EVERYONE BEWARE, THE IRON PHOSPHATE IS NOT SAFE FOR PETS. IRON PHOSPHATE IS PERFECTLY SAFE FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY HAVE A ACTIVE INGREDIENT WHICH IS UNDER THE INERT (UNIDENTIFIED) INGREDIENTS THAT IS CALLED EDTA. IRON PHOSPHATE DOESNT RELEASE IT HIGH LEVELS OF IRON BY ITSELF BUT THE EDTA CAUSES IT TO RELEASE CAUSING IRON POISONING WHICH KILLS. IF IT WERE IRON PHOSPHATE ALONE THEN NOTHING WOULD DIE. WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE HOURS, YOUR DOG WILL HAVE LETHARGY, VOMITING, AND DIARRHEA BUT LATER WILL APPEAR TO BE PERFECTLY FINE. ALL THE WHILE YOUR ANIMAL IS ONLY GETTING WORSE AND COULD HAVE COMA OR DEATH WITHIN 24 HOURS. SEEK MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING HERE ARE A FEW LINKS THAT IVE FOUND THAT PROVE THIS TO BE CORRECT. THE EPA HAS LOOP HOLES THAT ALLOWED THIS TO BE DONE http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/RRIronPhosphate.htm http://blog.oregonlive.com/pethealth/2008/07/gardners_beware_of_socalled_pe.html http://www.growingthegarden.com/2010/11/is_safeforpet_snail_bait_reall.html

Willamette, There are a lot of factors that determine your success. Lots of people have a lot of good answers. I have a little over an acre that I took on because a friend does very well on his little acre by Seattle. He and his wife are retired and do theirs alone. They have corn, beans, squash, peas, carrots, berries, lettuce, potatoes and the like. He has a mid-size Kubota and a good gas tiller. He lives next to his plot and his wife cooks for him. After watching his success for years I jumped when I had the chance to have a similiar plot. Boy, did I have a lot to learn! It's a lot different than a garden. My plot is about 5 miles from my house so tractors, tools, equipment and so on must be hauled down there. Top speed on the Deere is 12-15mph. I also have 4 kids and I do all the cooking and canning although my husband helps with the haying he still has a full time job, I mean besides fixing what I break :p My 15yo son was to help but he injured himself and could not work all summer. While my friend's garden looked beautiful, mine suffered comensurate to the neglect it suffered. Also, my land owner specified in our agreement that I could not use chemicals, pesitcides or herbicides due to the fields proximity to his house and his family's allergies. While my friend in Seattle does not use row covers or black paper mulches, I am definitely planning on using them this year to thwart the squash bugs and weeds. There are some implements I think will help immensely, esp. a 3 pt cultivator.(Honey, if you are reading this, my birthday is coming up! :) This year I am also planning on fewer vegetables and more grain crops (oats and spelt). Hopefully my son won't get hurt this year and the kids manage better, maybe even help out a little. I may even bring along the chicken tractor and move that around to help control more weeds. It can be done, and one of these days I will get it done. Meantime, I listen to the old farmers, read, and roll up my sleeves. I love watching seeds grow up into food that goes into my pantry. The sense of accomplishment when I see my loft full of hay, jars full of food and my pantry filled with apples, squash and beans from my own hand is worth the effort.

I'll have to look for the book in the library to read it.

I understand the feelings of loss ,anger,rage .I'm just speaking for myself when I say ,the selfishness that goes along with not wanting to share the pain of my loss when I lost my mother ,who was only 54 ,when she died.I was afraid that once I started sharing ,I'd start crying and that once I started crying I wouldn't be able to stop.My mother was a very active person .So,I asked why I was still here?Wouldn't it make sense that I would be more deserving of death ?All I did was work for the most part .My father is still living ,but he is the classic narcissist .I asked,why I'm left with him as a surviving "parent".I didn't want him dead .I just wanted to know why I was left with a parent that doesn't know what love is.The only instance that I can think of where someone would deserve death is if they are trying to harm or kill someone else and the perpertator was killed in a case of self defense.One thing I am 100% sure of is that everyone living will die . You were enroute to see your mother and although you were n't there physically ,you were there spiritually.Believe me as long as it was your intention to be with your mom ,on some level you were right there with her. Get some one- on- one therapy because I found that the more you don't actively deal with grief and loss the more grief and loss drags you down .I can't tell you of all the personal losses I've suffered as a result of years of ignoring my emotions unless they pounced upon me unexpectedly when I wasn't able to wrestle them into a choke hold and cut them off. When you look at your in-laws try not to look at them as unworthy of life because that is a harsh judgement.Try to think about the fact that you wouldn't want anyone ,especially,your husband to feel the hurt of the broken heart that you feel.