Re: NYTimes.com Article: Arkansas Rice Farmers Run Dry, and U.S. Remedy Sets Off Debate

**"Sharon Gordon" g*@one.net**

The most sustainable option here would be to get the farmers a couple of
cases of the book The Power of Duck which shows how to do sustainable
farming integrating rice and ducks.  The ducks serve as weeders(they don't
care for rice plants--I think that's due to the high silica content of rice
plants.), eliminating herbicide use.  The farmers get greater income from
selling the ducks in addition to their usual rice.  It's an amazingly
interesting system, and I have often thought it would be a fun demo garden
at a larger community garden that had some sloping land and room for a water
feature.

The Power of Duck has been translated from Japanese to English, but is still
hard to find in the US.  The Permaculture Activist usually has some copies.
http://www.permacultureactivist.net

Sharon
gordonse@one.net

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