Why Organic?

[Chris09]

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That sound a lot like me. I start the day off with a ice cold can of Mtn Due wile I am waiting for the coffee to brew.

Chris

 

[Wifezilla]

Anyone else have a subscription to Hobby Farm magazine? There is an article in there comparing organic dairy to conventional dairy. One big difference is the nutrition profile in organic, pastured milk. Much higher in essential fatty acids. As for environment, the organic wins again. Cows naturally "depositing" on pasture causes way less pollution than a manure lagoon.

The study the article is based on is available free if you are interested....
http://www.organic-center.org/science.environment.php?action=view&report_id=184
Scroll down for the PDFs

 

[chickened]

Big Ag is for the masses always has been always will be unless it is hamstrung by court orders. A Good stable supply of cheap produce is what the masses want and big ag has came through, who knows maybe organic is better but does it really matter? If you cannot afford to buy organic the point is mute. Big Ag is not a problem to me until I try to compete with it and therein lies the problem. If you took all the organic farms and put all their production on one side and big ag on the other it would be no comparison. The worlds' population is growing big pretty fast and in order to feed people we cannot go backwards to a time where organic would maybe have worked there are just not enough farmers or land out there to accommodate the organic idea, sorry organic crowd. Again the market would tell you if it works.

 

[chickened]

The study in this report was funded by the Packard foundation, hardly an unbiased study you haveto admit.
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[seedcorn]

Cows naturally "depositing" on pasture causes way less pollution than a manure lagoon.

& U figured this out how? With manure lagoon, the manure is converted into composted manure where it is injected by a safe, prescribed amount guided by soil tests. Most midwest dairies in pens are over crowded-not 1 cow/acre. The manure is on top of the soil where the nitrogen escapes into the air, and the P,K are washed into the ditches when it rains. Leaving large amounts on the soil is never a good thing. Using your logic, instead of septic tanks, we in the country should just do it like my dog,,,,no thanks.

Welcome into the conversation perkiegirl.

So Katie, you stopped smoking at age 5? LOL As someone who grew up w/Dad that smoked, even if he smoked a cigarette outside, when he came in I could still smell it. Dad quit the same way, just decided he'd had enough and quit. Can't imagine the will power. Now if I could just get that will power to quit the snickers............

Much higher in essential fatty acids

I truly believe this as they are not fed for production. This can also be accomplished by using Guernsey or Jerseys over Holsteins.​

 

[GhostRider65]

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I find it rather odd that you can bad mouth "big AG" for trying to poison you with what we grow but you make the choice to still smoke and put those poisons into your body. Seems pretty hypocrital to me.

I'm a farmer who farms conventionly and grows some GMO crops. Plus I'm a former smoker who went from 2 packs a day to none cold turkey 37 years ago this week.

Until this past fall when I developed a detached and torn retina I hadn't been to a doctor for close to 20 years. I grow a lot of our own food, but I am not scared of using GMO crops. I wouldn't say I eat particularly either....I'm a junk food fan and start my day off with a pepsi every morning.

I never said it wasn't hypicritical, said I have been trying to quit, and that it is our 1 bad habit, we don't do anything else, and I feel that if I could quit cold turkey as you did I sure as He double toothpicks would, I have smoked for over 32 years, and quitting has been a daunting task, we have been trying for the last 3 years, we quit for a couple days to a week and then end up going back and buying a pack, we also onlyu smoke about a pack a day between us 2, which is way better than the 3 packs I smoked 10 years ago, my herbalist has been after us to quit, so has everyone I know who don't smoke, but as I said it's nasty habit and some people find it much harder to quit than others
I suppose you have no bad habits? It matters not anyway you can call me what you like, but I always say what I think and I will never gripe about others opinions, if you listen you do if you don't it won't hurt my feelings any. Kim

 

[perchie.girl]

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& U figured this out how? With manure lagoon, the manure is converted into composted manure where it is injected by a safe, prescribed amount guided by soil tests. Most midwest dairies in pens are over crowded-not 1 cow/acre. The manure is on top of the soil where the nitrogen escapes into the air, and the P,K are washed into the ditches when it rains. Leaving large amounts on the soil is never a good thing. Using your logic, instead of septic tanks, we in the country should just do it like my dog,,,,no thanks.

Welcome into the conversation perkiegirl.

So Katie, you stopped smoking at age 5? LOL As someone who grew up w/Dad that smoked, even if he smoked a cigarette outside, when he came in I could still smell it. Dad quit the same way, just decided he'd had enough and quit. Can't imagine the will power. Now if I could just get that will power to quit the snickers............

Much higher in essential fatty acids

I truly believe this as they are not fed for production. This can also be accomplished by using Guernsey or Jerseys over Holsteins.​

LOL Perkiegirl....

Perchie is short for Percheron hee hee. Though Perkie is good too.

WRT human maneur.... I am considering doing a composting toilet for my second bathroom. Actually a sawdust toilet because the composting toilets are wayyy $$$. My original shower already goes to a french drain. And I am working on a Greywater system for the kitchen. That will be diverted eventually to use in a hydroponic garden one day.

Like you said the farms are not overcrowded. The popular press cashes in on scenes from the feedlots. What horrifies me more is seeing horses in the feed lots.... so sad.

I know nothing about raising cows but I did speak to a fellow who raised a couple of freezer beef a year. Someone gave him a Jersey steer and he swore hed never raise one again. They take a very long time to mature for beef. Id much rather rase one up for an ox.... Saw a pair of Jersey oxen once Magnificent... and powerful.

At one point in my life I swore to never eat veal... Baby calves taken from momma after being born to live a life in confinement where the only feed they get was in the form of milk untill they get so anemic that they start chewing on themselves for iron. Thats what the press said has to be right. The press is always right... they research their sources dont they? Those questions were Rehtorical because I have learned how much the press uses us to promote thier product "news" to sell advertising. Now I know that every time I have a glass of milk I contribute to the Veal industry. Or cheese. So I swung back to a blanced position. Yes there is abuse in the industry but for the most part farmers in dairy do their best to make the lives of their animals the best they can be because to do otherwise would be bad for business.

So Now I sit back and listen and research.... make my own decisions on what direction to go.... for me Organic when I can, Good choices when i want other. Make it fresh or semi fresh. I am happy for vaccines for TB and Polio and measels.... I wont do influenza... The minute I see the chicken littles running about.... I start looking for the acorn.

 

[Katy]

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Ha! I wish I was that young!

 

[Katy]

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I never said I had no bad habits.....I drink too much pepsi, altho I'm down to only 2 or 3 cans a day....and I have a weakness for salty snacks.....and I cuss too much, but never around the grandkids.

 

[Katy]

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Hobby Farm is geared toward a certain demographic and so includes articles that support what they want to hear and read....just like any other magazine.