When it comes right down to it, I can’t think of anything more important than the food we eat, the food that nourishes our children. Food is the sustenance which forms the very essence of our mortal coil.
What long term health benefits can we achieve by paying attention to what’s on our plate? What environmental progress can we make through our food and agriculture choices? Staying abreast of Food and Ag news is vital to understanding the most basic way we interact with the planet – our diet.
In the news this week, a study reveals that Organic Practices can better feed the world. It’s worth considering how the upcoming election will affect our future food policies. Find out what’s behind the slender young asparagus on your plate. Finally, as New England states clamor to make a GMO labeling coalition, emerging GM technologies are lauded as possible weapons of mass destruction!
How’s that for a plateful of mindful reading?
Organic
“Organic farming could provide ample food for the whole human population, while causing less pollution and fewer health problems than conventional agriculture, according to a team of American scientists.”. (Reported by Romain Loury and translated by Samuel White for EurActiv) http://bit.ly/20MiOVf
Food Politics
“10 Food Policy Questions We Want Answered From the 2016 Presidential Candidates” (Food Tank) http://bit.ly/1nZHfNl
True Cost of Food
“The Surprisingly Big Carbon Shadow Cast by Slender Asparagus” by Tamar Haspel: “…conscientious eaters are looking at the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with all sorts of food production, and scientists are coming up with a few big carbon footprints that might surprise you.” (National Geographic) http://bit.ly/1ShkEZm
GMO’s
“GMO labeling gets another look in two New England states”: Rhode Island and New Hampshire are both considering bills (Food Safety News) http://bit.ly/1KGeAY3. Visit http://bit.ly/1ShsyC4 for more information on the RI bill (RT News).
Emerging Technologies
“Top U.S. intelligence official calls gene editing a WMD threat” by Antonio Regalado (MIT Technology Review) http://bit.ly/1o4bqnd
I really enjoy reading your blog posts Melody. You are so well informed and such a flair for writing. Today’s blog spoke right to me; I am a huge believer that the food we eat manifests itself in our bodies mentally, emotionally, and physically. Today’s lunch consisted of an Amy’s GMO free black bean and tomato burrito. I chased it with organic apple juice with a shot of organic apple cider vinegar. As soon as I took a sip of my beverage I could feel the ‘filters’ in my system releasing clogged mucus membranes like I had relieved my body of a form of blockage.The more healthy I eat, the more healthy I have to eat. My body rejects the poisons found in most foods these days so my diet is very limited. I attended a Farm to Fork event and noticed how most of the attendees were jubilant, vivacious and friendly. I attribute that to the organic atmosphere and the general higher compassion levels of those who have opted to move away from foods containing poisonous ingredients like glyphosate.
I started my Organic procedures on my Vermont Dairy Farm in 1950. I used herbicide 24-D in 1949 as the greatest new method to control weeds. It was the only year and never again. The application was not what I called successful. I found it to be a growth hormone that grew the plants so fast they wilted. There was much that ended up in the soil. I asked my agronomist what did it do in the soil invisible. His answer it dissipates in six weeks. I asked how do you know and he did not. It is now called glyphosate. It has moved up the food chain to human blood and to mothers breast milk. Babies and small children are establishing there natural hormones and unnatural hormones can be a big problem. In 10 years 50% of the children are to have autism. What a tragedy if not stopped now.
I won many awards over herbicide users in the Vermont Farm show with no weeds in my hay samples. I received 99.7 and 99.5 points out of 100 three years starting in 1958. The fourth year it was not judged as I was accused of removing the weeds and drying it in the oven. I wrote a book “Learned by the Fencepost” with the certificates and many pictures of my Organic success starting in 1950 to 2011 when my book was published. This is just one example of the way Farming can be done without poisonous chemical fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides.
Not enough to mess up hormones and now Monsanto has manipulated the plant genes without a clue as to the problem what the long run will be. I believe that the Master (God) has the experience over several millions of years as the fertile soil was built up for humanity. Man can not do better in 80 years but have ruined it causing many problems in the atmosphere and water ways. I have been asked if I am a Master Gardener. My answer is no I garden with the Master. I know I am not the only one doing Organic and do not know all the answers. I am probably the oldest at 87 but still learning and sharing what I know. It is the way we can save our soil is sharing knowledge. I just mentioned one small area of what I have learned with out the advise of the chemical companies that are only interested in their bottom line and not the health of mankind.
Thank you for your comment and for your commitment to organic agriculture!
We must raise everyone’s awareness that the food we eat is directly related to our health and well-being. As well as the health of the planet.
Thank you for reading my blog and for your comments!
Melody,
I had another pillow thought about all the problems with global warming and the big trouble in the future. The Paris meeting was all about it, The politicans are talking about it in this election cycle. Many billions of dollars going to it. What my logic tells me and common sense is that all are looking at the wrong cause. They may be protecting the big chemical companies that are really the cause. There are farm chemical fertilizer salesmen that are billionaire.
I get my nitrogen from the 78% in the atmosphere that is closest to the ground. With the 10% organic matter at a good 12 inches or better in depth and a porous none packed soil I trap it when it rains. The oxygen is 20% and also is trapped. Nitrogen for the plants oxygen for the earthworms and microorganisms. Shallow till will let both N and O2 escape back to the atmosphere. My method does not depleted the organic matter and can build it up if managed properly.
There is 100 million tons of synthetic nitrogen spread on the plant every year. It burns up the organic matter (carbon} and releases as CO2 the greenhouse gas we hear so much about. After many years the organic matter is depleted. This was built up over many years for the plants. Logic tells me it also it a good insulation on earth when the sun hits the soil. The heat rays do not bounce back and heat the atmosphere. The chemicals have turned the soil back to dirt. The suns heat can be really felt on bare soil. With all the synthetic nitrogen spread on the earth and still going on at a larger rate year after year will be a big problem. Not a dollar going to this but who knows where the billions goes possibly in the wrong direction. Not for the good of humanity but a few high Government officials and stock holder.
It is a fact that organic agriculture can sequester carbon.