Hi...I'm a clueless newbie!

[Ernest Ezis]

mspear at telerama.lm.com (mspear) wrote: 
>CAVETOCAVE (cavetocave at aol.com) wrote: 
>> Don't eat the common commercial one if you are trying to avoid   
commercial 
>> toxins. 
>> Because of the problems of growing out of compost, fungicides (for the 
>> lower fungus) and pesticides )for the flying inscects eggs/larva are   
used. 
>> Eat shiitake' or tree oyster or wild from the woods types and you will   
not 
>> have that problem. 
>> Also if taste is a priority, same same. 
> 
>I disagree.  Commercial Agaricus farmers are just like any other 
>farmers.  There are some who use a lot of pesticides.  However the 
>successful ones got that way by keeping costs down and quality and 
>productivity up.  As in most crops this means minimal pesticides, 
>Integrated Pest Management, sanitary practices instead of poisons. 
> 
>The average Agaricus operation is around 4 million pounds per year.  
>It's got lot's of employees and has the usual constraints of FIFRA 
>regulations, insurance inspections, FDA rules and the like. 
> 
>The average shiitake or oyster grower is much smaller, not nearly as 
>professional, has much less time in the business, and can "fly under 
>the radar".  Pest and disease control without poisons are not as well 
>worked out for the exotics.  In short these guys tend to use whatever 
>they need to and can get away with it. 
> 
>The blanket assertion that Agaricus is pesticide laden and shiitake is 
>not probably should be discarded. 
> 
>    ---- Mark 
 
--  
Ernest Ezis 
eezis at telerama.lm.com