farmageddon Anyone seen this?

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by creekbend
About three weeks ago, there was a documentary about corn production in Mexico and Guatemala. It seems that there has been airborne contamination from the production of Monsanto hybrid corn. The report stated that up wards of 60% of the corn varieties that the farmers had used and seeded for centuries failed to germinate because of the cross pollination from the fields planted by the Monsanto hybrid seed crops. The documentary showed various small groups of farmers in these Countries uniting to form alliances to lobby their governments to control the widespread corn production from these hybrid seeds. They showed aerial photos where thousands of acres of hybrid corn was planted. The fields located near them didn't even produce one ear of corn and the stalks were dying.

What a load of rubbish

Not necessarily. The drought in North America has extended well into Mexico. It's just not as well publicized. The strains modern farmers have planted will make a crop under extremely adverse conditions, and even at that there were reports of fields yielding less than 5 bushels per acre. Farmers cut the corn and baled it for livestock fodder because there was no crop. It's not surprising that native corn varieties failed to make any crop at all. Prior to modern crop genetic science, total crop failures and famines were a common feature of life.

What it total rubbish is blaming the crop failure on cross pollination, instead of their inferior seed stock.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We are not experts, true enough. I just don't see why most people do not see the danger in this. Even if the danger of monoculturing is poo-poo-ed, why does Monsanto get to decide what variety of corn will be grown by practically everyone, or that Monsanto can willy-nilly destroy the work of others?

The people who are supposed to be, and are paid to be, experts at the USDA & FDA should have been able to predict what is happening and should not have approved Monsanto's and others use of these seeds. Those agencies are controlled by corporate interests.

Why do you think you deserve and opinion when you don't even know there are multiple seed companies? Did you think Monsanto was the only company doing crop research and selling seed? Do you even read seed ads in farm magazines?

 

[creekbend]

I found this to be quite educational in regards to growing corn. I never realized some of the following, especially #33. Hybrid Seed Production Maize Ppt

 

[dave1949]

Why do you think you deserve and opinion when you don't even know there are multiple seed companies? Did you think Monsanto was the only company doing crop research and selling seed? Do you even read seed ads in farm magazines?

The people who are supposed to be, and are paid to be, experts at the USDA & FDA should have been able to predict what is happening and should not have approved Monsanto's and others use of these seeds. Those agencies are controlled by corporate interests.

At least I can read. Do you work for Monsanto? Are you paid to destroy the work of others?

 

[GPintheMitten]

I don't believe what we see in a movie should be considered as factual. In my youth I watched many a Superman movie and I can't fly yet. Why? Am I doing something wrong? I watch movies all the time but consider them for what they are fantasys.

Because you weren't born on the planet Krypton.

 

[D7E]

Not necessarily.

What it total rubbish is blaming the crop failure on cross pollination, instead of their inferior seed stock.

What did you think i meant ?

 

[dave1949]

I found this to be quite educational in regards to growing corn. I never realized some of the following, especially #33. Hybrid Seed Production Maize Ppt

#33 is why the thought crossed my mind that if they were growing seed corn next to the traditional plots, they would have had a reason to purposely kill any nearby corn.

When I was 14, before my bagging career :laughing:, I worked for a week detasseling seed corn. I don't know why, but the seed company decided to hire some kids, to keep us out of trouble I guess. It was comical. The variety of corn was pretty tall and had grown well that summer. If I jumped a bit a grabbed a tassel, I could usually get it off the stalk. It was hot and humid down in those corn rows and the only water on that farm was so loaded with sulfur you had to hold your nose to drink it.

Eventually, a migrant crew showed up and put us out of our misery. They rode on sweeps above the rows and pulled the tassels from above. I suppose it would have been against the rules to put 14 year-olds on a mechanized unit.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The people who are supposed to be, and are paid to be, experts at the USDA & FDA should have been able to predict what is happening and should not have approved Monsanto's and others use of these seeds. Those agencies are controlled by corporate interests.

At least I can read. Do you work for Monsanto? Are you paid to destroy the work of others?

Your problem is that all you are reading is the frankenfoodie buttheads who want to wind us back to the 19th century. What you should be reading is a farmer's cost of production spreadsheet. The thing that makes improved crops so profitable is the amount of inputs that they make unnecessary.

What I am is a farmer, and I know how many chemicals we used to have to spread to get a crop. When they took persistent pesticides like DDT off the market we had to go in with multiple applications, and some of those chemicals were really dangerous to apply. Now, with BT corn, cotton, potatoes, etc., we can let the plant defend itself and save hundreds of dollars an acre in chemicals. Roundup ready crops are just as great. We used to have to spray a pre-emerge herbicide on the ground before planting, then spray or cultivate multiple times. Now we just hit it once or twice with glyphosate and call it good. It's the difference between survival and bankruptcy for most farms. The seed is cheap at the cost.

Last year the frankenfoodies tried to get the USDA to revoke approval for roundup-ready sugarbeets. The farmers said, "Fine, we won't have a sugar beet crop in the USA this year." They had en masse abandoned the conventional beet stock. That's not the corporate interests controlling anything, that's the farmers voting with their dollars. You claim you can read, so read a little information about what sugarbeet farmers had to do to their soil before roundup-ready plants became available. Sugarbeets

GM crops have been approved for human consumption for over 20 years. They have an excellent record for both safety and productivity. The seed sold by Monsanto, Pioneer Hy-Bred, DeKalb, Bayer and others not only provide a better bottom line for farmers, they have proven able to produce a crop in adverse growing conditions that would have meant complete crop failure 50 years ago.

 

[Reyer Farms]

I wrote a lengthy post and deleted it because I felt it was too much at one time. Short version:
The companies are not pure evil, they have done a lot for agriculture. They are profit driven and we as a society have steered their decisions. The organic movement is also about money, for those who are shaking their head, yes it is. It is a marketing gimmick that is taking advantage of many consumers. Organic is not free and pure and all those warm fuzzy feelings that they market. For the record organic practices are just as dangerous for agriculture and our food supply.
We must be good stewards of the resources God has given us. The land, crops, our bodies they all get sick and need help. Sometimes help is simple and sometimes it needs a complex approach. Responsible decisions are not just pump it full of a chemical, more antibiotics, walk off that health problem, only use this product so resistance is built and control no longer works, don't spray it those worms need to eat worse than we do.

Consumers must become aware of the way we get our food and become engaged in that process. The fastest way to do that is talk to farmer, buy from a farmer, and in time we will have change the industry. Farmers must make money to grow food. I know, duh? But consumers buying habits, the ever expanding gov regulations, and cheaper produced imports are killing small farms. My wife has done talks in schools and kids think chocolate milk comes from brown cows. We live in a rural area, that's scary. We must be responsible for our actions. As consumers have the final say the burden is ultimately on them. I would encourage everyone to visit a farm and see what goes on. I have yet to met a farmer that took the job lightly. How many of you know where the money from the farm bill goes?
Sincerely,
A small family farm selling directly from our field to your family

 

[dave1949]

Your problem is that all you are reading is the frankenfoodie buttheads who want to wind us back to the 19th century. What you should be reading is a farmer's cost of production spreadsheet. The thing that makes improved crops so profitable is the amount of inputs that they make unnecessary.

What I am is a farmer, and I know how many chemicals we used to have to spread to get a crop. When they took persistent pesticides like DDT off the market we had to go in with multiple applications, and some of those chemicals were really dangerous to apply. Now, with BT corn, cotton, potatoes, etc., we can let the plant defend itself and save hundreds of dollars an acre in chemicals. Roundup ready crops are just as great. We used to have to spray a pre-emerge herbicide on the ground before planting, then spray or cultivate multiple times. Now we just hit it once or twice with glyphosate and call it good. It's the difference between survival and bankruptcy for most farms. The seed is cheap at the cost.

Last year the frankenfoodies tried to get the USDA to revoke approval for roundup-ready sugarbeets. The farmers said, "Fine, we won't have a sugar beet crop in the USA this year." They had en masse abandoned the conventional beet stock. That's not the corporate interests controlling anything, that's the farmers voting with their dollars. You claim you can read, so read a little information about what sugarbeet farmers had to do to their soil before roundup-ready plants became available. Sugarbeets

GM crops have been approved for human consumption for over 20 years. They have an excellent record for both safety and productivity. The seed sold by Monsanto, Pioneer Hy-Bred, DeKalb, Bayer and others not only provide a better bottom line for farmers, they have proven able to produce a crop in adverse growing conditions that would have meant complete crop failure 50 years ago.

I've seen a lot sugar beets raised before roundup ready seeds were even dreamed of. I believe they made extensive use of hoes for weeding and blocking. And they made money.

You are describing a chemical and GM nightmare in my opinion. Yes, count me among the franken foodies. If you are so proud of your franken foods, then why isn't that on the label of the food I buy and eat? Usually when people are proud of what they produce, they let the world know about it.

Why do Monsanto and others need legislative loopholes that prevent their products from being fully tested before you plant them?

You don't deny that you have no control over the pollination spread of GM plants and the resulting contamination of non-GM varieties. What's worse, I don't think you care. Oh, those are just some inferior seeds, no problem here.

Here are some unhappy farmers:
FOCUS: Farmers Fight Monsanto's Threats and Intimidation
"A major lawsuit against Monsanto was denied in at the district court and has been appealed. On July 5, 2012, seventy-five family farmers, seed businesses, and agricultural organizations representing over 300,000 individuals and 4,500 farms filed a brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., asking the appellate court to reverse a lower court's decision from February dismissing their protective legal action against agricultural giant Monsanto's patents on genetically engineered seed."

Read about the Monsanto v Oakhurst Dairy case. As a Maine consumer who buys Oakhurst products because of the product quality, and the quality of the people running the dairy, I pay for Monsanto's nonsense. I have no use for Monsanto or people who defend them.
Monsanto vs. the Milkman | Mother Jones

Your problem is you have no idea if you are participating in something that will become a health time bomb down the road. But you see no problem in making that decision yourself, for everybody. You do realize how difficult or impossible it is to get Monsanto to share there patent process and results with independent researchers. So, you are only parroting Monsanto and a corporate-controlled FDA when you say it is safe. Monsanto's word is worthless.

How long has BPA been used as a food can lining, and how long did it take to recognize the health problems associated with hormone mimics as endocrine disruptors?