A safer alternative to Roundup

[dave1949]

We were not feeding millions of people for those thousands of years.

Well, priorities are important. Do we do "whatever it takes" to feed as many people as we possibly can--knowing that is a sure path to destruction for all people? We are encountering limits where we trade-off something to get something else. It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

 

[RickB]

We were not feeding millions of people for those thousands of years.

That would be Billions, not millions.

 

[Jstpssng]

Hey Dave thanks for posting. (I was hoping that you would chime in.) :thumbsup: I formed my opinions while spraying herbicides and taking a class at UMO and seeing things which made me say "WTF?" (Or "HUH", which is a better acronym for this site.)
We are the nonbelievers here however, so rather than force this to go political I'm going to bow out and hope that the OP gets the answers which he's asking for.

 

[Walkin Horse]

I won't lie to her about what to use. There is an expensive horse involved in this trade. Plus I am boarding her other horses. So it's not in me to trick or lie to her.

My original question is there anything safer. Apparently not. So I guess whenI talk to her again I will tell her some of the things I have learned on here. Then if she is still against using it, I will recommend she keeps it mowed close this summer. Then I will come in and rip it deep then disc it. Seeding here works good the first 2 weeks of September. Then if the weeds come back I did what I could do.

 

[Marveltone]

The best maintained pastures I have seen are almost always the result in multi-species grazing. If she would get a few goats to graze with the horses, they would eat most of the weeds the horses won't touch. Cheap, easy weed eradication and maintenance.

Of course, not everybody wants to bother with goats, but they really do a great job on broad-leafs!

 

[HCJtractor]

I won't lie to her about what to use. There is an expensive horse involved in this trade. Plus I am boarding her other horses. So it's not in me to trick or lie to her. My original question is there anything safer. Apparently not. So I guess whenI talk to her again I will tell her some of the things I have learned on here. Then if she is still against using it, I will recommend she keeps it mowed close this summer. Then I will come in and rip it deep then disc it. Seeding here works good the first 2 weeks of September. Then if the weeds come back I did what I could do.

Sounds like you've made a good decision, and a very reasonable plan. Good luck!

 

[Alan L.]

I did a controlled burn a couple of months ago and had to call the volunteer fire dept. The idea was to burn off last years' weeds out of the garden. I lost 2 brush piles (was not ready to burn them yet) and part of a duck house in the deal. Roundup would have been easier. Fire is unpredictable.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I did a controlled burn a couple of months ago and had to call the volunteer fire dept.

I guess it depends upon what your definition of "controlled" is ...

 

[turnkey4099]

Me neither.

Roundup Ready seeds results in Glyphosate appearing in breast milk and being excreted from the body through urine. That is a different proposition than how Roundup persists in soils. There seems to be some disagreement whether Roundup bioaccumulates in body fluids or not, but even Monsanto agrees it passes through our bodies.

GLYPHOSATE TEST RESULTS - Moms Across America
3 Studies Proving Glyphosate Found in Urine, Blood, and Breast Milk | Natural Society

My other concern, beyond foreign chemicals in the body, is that the no-till methods of farming combined with GM seeds which rely on Roundup results in a very sterile monoculture that is spreading across many millions of acres. This has an adverse impact on biodiversity. There needs to be a few weeds here and there, and somehow we lived with that situation for thousands of years before Roundup.

And given a choice you wouldn't buy any of the produce grown thousands of years ago.

Are you also against the modern auto or do you think horse and carts were better?

Harry K

 

[RickB]

Well, priorities are important. Do we do "whatever it takes" to feed as many people as we possibly can--knowing that is a sure path to destruction for all people? We are encountering limits where we trade-off something to get something else. It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Ban all controversial practices and products. Then pick somebody to choose who gets food and who doesn't. Do you have enough influence, money or weapons to ensure a share for yourself?