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EAT A POTENTIALLY HARMFUL FOOD TODAY AND PAY THE PIPER LATER? OR STARVE NOW AND BE DONE WITH IT? I THINK MOST OF US WOULD BE IN THAT BOAT WITH YOU ROZZIE.
There are many ways to cooperatively order organics (the only reliably way to be GMO free), frontier, tree of life and there are more companies. Buying in bulk helps too. I know though, that is expensive! I spend over 50$ a month oneggs, which is why I'm looking to produce my own! I buy produce from a local farm, and a wholesale buying club and a local co-op. But if you can afford even a few organics only then to me aminal products are the most important ones. Buying in bulk (1/4-1/8 grassfed beef) helps with the cost. There are also lists called the "clean 15 and the dirty dozen" specifying which produce items are the most important to buy organic.
Just one more thought on GMOS- selectively breading is far different- that is a natural process, whereas GMOs often are so unnatural. Most GMOs cannot have the seeds saved- b/c they won't grow true to the parent plant, and many have extremely low germination rates, and overall a high rate of crop failure. Hybrids are also trouble for the same reason (although not all hybrids are GMO) and GMOs are MEANT to elliminate biodiversity(causes crop failure), which is crutial to the survival of our lives...
a good example is that say you buy a GMO corn seed, lets call it corntastic for now. You may be a farmer, who counts on your corn crop to feed your family and pay the bills, or you may be a backyard farmer looking to grow more corn to save money, for a hobby or whatever your reason. The corn you've previously grown is heirloom, and has a fair amount of natural biodiversity. That means some stalks will be taller, some shorter, some with deeper roots, some that grow faster then others, and ears of all different sizes. Some plants will produce many ears, and some very few. You've saved the seeds of the best plants for as long as you can remeber each year.
Then you hear about this corntastic variey, and it grows FASTER, TALLER and produces more! You've seen your neighbors switch over to it. So the next season you buy this seed, and plant it. Even with the cost of seed, you make more money that season on your corn, and don't mind buying more seed the next season. Season 2 goes just as well, However, the 3rd season the plants need commercial fertalizer, as they've robbed your soil of so many nutrients and it is expensive. The 4th season there are 2 windstorms. With your heirloom variety the plants that were shorter, and with deeper roots could survive, and you NEVER lost an entire crop, but the GMO corntastic has none of that biodiversity, and you loose all of your crop. You've saved money, so you can barely afford the seds and the fertalizers that are necessary for the corntastic to grow well. That 5th season you have an early frost. With your heirloom you'd get the some early ears... but again you have a full crop failure.... and in season 6 you get forclosed and loose the family farm that you've had for generations.
Of course, there are many upsides to the GMOs, but the health risks, lack of biodiversity and lack of standards, safety regulations, ethics and more makes those benefits small in comparison.
I figured out a recipe to feed my quail organic, with thelp from PMs from a few people, and if anyone wants it feel free to message me.
Cheryl