborhood move toward a retrofitted co-housing system in which existing houses would be gradually added, fences removed, and more resources shared. Maitreya
But over time Bolman learned more about green and natural building, appropriate technologies, and permaculture (a design philosophy that focuses on sustainability and integration of landscape). For Bolman "the natural thing was to put all those together into a whole integrated package that would be more than the sum of its parts. The EcoVillage would be a microcosm of the larger world that I'd like to live in." The houses at Maitreya have been built using a variety of techniques and materials: There are cob and straw bale buildings, as well as a triplex built with natural building materials and techniques; the bike garage has a "living roof" with vegetation growing on top. As an intentional community, Maitreya could be considered a hybrid. The land is owned by an individual, as opposed to a land trust, and most people generate their incomes offsite. But Maitreya does promote sharing and community more than the conventional American neighborhood. A share list is being created to list possessions residents would be willing to share with others; residents get together regularly for potlucks and parties; and there are weekly work parties from spring through fall in the garden. Where Maitreya fits on the intentional community spectrum is in transition. According to Melanie Rios, one of the community's 15 to 20 residents, it is still in its "nascent phase." Residents are exploring the idea of a land trust, and Bolman's vision for the future includes income generation onsite through a café and furniture-building business. Similar to Spencer's River Road neighborhood, Maitreya also acts as a model. According to Bolman, "Models like this will grow, thrive and spread. Eventually they'll serve as a structure that exists to replace the dominant paradigm when it begins to fall apart of its own dead weight." In the future, he would like to see other houses in the neighborhood become part of the community, and to see the community spread beyond. He talks of having people with a similar vision moving into "dysfunctional communities" where they can be "bold pioneers to tame the urban wilderness." Sugar Fisk, another resident, chooses to live this way because she's drawn by the social, close, family environment in which people play together and support each other. She says, "It's life-giving to live here. ... Living in this system increases my energy level to interact with my neighbors in a joyful, loving way… I've grown more as a person than I ever would have without it." Rios describes it as, "Synergistic. I like helping each other out." One of the biggest obstacles for intentional communities is the misunderstanding that the rest of society has about them. Fisk says, "Although Maitreya's surrounding neighborhood is accepting, generally intentional communities are isolated and therefore there are lots of misconceptions about them. You can hear people asking, 'What is it they do over there anyway?'" She would like to see intentional communities "integrate into mainstream culture and for people to see it as a viable option for an alternative way to live and see how simple it is." State
of Oregon As Earth Day roles around again this year, the state of the environment in Oregon isn't pretty, according to a recent report by the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV). The Environmental Handbook was written with the help of dozens of environmental groups from throughout the state and showcases many of the worst problems Oregon faces. Here's a rundown: Dirty Water — The state has identified 30 lakes and 1,067 rivers and streams that fail to meet water quality standards. The lower 187 miles of the Willamette are polluted with 48 different pesticides. Fish in the Newberg pool suffer unexplained deformities. In 1999, tests showed 10 percent of Oregonians drank public water that did not meet safe standards. Soot — An estimated 100 Eugene-Springfield residents, 300 Portland residents and 100 people from Medford die prematurely each year because of sooty air, according to a 1996 study. Diesel trucks and buses kick out 65 percent of the dirty air, although they make up only 6 percent of the traffic on Oregon's roads. EPA found that 16 toxic chemicals are present in Oregon air at unsafe levels. Dry Runs — Oregonians use twice as much water per person as Californians. Agriculture slurps about 80 percent of the water taken from rivers. Archaic state laws allow farmers to legally suck rivers dry, leaving nothing for recreation, wildlife or fish. Last September, 33,000 salmon died in the Klamath River after the Bush administration increased water for irrigators. Snarl — Cars and trucks produce more than half of Oregon's air pollution and threaten community livability with urban sprawl. Oregonians pay car-related taxes at half the rates of Washington and California. State "pork" freeway projects like the West Eugene Parkway encourage even more driving and sprawl. Sprawl — The state's nationally recognized system of urban growth boundaries is under constant attack. Counties approve hundreds of new houses a year in supposedly exclusive farming areas. Under newly weakened rules, more than 500 new homes a year are built in prime forest land. Takings — Last October, the Oregon Supreme Court overturned Measure 7, an initiative that could have required paying property owners $1 billion a year for the impact of environmental laws and other regulations on land values. Some legislators are pushing to pass a new version of the "takings" measure, but environmentalists are fighting back, pointing to the huge costs and threats to the environment, community livability and even other land owners. Logging — Forests cover nearly one-half of Oregon but the landscape is scarred by clearcuts with only about 10 percent of the region's old growth left standing. The Bush administration is threatening what few big trees remain with weakened roadless area protections and logging of big fire-resistant trees under the guise of fire prevention. The state is doing its part by targeting the state Tillamook and Clatsop forests for clearcuts. On private lands, federal regulators say state forestry rules provide inadequate protections for endangered salmon. Salmon — Salmon runs in the Columbia River basin numbered 10 to 16 million before settlers arrived. Now just 2 percent of the fish populations remain. Poorly regulated logging, irrigation, grazing, dredging, mining, faulty roads and competition with hatchery fish all threaten salmon. The region has spent $4 billion on failed efforts to barge and truck fish while refusing to remove the least economical dams that could do the most to help endangered salmon. Coast — Oregon is the only coastal state in the nation without a statewide ocean water quality monitoring program. One small test by the state showed that 11 of 26 beaches sampled had high levels of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria. Oregon's scenic coast is also threatened by development rip rap, urban sprawl, non-native weeds and over-fishing. Justice — Pollution isn't color blind. According to a 1988 study, African American Oregonians are twice as likely to live near factories releasing hazardous chemicals as white state residents. Hispanic farm workers are at frequent risk from pesticides. OLCV is pushing for better pesticide tracking, lead paint testing and public information on contaminated fish to protect minorities. Waste — From 1995 to 2000 spending on Oregon energy conservation programs was cut by 75 percent and investment in clean power was cut by 90 percent. The lost conservation and clean power is enough to serve 75,000 households. Toxics — Oregon industrial facilities release more than 82 million pounds of toxic chemicals a year, according to EPA data. It takes only about 1 gram of mercury to make the fish in a 20-acre lake unsafe to eat. An estimated 4,500 lbs. of mercury are released into Oregon's environment every year. Trash — The Legislature recently delayed requiring 50 percent recycling until 2009 and state regulators have started to count incineration as recycling. With the nickel bottle deposit stuck at its 1971 value, an estimated 160 to 190 million bottles end up in landfills each year. Parks — State parks funding is in crisis with a maintenance backlog of $80 million. The state hasn't bought land for a new campground in 25 years. In 1998, Measure 66 was supposed to solve the funding problem by dedicating lottery proceeds to parks. But the Legislature pulled a "bait and switch" and diverted $30 million of other money away from parks, violating the will of voters, according to OLCV. OLCV has proposed a host of specific solutions to the state's environmental woes (see www.olcveducationfund.org).But in prior years, the Republican-dominated Legislature has forced environmentalists to focus on defending existing laws. This year, budget cuts may be the biggest threat to Oregon's environment. Natural resource spending makes up just 1.5 percent of state discretionary spending, but the Legislature has already hit environmental programs with an 8 percent cut. While cutting money for regulation, the state continues to subsidize pollution. For example, the fees paid by water polluters for discharge permits cover only half of the cost of writing the permits. Without money to monitor pollution or enforce what laws the state has, OLCV says, Oregon's environment is likely to be left only further impoverished.
HORSE
POWER A big part of the philosophy on Ruby and Amber's Organic Oasis, a farm located in Dorena, is "small is beautiful." That refers to the size of the farm, but doesn't apply to Ruby and Amber, the 1,800 lb. half-sister Belgian draft horses who pull the plow. Nor will it apply to the sisters' sons, Nugget and Moose, respectively, who will one day literally follow in their mothers' footsteps. Ruby and Amber's is a 30-acre farm that only keeps two to three acres in production each year. "The perfect size for working with draft horses," says co-owner Walt Bernard. He, along with owner Chris Woolhouse, had previously farmed without horses in California, but once they learned how to use draft horses, moved to their idyllic spot at a 1,000 ft. elevation in the Willamette Valley foothills where the land is level and the community welcoming. The certified organic farm is a CSA (community supported agriculture), which means participants buy shares in the farm and are in turn offered a weekly basket of fresh produce and flowers. Shares for flower baskets alone are also sold, and the farm has a booth at the Tuesday and Saturday Farmers' Markets in Eugene. The farm employs three to five seasonal workers, including Paul Campbell, who along with Bernard and Woolhouse, stands in the fields on a warm, overcast spring afternoon. Although the farm employs one small tractor — "mostly for moving stuff like compost around," says Campbell — the engine's been converted to run on locally produced bio-diesel fuel. "The horses are fueled by renewable fuels — like grasses, grains and don't emit pollution, but compost," says Woolhouse. In addition to sustainable energy practices, the farmers are looking at ways of decreasing, not increasing, the amount of land they work. "We try to get the highest yield out of the smallest space," says Campbell. He hopes to teach that to others, to make farming even more sustainable. Smaller farms mean less erosion, soil disruption and more preservation of wild habitat. Studies also show that small farms have substantially higher yields per acre than larger ones. Plus, that makes Ruby and Amber's work a little easier. The horse sisters have been farming organically together for six years, three of those years with Bernard and Woolhouse, who've collected various horse-drawn farm implements and taught themselves how to use them. "We want to teach and preserve the culture of horse-farming," they say, and hold workshops to train others. Attendees come from Portland to California to learn the old ways. Bernard points out the equipment they use as he gets the horses ready for work. First he'll use a harrow, a small metal tool for pulling up weeds. He points to antique plows and newer equipment he uses "to combine the best of both worlds," he says. The horses are ready. Straps attached to the harrow with a bit create balance and breaking action. The horses' bridles have blinders to avoid distraction. A wide bar connects the straps to the harrow. It can also be attached to a cart for riding, "But walking," says Bernard, "is much easier on the back."
He takes off behind the horses. "You're not leading them, just skillfully managing the reins," he says. "They're much stronger than you." "Lines train the horses, you just tug gently, plus they're listening," he says. "You watch the ears to know what they're about to do." Two horses generate 48 HP — they can pull 10-15 percent of their weight all day with breaks. They can also work wet soil when a tractor can't. As the horses pull the harrow, weeds are pulled out by their roots. As Bernard circles with the horses, Campbell points to the ground, "Here, we'll grow root crops: onions, carrots and beets." Overhead irrigation will be used in this area, but mostly the farm uses drip irrigation. Next, Bernard and Woolhouse hitch up the plow, and Bernard once again begins to circle. As the horses go by, the plow's gentle rolling is all that can be heard, along with Bernard's whispering a quick "Step up" (go) and elongated "Whoa" (stop). Occasionally, he breathes "Gee" (go right) or "Haw" (go left). The quiet is noticeable, along with the mist settling over the fields, and the scent of fresh earth. "The plow responds to the subtlety of the soil and you can make adjustments as you go," he says. There is a pattern and rhythm working and communicating with horses. A kinship, a partnership. Plus, it's easy on the soil, minimizing soil compaction and erosion. The horses' weight is distributed only where their hoofs are in contact with the ground (as opposed to a tractor wheel). They naturally avoid softer beds where plants are planted. Also, the slower speed and closeness to the soil gives better knowledge and information about the soil, says Bernard. "You can plow an acre in one day, if you know what you're doing and the horses are in good shape," says Woolhouse. The farmer has to be in good shape, too. Plowing an acre is the equivalent of walking 11 miles. "Walt makes it look really easy, but it's not," says Campbell. "It's a lot of work to keep a straight line in that furrow," he says, as the horses go 'round a second time, with Amber stepping right into the gully she just helped dig. After the plowing is finished, Ruby is led back to the barn, and Amber's left to weed the garlic beds alone. "Once the plants get too big, you can't use two horses," says Bernard. "You can use a single horse for smaller, narrower areas, but you can't cut a tractor in half." Now Woolhouse drives Amber, who pulls a walking cultivator. It skims under the surface of the soil and easily pulls up the weeds. "It's nervous-making," says Bernard. "If you're not careful, you can run right over your own crops." Meanwhile, Amber looks down, carefully plotting each footstep she's about to take next, watching the row as she goes. An open farm day is planned from 1-4 pm Sunday, May 25 at the farm, which is located at 75976 Booth Kelly Camp Rd. in Dorena. Call (541) 946-1504 for information, or visit the Farmers' Market booth.
Insects
& Gardens Insects are Earth's dominant animal life-form, and they've been around for 400 million years. Humans have existed for a mere 100,000 years. Scientists recognize nearly a million insect species, and estimate that up to 29 million remain to be discovered. As individuals, insects out-number people by half a billion to one. In a contest between humans and insects, it's pretty clear who will win. Entomologist and gardener Eric Grisell thinks it may be time for a truce.
In the U.S. alone, we apply about a billion pounds of pesticides to our soil, forests, crops and gardens in a single year. Most of this stuff is useless and occasionally worse than useless at preventing insect damage (I once read that the fraction of commercial crops lost to insects is about the same today as it was before WWII) and, of course, it is toxic. But you knew that. What you may not know, according to Grisell, is that there are more bugs in your garden than you think. Gardeners mostly notice larger species that are out and about in the daytime, and the ones that do perceptible damage to a leaf or a flower. The other 1,500 or so we are largely unaware of, yet almost all of them are doing something useful. Last week, In a talk addressed to a gathering of gardeners, Grisell made it clear that where insects are concerned we often know less than we think we do. Specifically, we know little about what our insects are really doing. Gardeners dislike earwigs, yet most of them (and there are hundreds of species, by the way) prey on the eggs of other insects. On the other hand the praying mantis, an insect predator that most of us know and value, is an indiscriminate killer, as likely to feed on bees and butterflies as on insects we think of as pests. Mantids even kill snakes and humming birds. The "pest" gardeners call a rose slug is the larva of a wasp which serves as a pollinator. Yellow jackets hunt caterpillars. Mosquitoes provide food for many animals. And both serve as pollinators, too. Pollination is isn't the only vital role performed by insects. Those that are predators and parasites help to regulate other insects. Flies, ants, beetles and butterflies feed on dead plants and animals and dung, an invaluable clean-up job. The message I came away with is that we gardeners should forget about good insects and bad insects, and concern ourselves instead about balance. Insects become pests when insect life is out of balance, and Grisell listed four situations that make this happen: introduction of an alien insect; the use of chemicals; the existence of monocultures; and loss of habitat. When a garden plant falls victim to an alien insect, the easiest option may be to remove the plant. (This also applies in a situation Grisell did not specify: when the gardener plants something, often an exotic, that proves especially susceptible to insect damage.) Another option is timely treatment with the least toxic remedy. Grisell cited an example from his own garden, the attack of an Eastern hemlock by the woolly adelgid. In this case, two staggered sprayings with either insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, timed to the reproductive cycle of the insect, would probably have controlled the problem. Grisell waited too long, and lost the tree. Perhaps he could have saved the tree had he chosen to spray with a more toxic synthetic chemical. The trouble is, such insecticides are indiscriminate. They may kill the target pest, but they also throw the insect population out of balance. Lawns and rose beds, gardening's commonest monocultures, account for a huge share of garden chemical use (and, shamefully, gardeners use more pesticide than farmers do). Both attract destructive insects while reducing the diversity that could foster organisms to control them. Mixing roses in with other flowers and minimizing the area of lawn can go some way to reducing insect damage. It is also helpful to feed your lawn organically and weed it, if at all, by hand, maintaining a healthy, balanced soil fauna. Within the garden, monoculture and loss of habitat are two sides of the same coin. Diversity yields complexity yields balance. Natural insect habitat outside our yards is constantly being eroded. We can help make up for that by the way we garden. We need to be messier! Gardens may also benefit from being weedier (don't you love it when someone exhorts you to do less?). Leaf litter and weeds provide shelter and food for insects of all sorts. And, of course, we can plant many herbs and ornamentals that support insect life. The mint family (mint, anise hyssop), the carrot family (dill, parsley, fennel), the sunflower family (daisies, yarrow) and the onion family are particularly rich in plants that support a myriad of insects. Eric Grisell, who spoke to the Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group on April 8, is author of Insects and Gardens (Timber Press). Another book with useful information on gardening with insects is Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway (Chelsea Green). Note: The annual plant sale sponsored by the Hardy Plant Group, Rock Garden Society and Garden Clubs is scheduled for 9 am to 2 pm May 10 at the Lane County Fairgrounds.
Sudden
Oak Death For two years, I have conducted a personal quarantine against Sudden Oak Death. Buying new plants, I ask, "Where are they from?" If they are from California or southwest Oregon, I don't buy them. Sometimes it's hard. Twice now I have held in my hands graceful, young western redbuds, with shiny, heart-shaped leaves. I put both plants back. One had been grown in Cave Junction, 35 miles from the SOD outbreak near Brookings. The other came to an Oregon nursery from Washington, but was originally from California. I've found many nursery people helpful in tracing plant origins. Others snap, "I have enough trouble remembering what all these plants are, without worrying about where they come from!" My quarantine is troublesome, and yet... The oak grove sheltering our house is hundreds of years old. I would feel stupid and guilty watching these tree elders ooze with cankers and die because of sloppiness or plant-greed on my part. And infection would spread from my oaks to others.
However, I'm curious about whether I have been over-reacting. I welcomed a chance to talk to experts about Sudden Oak Death. SOD appeared in California in 1995, and has now spread from the Pacific 60 miles inland, from Big Sur to southern Humboldt County, inexplicably skipping 125 miles north to a nine-mile square of Curry County, Oregon, where it appeared in 2001. SOD is a Phytophthora fungus, invading susceptible tree species through bark. Bleeding cankers appear on tree trunks, and ancient oaks may die in months. Susceptible native trees include black oak, live oak, and tanbark oak. The fungus invades shrubs through leaves or bark, killing some species. It is visible in leaf spots and sometimes branch dieback on rhododendron, manzanita, evergreen huckleberry, and Oregon myrtle, Umbellaria californica. Umbellaria is a vegetable Typhoid Mary, carrying high concentrations that infect other species. Bigleaf maple becomes infected but survives; madrone may die. Needles and branch tips of Douglas fir and redwood are blighted, but plants live and grow. SOD spores are found in firewood, leaves, and woodchips from infected plants, in nursery stock, soil, stream water, and rain-splash. Long-distance spread most likely occurs through human transport of infected "host materials." California's policy is co-existence with SOD; Oregon's is eradication. Infected areas in Curry County have been clearcut, burned, fenced, surrounded with warning signs. More than two million Oregon acres and hundreds of nurseries have been surveyed, with no further signs of infection. Oregon enforced a strong quarantine policy about incoming California plants, which has recently been overridden by federal policy; the Oregon Department of Agriculture is petitioning to reinstate its own firmer rules. At this time, susceptible plant species from infected counties can be inspected and shipped under U.S. federal quarantine. What can we do as gardeners to protect our native species, nurseries, and Oregon environment? Carrying back plants of any species from infected counties of California, or adjacent counties, is dangerous. Even if plants are not infected, soil or bark may be. In Europe, SOD has been discovered on rhododendrons, camellias, viburnum species, and pieris, and many nurseries have had recent outbreaks of the disease. When we buy plants at our local nurseries, we can ask where plants are from, and decide what we can accept and not accept. For myself, I've decided that my personal quarantine is wise for now, until more is known about the spread of SOD. Other people's quarantines might be more stringent or less. In my opinion, the most comfortable nurseries to shop at are those that buy locally. For example, Down to Earth has growers from Cottage Grove to Salem. Gossler Farm Nursery stopped bringing any plants from California, southwest Oregon, and Europe two years ago. By asking questions, you can discover the policies of various nurseries. It is important to tell nurseries what we want and why we are being careful. It is crucial to ask about plants and bulbs from catalogs. Many catalog plants come from all over; some catalog businesses will discuss plant origins, and others refuse. We should also ask where firewood comes from. Oak firewood from California is cheap now and may appear here. If you travel to or near infected areas, the Oregon Department of Agriculture asks you please to wash soil off shoes, car tires, mountain bikes, and pet paws before coming to Oregon. Ask your visitors from California to do the same. With care for our plants and land, we may be able to keep SOD out of the Willamette Valley, or if it does come, we may be able to slow it down and give native plants time to adapt and survive. Web sources: http://oda.state.or.us/plant/ppd/path/SOD/ & www.suddenoakdeath.org
Operation
Iraqi Freedom From the air, the desert We are home. A candle is burning near. Guests arrive. In the middle of the dinner party, We turn around. Army cutworms have invaded our home. What? When? How? I grab a broom and sweep They curl into balls Someone opens the door — I hurry outside and broadcast them on the sand like seeds. On my way back, Guests draw lines of salt across the thresholds of front and back doors. We slam the doors shut. I n v a s i o n There will be We turn off the lights. We are at war. The Army cutworms have burrowed in. — Terry Tempest Williams
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