if this can hurt animals, could it be hurting humans... Researcher: Roundup or Roundup-Ready Crops May Be Causing Animal Miscarriages and Infertility http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages
We aren't allowed to use that or any other chemical like that here anymore, in BC anyway, I am not sure about the rest of Canada though. Its too bad it takes so long to see the consequences of using harsh chemicals on our yards... Remember DDT?
Suffice it to say that Monsanto are a great evil. The 'copywrighting' of living genetic tissue should have never been permitted. That is the difficulty with having a revolving door from industry to government regulators to industry. Whose and what interests are being protected? Farmers are being sued out of existance for saving seed. Even when they never planted a Monsanto product in the first place. Who or what entity wishes to control worldwide food production? These are reasons I primarily grow open pollinated, heirloom varieties of vegetables. 'Official voice over loudspeaker' "get off the soapbox and slowly back away". See you later.........gotta run.......
My great grandfather went to his grave cursing the goverment for banning DDT. DDT was the best thing to ever happen to cotton farmers. Im not saying that the effects were not bad, they were, Im just saying that if they had studied it more before placing on the market then they would have found the sideeffects and could have prevented them. Now they are saying that Round Up is bad. How are farmers supposed to control weeds in the crops if they ban it too??
I was once done with cultivation. I spent many summers following the north end of a soutbound mule working corn and tobbaco. Not to mention the seemingly endless hours hoing the two acre garden. Greed and short term gain have gotten in the way of land stewardship. The Amish seem to get by pretty well without the herbicides and pesticides that most deem necessary. I'm just sayin'. Feel free to disagree, we can agree to that amicably enough FBG
FBG, Unfortunately, some the Amish our direction use INDISCRIMINATELY pesticides and herbicides. Maybe in your direction they don't use as much, but the shelves at Yoders are filled with both and they have sold DOUBLE the amount of fungicide this year, already as of today, due to the wet weather. Last year we had a friend pick up some beautiful cabbage at an Amish roadside stand, he thought he was going to have to scratch his skin off after eating it for supper that night. So please don't assume that the Amish don't use pesticides of any kind. We would just like them to abide by the label for its intended use. Such as approved crops and waiting to harvest on the said crops. Keeping their children out of the sprayed crops and using proper spray equipment for safety measures. Keeping spray schedules for cash crops. Just to name a few. Kevin wanted some Sevin for a vegetable crop this year and the young man at the counter tried to sell him a Sevin that was not labeled, therefor not allowed, for vegetable crops. I'm thinking it was about double the concentration as the vegetable label. It was only intended for flowering crops. Evidently they use that for their vegetable crops. I wouldn't want to eat that. Round Up is also a product they (the farmers) use in order to get a crop. We have a book that was written by one of them about raising vegetables and in order for the pumpkin crop to be a harvestable/profitable one, they roll or spray round up between the rows to kill the weeds before they can take over the patch crowding out the pumpkins. That said, maybe not all of them use herbicides and pesticides, but enough of them do in order for their crop(s) to be a profit and not a loss to their income.
It is disheartening to hear that Miss Carolyn. 'Round here the German Baptists are doing the same. The few Amish families and farms that are local, tend to be natural in nature. I can say, that I've less than a quarter acre in garden, and I've got some local chef's for organic restaraunts calling occasionally. I'm tripling the size of the vegie/flower garden in front for next year. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able grow enough for a small kitchen.
how do the 'organic' growers grow without the chemicals sold by big pharma corporations? they use a lot of labor intensive techniques and companion planting and mulching, increasing soil microbes, etc... i remember in the late 90's, there was a company in California that developed a vacuum machine where they could vacuum up the bad bugs row by row through the crops. i agree about the chemicals they're putting on our store shelves and on our growing food is not right without adequate testing for human consumption first. as with DDT and roundup and GMOs, they appear to be using us as guinea pigs. the bad news comes out later when it's too late for many. and this combining of the pesticides with the DNA of plants really had me boggled. they make all kinds of promises to the farmer that aren't true. and what are these rogue plants doing to the soil, the air, the ecosystem, the planet? there's already been spotted GM plants crossing with plants in the wild. once they've crossed, there's no turning back. like the GM salmon they're thinking of putting with regular fish in the ocean. sad, when they haven't done the necessary testing to protect us and the planet. i think there's got to be 'natural' solutions to problems in the gardens, on the farms, anywhere there is growth. it may take more labor, but it would help save the planet, which in fact, will save us. it's our home and should be treated with respect, imo.
It is too bad that so many corporate giants and individuals are poisoning the planet and destroying everything on it just in the name of science which doesnt know half as much as they think they do.
Bunkie, There is a huge misconception about organic gardening. There are many sprays approved as OMRI chemicals. Many of them as dangerous if not more so than synthetic compounds. Just as much care if not more so needs to be taken with these chemicals as opposed to the man made versions. Some are bacterias, some are plant based some are even petroleum based, but they are all chemicals of some sort and are sprayed on everything we consume. So, just because something is promoted as organic does not mean that the item was not subjected to some type of spray as it was grown. Just that it was grown according to organic standards. Here in Ohio, an organic farmer must have a buffer zone around the farm that is certified as an organic operation. I do believe that it is a 300' buffer zone. That is in order to keep any sprays from neighboring farms off their farm. Is that enough? I would not have the faintest idea if the wind would or wouldn't carry another farmers spray drift that far. I suppose it depends on the particulate size and the speed of the wind and what there is in between the two farms for foliage. How could anyone control these factors? So I think Organic farming is really a subjective title. By the industry standards many sprays are available. And many are used.
Going all natural would be awesome if it was the least bit productive. For a small farm growing organic is easier. But we have very few of those left. What is feeding us now? Commerical farms, and growing organic is not cheap. Chemicals are the cheap and effective way to deal with bugs, weeds, and diseases.
Wow. Great topic. But one that definitely will raise some disagreements. I love the idea of going all natural. But it does take a lot of work to keep it that way. It is so much better for us, the animals and the planet. Like Carolyn said. We have no idea all the things they use on what is called an Organic farm. I saw a program on Free Range Chickens. That is what they call themselves. It's also listed on the store package and egg cartons from this farm. NOT SO! They raise their chicks enclosed in a barn for the first 5wks of their life. Then they open a small door that leads out onto a green grass manicured lawn. Supposedly for the chicken to range out on to. But they don't. Because they have been raised indoors for those first few weeks and have no clue about going outside. But the farm can still sell their eggs and meat as being Free Range. Go figure! The big organic veggie farmers should have the organic chicken farmers bring over their chickens and let them out in their crop fields to get rid of all the bad bugs. What happened to using natures best bug controllers? It's not just chickens. Other bugs are great at bad bug control. If they want to us a spray that kills weeds they should us 20% vinegar. They may have to apply it more often but it definitely would be a lot safer, better for us, and the environment. I wonder do they get kick backs when they use a certain companies chemicals? Like doctors do when they prescribe certain drugs. Just a thought.
DDT.saved soooo many Cotton crops from boil weevels.my uncle hired people to hoe cotton,cornto keep the weeds down in his crops. My hands fit a hoe handle fairly well I was small. I sure likedthat little dab of money.
