Document 06NoMkg2XBVXYYjJQGpGvb2yR

i tii c>c;> . < di oliarne, cnemicai metiioas on IVicfiam tarm B e' " # e : ->i> il-, ' m4,"J ; **5* NQ landing firm Rev. Bernard M elvin and hi non. Harley, " stand firm " by their sign forbidding the use of chemical sprays on the McLain estate south of Eckelson. Owned by Rev. McLain in conjunction with his- brother and sister, the la rd is currently being rented bv 11..!. " .Junior" Didier. whose -< ft ^dwra.* V --**' -a SgiJtfc r *' * :& - -< * - * . ; - ' - * '* - tractor can be seen in the background. Barnes County Sheriff's officials were called to the farm Tuesday morning when the McLains' plans for in stituting organic-farming methods clashed with Didier's intentions to use more conventional techniques. By VICKI ROSENAU Times-Record staff writer The scene south of Eckelson Tuesday morning was anything but friendly when young Harley McLain and his fatlier, the Rev. Bernard McLain, set out to prevent H J. ("Junior") Didier from following his customary farming procedure on the land he rents from the McLain family. Convinced that the chemical-based farming techniques used by most American farmers not only mine the soil but poison the foods thus produced, Rev. McLain had mailed Didier a letter, dated April 24, stating his "request that the McLain land be farmed in an organic method starting this spring (because) I have been awakened to the facts about the devastating effect on the environment that chem ical farming techniques cause." McLain is pastor of Faith United Church of Winthrop, Minn. So when Didier's tractors arrived around 7 a.m. Tuesday, Rev. McLain and his son intervened in an effort to enforce the request. For two hours, Harley prevented the machines from moving onto the farmland by standing directly in front of Didier s tractor. Finally. Didier, whom Harley described as "mad as a hornet" by that time, called the Barnes County Sheriff's Office. This is all according to the McLains. When contacted by the Times-Record, Didier acknowledged the occurrence of tfl^V foilow ing the confrontation the incident Tuesday morning, but Th4 five-year fanning program declined to make any comment for seeks to implemen. calls for: publication. r tnce of all toxic sprays and Barnes County Deputy Sheriff Ken trs; a crop-rotation program; Zander reported that when he arrived tillage; and the application of at the McLain farm, in response to r- Didier's call, he obstructed Harley to microbrganisms. He claims that at "discontinue disrupting Didier's far present, there is "no life in the soil" on ming" and to seek legal assistance if he the McLain farm. There are, he said, no had any further complaints. Although earthworms, which in nature's balance Harley lives on a portion of the McLain would act like "natural fertilizer fac farm, he is not legal owner. The estate tories." thus precluding the need for is jointly owned by Rev. McLain; his artificial applications. In addition, he brother, Harley L., of Hatton, who is the claims, there is a "drastically low level administrator: and his sister. Verla of humus" and erosion is washing away Ukestad, of Mayville. Rev. McLain the topsoil. The land, he asserts, "is noted that Didier has rented the sick and has been devastated acreage for about 10 years; for a by...ignorant farming techniques." number of years prior to that, Junior Didier's brother. Francis, had rented it-all by verbal agreement. Zander said that Didier promised Tuesday morning not to apply anhydrous ammonia fertilizer to the McLain land, and said he would not apply chem ical herbicides and pesticides unless "he had to use them " Harley's proposed Five-year program would begin with two years of "grace" whetf clover would be seeded and shredded as a mulch to increase the humgs level and thus control the eros^n problem. After three years without chem ical contamination, Harley said, the land will be eligible to produce certified organic grain. For two years, young Harley has rented 20 of the 220 McLain acres for producing organ ically-grow n vegetables. Early in April he entered into a written agreement with his father whereby Harley would become caretaker of the entire acreage for five years, during which time he would conduct a systematic program "to restore the soil to a healthy, natural fertile condition" without the aid of chemicals. ^ ! v . McLain, who said he has visited w itflother farmers who have ?ucceew d with the organic program, said in his letter to Didier: "Artificial fer tilizers such as anhydrous ammonia actually destroy soil life, killing ear thworms and m icroorganism s...and (making) the land dependent on an outside source of nitrogen instead of the natural processes. Also...nitrates pollute the water that we drink..." Pastor McLain, describing the issue To begin naturally restoring nitrogen of organic-versus-chemical farming as to the soil as a first step in the five-year a "moral crisis." said he has decided program, Harley seeded clover about "to say `no poisons or petro-chemical two weeks ago on the 200 acres that fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides or^ Didier ultim ately re-cultivated pesticides' because scientific studies* Tuesday. But. since neither his uncle show that cancer is caused by chemical nor his aunt had joined his father in build-ups or deposits in the body signing the caretaker contract, Harley tissues It is sad and tragic that in admits he had "no legal ground to stand discriminate and widespread use of on...I was acting as the laws of nature these accepted farming practices is dictate to man." Harley had also posted subtly poisoning our nation." all the McLain land with "iNo Toxic Didier "thinks we have to feed the Sprays" signs, which the Didiers world." Harley commented; "But why removed when they began their spring poison the world while feeding it?"