#### Monsanto

[Sawyer Rob]

Rogue Oregon Wheat Inflames Foes of Gene-Altered Crops - Bloomberg

SR

 

[forestryworks]

Oh and BTW...humans do eat hay...we eat the cows that eat the hay, same thing in my book.

Yes, but only to an extent.

You do realize that a very small amount of the beef produced in the US is grass fed? Corn fed junk beef controls the market. And even if cattle are grass fed, but then grain finished, that just defeats the whole point.

100% grass fed bison for me.

“The human gluttony gene, bolstered by the very real images of starving Africans, pushes us to grow tons more food than the world economic system can absorb or deliver. Federal farm policy, out of fear of hunger and of the farm lobby, continues to encourage overproduction through subsidies and support programs. The significant irony is that the scientific term for the stuff that is killing the Gulf of Mexico is “nutrients”—fertilizer that feeds the growth of microorganisms in water, whose dead bodies poison the ocean downriver. And it is the overproduction of food, the staff of life, that actually threatens the life and health of our planet.” — George B. Pyle

You are quoting George B. Pyle??...SMH....really?

There's no arguing with that quote.

 

[Marco]

Some crap they are allowed to print

Toni Nagy: What Every Parent Should Know About Monsanto
Apparently she hasn't heard that half of agent orange was severlly restricted since 1970 and banned in the mid 80's and that's only because they overcooked the 2,4,5T.
God Damn, since rodent chunks contain peanuts, peanuts must be rat poison.

 

[farmer steve]

Toni Nagy: What Every Parent Should Know About Monsanto
Apparently she hasn't heard that half of agent orange was severlly restricted since 1970 and banned in the mid 80's and that's only because they overcooked the 2,4,5T.
God Damn, since rodent chunks contain peanuts, peanuts must be rat poison.

hey it's on the internet,it must be true

 

[bucknfeller]

Yes, but only to an extent.

You do realize that a very small amount of the beef produced in the US is grass fed? Corn fed junk beef controls the market. And even if cattle are grass fed, but then grain finished, that just defeats the whole point.

100% grass fed bison for me.

What do you think those "grass fed" beef eat in the winter time? I'm sure in someones imagination there are lush green pastures all winter long There's a guy not far from me who has a good "grass fed beef" scam going on, I've seen the sprayers out in his hay fields on numerous occasions.

In my opinion, if a beef isn't penned up and finished out on grain for the last 30-45 days, it isn't fit to eat.

 

[Dalmatian90]

There's a guy not far from me who has a good "grass fed beef" scam going on, I've seen the sprayers out in his hay fields on numerous occasions.

In my opinion, if a beef isn't penned up and finished out on grain for the last 30-45 days, it isn't fit to eat.

First, I have no fracking clue how spraying hayfields somehow makes grass fed a scam.

Second, some of the best beef I've eaten is grass fed, supplemented with silage in winter. Raised a mile as the crow flies from me. Herd has been managed for decades with a mix of Hereford & Charolais blood.

 

[bucknfeller]

First, I have no fracking clue how spraying hayfields somehow makes grass fed a scam.

Second, some of the best beef I've eaten is grass fed, supplemented with silage in winter. Raised a mile as the crow flies from me. Herd has been managed for decades with a mix of Hereford & Charolais blood.

First, I just find it amusing that the yuppies around here think they're eating something so natural, and wholesome, when in reality, those "grass fed" herds are ingesting all those chemicals that are sprayed directly on the hay they're eating.

Second, if they're eating silage, than they can not be sold as grass fed. Silage corn has been genetically modified for many years to produce more fodder than other varieties. And for me, the only thing worse than tasting wild onion in a beef that hasn't been properly finished out, is having one that wasn't taken off the silage prior to slaughter, leaving that sour residual in the meat.

I just find the whole thing laughable, sorry some of you fail to see the humor.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I just find the whole thing laughable, sorry some of you fail to see the humor.

Because it seems to some of us that you're laughing to a comedian who only exists in your mind.

It would take a particularly poor farmer to slaughter animals just off silage...because why the #### did you feed them all winter long?

Never said it was sold as grass fed -- they don't. But they have been out munching meerily away at pasture all spring, summer, and fall up until slaughter without the grain finishing you believe is necessary.

Nor are people going for grass fed necessarily looking to avoid any chemicals. I do have organic options in my area, I don't usually purchase from them (other then my milk which happens to be organic but that's not the controlling part of my decision to buy raw) -- mostly I purchase from more conventional local farmers.

And their animals, even without the organic stamp, eat a diet far more natural for them and do so in a way that is better for the environment ,both locally and globally, and the local economy than any feedlot beef or confined pork is.

 

[bucknfeller]

One of the most inhumane things I've ever seen was an organic dairy. Cows that would normally be treated with antibiotics, and be healthy again in a few days are left in "sick pens" to suffer it out, some of them make it, some of them don't. Sometimes they are sold to other farmers where they can be properly medicated and nursed back to health.

Some of the same whacko's that are out preaching about animal rights, are the ones buying "organic milk". You probably fail to see the humor, or the irony there as well.

The whole "organic" fad is just a joke in my opinion. I've seen so many farmers who tried to go organic, either go tits up, or switch back to conventional methods after they find out it just isn't practical. I've seen 220 bushels/acre of conventional corn right across the lane, on the same farm as 17 bushels/acre of trashy organic corn

If all farmers went organic, the world would starve to death in short order.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

On of the most inhumane things I've ever seen was an organic dairy. Cows that would normally be treated with antibiotics, and be healthy again in a few days are left in "sick pens" to suffer it out, some of them make it, some of them don't. Sometimes they are sold to other farmers where they can be properly medicated and nursed back to health.

Some of the same whacko's that are out preaching about animal rights, are the ones buying "organic milk". You probably fail to see the humor, or the irony there as well.

The whole "organic" fad is just a joke in my opinion. I've seen so many farmers who tried to go organic, either go tits up, or switch back to conventional methods after they find out it just isn't practical. I've seen 220 bushels/acre of conventional corn right across the lane, on the same farm as 17 bushels/acre of trashy organic corn

If all farmers went organic, the world would starve to death in short order.

I'm with you on that.

We tried to fill an order for organic tomatoes a few years back and the stink bugs destroyed 60-70% of the tomatoes that could have easily been saved with a dose of Malathion. But since no one wants to eat tomatoes with yellow stink bug punctures, we lost the contract and the money invested. Had consumers been willing to pay the premium for the loss we incurred, that would have been ok with us. No such luck.

Ordinary consumers have been so far removed from food production that its almost laughable when a "city-slicker" can't tell a bull from a cow at our place. We run a pick-your-own veg stand and it never ceases to amaze me on what people say sometimes.

I pointed a few people down to the row of onions the other day and they came back and said they couldn't find them. I went back over to the row and had to show them that the onions, being a root, are UNDER the ground. But they sure were adamant that I provide proof they were organically grown.

Yes sir they are... I added 3 loader buckets of cow manure right before planting them.

Cow manure??? You mean I put my hands in that and you expect people to eat something growing in cow manure???? I'm calling the health dept and having you shut down...

True story....

 

[bucknfeller]

I'm with you on that.

We tried to fill an order for organic tomatoes a few years back and the stink bugs destroyed 60-70% of the tomatoes that could have easily been saved with a dose of Malathion. But since no one wants to eat tomatoes with yellow stink bug punctures, we lost the contract and the money invested. Had consumers been willing to pay the premium for the loss we incurred, that would have been ok with us. No such luck.

Ordinary consumers have been so far removed from food production that its almost laughable when a "city-slicker" can't tell a bull from a cow at our place. We run a pick-your-own veg stand and it never ceases to amaze me on what people say sometimes.

I pointed a few people down to the row of onions the other day and they came back and said they couldn't find them. I went back over to the row and had to show them that the onions, being a root, are UNDER the ground. But they sure were adamant that I provide proof they were organically grown.

Yes sir they are... I added 3 loader buckets of cow manure right before planting them.

Cow manure??? You mean I put my hands in that and you expect people to eat something growing in cow manure???? I'm calling the health dept and having you shut down...

True story....

I hear ya buddy. My father, and stepmother own and manage a pretty good sized farm market. I hear all kinds of crap like that. The world is full of stupid people.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Just because something is organic doesn't make it safe.

You can get Listeria from cantaloupes and it can be life threating if they are grown on improperly aged manure. Listeria gets in the netting of the melon and is pushed through it when a knife cuts into it.

Same goes for greens like spinach and lettuce.

I've never heard of anyone dying eating a cantaloupe grown on 13-13-13...lol

 

[bucknfeller]

Speaking of lopes, now the FDA, and Dept. of Ag. are pushing for all the growers to start bleaching their lopes prior to sale. The equipment needed to do so costs around $40,000. That has stopped a lot of the local growers here. One of the guys I know, is a great farmer, he grew the best cantaloupes I've ever eaten, they were like candy. He said he just couldn't justify spending that kind of money to get set up, so he quit growing them all together. Now he just grows watermelons.

Now at first glance, this plan might seem like it is a good thing, and our government is trying to help insure food safety for all. But if you really read into it, you will see that it is the California growers who are pushing heavily for this. That is because they wish to dominate the market, and push out all of the little local growers. Same reason they flooded the east coast with low cost Strawberries for several years, that was to drive the market down so low, that the farmers around here couldn't afford to grow them. So they took out their berry patches, and went on to other crops. Now, that they have the market tied up, they just keep pushing up the prices again.

So while some of these food safety laws may appear to be for the good of the people, you can bet your ass if you research it a little, it all comes down to dollar signs.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Speaking of lopes, now the FDA, and Dept. of Ag. are pushing for all the growers to start bleaching their lopes prior to sale. The equipment needed to do so costs around $40,000. That has stopped a lot of the local growers here. One of the guys I know, is a great farmer, he grew the best cantaloupes I've ever eaten, they were like candy. He said he just couldn't justify spending that kind of money to get set up, so he quit growing them all together. Now he just grows watermelons.

Now at first glance, this plan might seem like it is a good thing, and our government is trying to help insure food safety for all. But if you really read into it, you will see that it is the California growers who are pushing heavily for this. That is because they wish to dominate the market, and push out all of the little local growers. Same reason they flooded the east coast with low cost Strawberries for several years, that was to drive the market down so low, that the farmers around here couldn't afford to grow them. So they took out their berry patches, and went on to other crops. Now, that they have the market tied up, they just keep pushing up the prices again.

So while some of these food safety laws may appear to be for the good of the people, you can bet your ass if you research it a little, it all comes down to dollar signs.

We never grew them very much other than a row or two. Even before those bleaching machines cantaloupes were a low margin crop to begin with. We have perfect conditions at our place to grow them: sandy loam soil, lots of heat and humidity and low pest pressure, but for the space and time you could have planted something else and made more money. Especially since the whole Listeria scare of 2011 and 2012. Being as close as I am to Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley, fresh produce is a dime a dozen especially watermelons, peppers and cantaloupes. I stay away from those crops from a commercial standpoint because even during bumper crop years you can barely squeak out a profit. Tomatoes, Sweet corn, pumpkins, lettuce, are my best sellers. We sell to walk-ups but mostly restaurants are our biggest buyers. They have an insatiable demand for salad products. For example, I sold over 20 tons of Romaine Lettuce this spring to just 5 restaurants.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Can We Trust Monsanto with Our Food?: Scientific American


Exactly..

 

[blades]

Monsanto's litagation practices are where the rub is, not particularly their products although they are quite pricy by some standards.They have a habit of suing a small farmer due to cross pollination (due to mother nature's fickle winds). This bullying using the courts systems is where most of the objections arise.

I got sued by another co many years back, they said I copied there product. Hell I didn't even know they had that particular item. For that matter that they even existed. As we had been making our own for 60 years and selling it. ( real big business here maybe 50 pieces a year at $7.00 per each) LSS just stopped offering it not worth a court case, even though my Co. is twice the age of theirs, so who copied who. ( my co. started in 1932) Point is cost of litigation just to prove who is right is beyond the ability of many small operations. This is what Monsanto banks on in there effort to control the world seed supply. A single supplier is not a good thing in any area. I have yet to see the Govt. clamp down on their practices even though the govt has done so in the past in similar conditions in other markets.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Monsanto's litagation practices are where the rub is, not particularly their products although they are quite pricy by some standards.They have a habit of suing a small farmer due to cross pollination (due to mother nature's fickle winds). This bullying using the courts systems is where most of the objections arise.

I got sued by another co many years back, they said I copied there product. Hell I didn't even know they had that particular item. For that matter that they even existed. As we had been making our own for 60 years and selling it. ( real big business here maybe 50 pieces a year at $7.00 per each) LSS just stopped offering it not worth a court case, even though my Co. is twice the age of theirs, so who copied who. ( my co. started in 1932) Point is cost of litigation just to prove who is right is beyond the ability of many small operations. This is what Monsanto banks on in there effort to control the world seed supply. A single supplier is not a good thing in any area. I have yet to see the Govt. clamp down on their practices even though the govt has done so in the past in similar conditions in other markets.

Monsanto doesn't go around suing people for pollen blowing in the wind. That's just a myth, and besides I don't know of many REAL farmers who save that year's seed to plant next year's crop, especially corn seeds. No farmer worth his salt, anyway. You lose a lot of the F1 hybrid traits of the variety by doing that.

They did sue one guy because he went down to the grain elevator, bought some seeds off the mill, and planted them KNOWING FULL WELL that he was taking advantage of the Roundup Ready technology without paying for it. These traits are OWNED by the parent company, just like you can't use musician's songs, a writer's words, or an artist's work without due compensation. I would have sued the pants off that guy also. That's as good as coming into my woodlot and filling your pickup with firewood and driving off to me. Kinda things that get you shot here in Texas.

You and others I am finding out on other blogs also don't seem to be aware that Dupont also sells GMO's. They are labeled as Pioneer seeds. So forget about a single supplier of seeds and world domination of the seed supply. The competition between the two is fierce here in Texas and the price of seed has dropped quite a bit in the last couple years due to that.

 

[blades]

tell me something, the guy "bought the seed from the mill" , how did this not pay whatever? ( that where we got ours, at the co-op feed, seed ,mill)
Is it required to by a seperate lic. from the orginial seed producer now days to plant them?

Do not remember any thing like that back on the farm 25 years ago.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

tell me something, the guy "bought the seed from the mill" , how did this not pay whatever? ( that where we got ours, at the co-op feed, seed ,mill)
Is it required to by a seperate lic. from the orginial seed producer now days to plant them?

Do not remember any thing like that back on the farm 25 years ago.

He literally went down and got a few bags of shelled corn, knowing they came from a RR field and planted them. Then collected enough seed every year to start again. He used the technology and sprayed Roundup over the field to control weeds and did not pay for the technology or get a license from Monsanto. Pure theft.

As anyone like myself who has grown both RR and non-RR corn, I can say that RR is worth every penny @ around $200-250 per bag. You spray at V-5 stage and maybe V-8 stage and that's it. Not a single weed in the field-100% effective. Cost of weed management per acre is about $3 per acre. Mechanical weed control is about $30 per acre last time we did it.

Yes, you have to have a license to buy the seed, see pics below.

View attachment 306023View attachment 306024

 

[blades]

well new to me, ranks right up there with the city charging the property owner a fee for water runoff when it rains or snow melts. ( honest, this is what they are doing here to commercial lots, inaddition to property taxes) guess it would be the same as a lic for a computer program use or in that venue anyway.