Sign Petition to stop GMO Alfalfa from entering circulation

[colowyo0809]

Quote:
Thats true, but the key there is the farmers that chose to plant their seeds. However, every farmer in the area who chose not to, but had their crop/seed crossed with monsanto's due to wind drift, pollination, bees, etc are the ones who really get hurt and attacked the most. You have people choosing to grow seed that is not GMO and not sold or patented (sp?) by Monsanto being attacked by monsanto because the monsanto owned seed crossed with theirs and screwed them. It takes away choice and screws the little guys (or I suppose even the big guys) who are trying to do something different. Why should they be punished? They did nothing wrong.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Thats true, but the key there is the farmers that chose to plant their seeds. However, every farmer in the area who chose not to, but had their crop/seed crossed with monsanto's due to wind drift, pollination, bees, etc are the ones who really get hurt and attacked the most. You have people choosing to grow seed that is not GMO and not sold or patented (sp?) by Monsanto being attacked by monsanto because the monsanto owned seed crossed with theirs and screwed them. It takes away choice and screws the little guys (or I suppose even the big guys) who are trying to do something different. Why should they be punished? They did nothing wrong.

Soo..what happens if the seeds cross pollinate? Will the GMO seeds kill off the non-GMO crop if they cross? Will it make a cross that is non-saleable or non-edible?
How exactly does this work? How exactly does a farmer KNOW if his crop has been crossed with GMO? Nutrition testing or something?
I'm confused, as usual..

 

[Frosty]

I stumbled on an article completely by chance... because it dealt with Round-Up and GM, I read it. If even half of this is true, it is indeed scarey stuff. http://www.twobitdog.com/DrFox/Monsanto-Roundup-Disease

 

[Organics North]

Quote:

I feel at least the parts on how round up works are accurate....
The residuals that is new to me. I always assumed the the following crops needed direct applications of soluble nitrates and phosphates because the soil biology has been destroyed, not because of residual glyphosate.

The way nutrient loss is covered makes sense to me... In soil that has had soluble chemical fertilizers applied and round up applied natural soil biology has been reduced. In nature plants do not directly take up nutrients, it is the bacteria and fungi break down nutrients into usable components for plants..

.. Very interesting read... Thank you.. (I book marked it.)


ON

 

[Frosty]

I wouldn't be surprised if residuals lasted longer where we are, we get an average of 18" of moisture a year and are commonly in drought conditions. I emailed the link to DH and hope he actually reads it. I really needed something like that to send to him... last year he sprayed the entire garden with Round-Up, even though we sell veggies at a local farm market and it was my pride that I was avoiding chemicals. He destroyed any hopes I had of telling folks that we don't spray. He really didn't see a problem with Round-Up but pretty much quit using it because I am really not a nice person when it comes to chemicals

 

[backyardturkey]

I don't blame you, frosty.

 

[BlackBart]

Quote:
I read a couple of studies that concluded GM DNA can jump from one species to another. Only time will tell.

I had read that some scientists are looking into the inert ingredients in Round-up because there is some evidence that it points to infertility, sterility, nerve damage, allergies etc..

There was a discussion about both of those topics on Millions against Monsanto.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I read a couple of studies that concluded GM DNA can jump from one species to another. Only time will tell.

I had read that some scientists are looking into the inert ingredients in Round-up because there is some evidence that it points to infertility, sterility, nerve damage, allergies etc..

There was a discussion about both of those topics on Millions against Monsanto.

I'm sure that was an unbiased discussion.

 

[vfem]

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/pubs/CFSMOnsantovsFarmerReport1.13.05.pdf

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4778.cfm

http://hartkeisonline.com/food-politics/gmo-contamination-ruins-aussie-farmers-organic-crop/comment-page-1/

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/CFACS.php

http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

Gmo are wrecking other farmers' crops. You can choose to turn a blind eye since it doesn't effect you, or you can try to understand to make one business grow is to have warfare reigning on other people's businesses. This is the Monsanto attack. They want to put organic out of business. Period.

I believe if you can't work together for survival, everyone will suffer in the end.

Also... there has been a lawsuit filed again the USDA for the 'unregulated' agreement on allowing GMO alfalfa. GOOD!

http://www.columbia.org/pdf_files/centerforfoodsafety2.pdf

 

[colowyo0809]

Quote:
Thats true, but the key there is the farmers that chose to plant their seeds. However, every farmer in the area who chose not to, but had their crop/seed crossed with monsanto's due to wind drift, pollination, bees, etc are the ones who really get hurt and attacked the most. You have people choosing to grow seed that is not GMO and not sold or patented (sp?) by Monsanto being attacked by monsanto because the monsanto owned seed crossed with theirs and screwed them. It takes away choice and screws the little guys (or I suppose even the big guys) who are trying to do something different. Why should they be punished? They did nothing wrong.

Soo..what happens if the seeds cross pollinate? Will the GMO seeds kill off the non-GMO crop if they cross? Will it make a cross that is non-saleable or non-edible?
How exactly does this work? How exactly does a farmer KNOW if his crop has been crossed with GMO? Nutrition testing or something?
I'm confused, as usual..

What happens is that once the GMO crosses it doesn't go away. The farmer who has their seed invaded (for lack of a better word) by the GMO crop can not sell their crop as non gmo, non organic. In addition, Monsanto has claimed in court that that farmer, by planting the seeds of the crops that are crossed, are violating patent laws and are planting that crop illegally. Which is a load of bull. So, essentially monsanto convinces several farmers in various places in an area to grow their crop, on the basis that it is easier, cheaper, more productive, more disease resistant, and garners you a larger check. (I'll address the inaccuracy of this in a minute) So, then they go in in the fall and demand to test the crops of the farmers who did not choose to plant their seed, find that it has crossed, and essentially put them out of business.

The inaccuracies: cheaper, easier, productive, disease resistant, blah blah. The problem with this, that monsanto does not care about and most farmers either don't think to take into consideration or just don't care (I said most, so don't snap my head off if you are not one of these farmers)is that this is very very energy intensive. You save in that you don't put so much of your own physical energy into it, but you waste so much more in fossil fuels and highly sophisticated machinery, etc. In addition, by planting those crops, such as the ones that are roundup resistant, you can lay down an intensive blanket of roundup to kill every plant in the field(s) and for quite aways around the field(s) which also kills the insects and the birds and the small mammals and etc. It also affects the field(s) of the farmer who has planted near yours which if they don't have roundup ready gmo crops means that their crops suffer. Oh yeah, its a great system

And before anyone bring up the whole "well you can't feed the world with rotational, organic, natural planting practices" arguement I'd have to say, "why do we have to feed the world?" We have people starving here in our own country and we are shipping food to other countries? Why? If it is so cheap to produce and is so healthy for you, why do we have people going hungry? Why can't those people afford the food grown here in the US? I'd rather plant an acre vegetable garden, and have enough food for myself and two or three of my neighbors, and call it good.