Cost of organic grain

[newguy]

Today we have a 70-100 km. wind. As I look around at the field blowing it pretty much pin points all my organic farming neighbours.. Does the consumer know the true cost of buying organic food? If they took a drive around the country today they may rethink organic food as a enviromental disaster in the making..

[wilagro]

My Dad practiced organic farming in the thirties...some of his land ended up in Saskatchewan and maybe a bit in Manitoba.

[parsley]

Look at it from another point of view:

" Does the consumer know the true cost of buying GM food? If they took a drive around the country today and counted the resistant weeds/plants, they may rethink GM food as a enviromental disaster in the making"

"they may rethink GM food as a health disaster in the making"

"they may rethink GM food as an economic disaster in the making" Pars

[hobbyfrmr]

Just like anything in life, choose your posion. No pun intended.

[bluefargo]

Parsley

Just curious

"resistant weeds/plants". Resistant to what. Herbicides? All plants are resistant to one herbicide or another.

As an organic farmer why would you care?

[parsley]

It is simply an indication of uncontrollability. A symptom of unintended consequences that will pop up more frequently.

How many flora and fauna will be irrevocably changed forever, as we knit, blissfully unaware?

Ragweed in this week's Western Producer is highlighted.

Which plants will be next? How do you like the idea of Roundup Ready genes in your grandchildren's baby food, as ex-employees from Toyota mind the gene bank for one of the Chenmical companies' latest designer seeds, and of course, proclaiming, from their lying teeth, that "Everything is hunkydory, bluefargo, just trust me, I'm your fav expert expert."

Pars

[hobbyfrmr]

Just a couple of thoughts, if organic farming neighbors really upset the area, why dont the good farmers buy him out? Then, all is well again in the neighborhood. This way the land will be farmed properly and it will produce more for less.
My view of grain prices and the games involved on flax and canola, is that nobody really cares about the safety, quality, cleanliness or grade etc. Make it cheap. The world is happy with cheap grain. Low prices are back in style.
The cheaper the grain/food products the easier it is to buy a 46 inch TV, and pay for monthly sattelite. Expensive groceries interferes with getting cool stuff.

[newguy]

I believe our generation needs to leave the dirt better than we started with. Our land has only been farmed for 100 years and has lost huge amounts of organic matter.To be careful how we treat the land is not as important to us as it is to generations to come. And I guess because of farming practices and heathier soil we do produce an abundance of cheap food. But it has made our planet sustainable.

[bluefargo]

Parsley

Frankly, I am not concerned about the presence of the Roundup Ready gene or any other piece of DNA in my or my grandchildren,s food unless it has known harmful health effects. We eat zillions of genes every day.
What I do expect of our regulators is to keep known toxins to acceptable and safe levels in our food.

You mention the glyphosate resistance showing up in Giant Ragweed. That is indeed concerning. It has absolutely nothing to do with genetically modified anything. It has everything to do with the fact that nature will adapt to almost anything we can throw at it.
Personally I think direct seeding is the most environmentally friendly system of modern farming ever. But it does have an Achilles heel - it has a total reliance on cheap glyphosate.I've known for years that glyphosate resistance would show up in something. It was only a matter of time. Giant ragweed not likely to be a problem here but it is a sign of things to come.
We can only hope that our scientists can stay ahead of the situation the same way they did when Treflan resistance showed up.
Human are pretty adaptable too.

[parsley]

Food is the absolute basic.

And NOBODY is wise/eductated/clever enough to trick/conquer/predict nature.

For example, what did the ragweed cross with? Do their changes have a permanebt effect on beetles, for example? The cycle is unknown and unpredictable.

Your grandchildren?

I am a bit interested in gramdchldren these days, as we are looking forward to identical twin boys in June. Not test tube babies either; rather, they are "You're kidding, right?", babies.

I'll pick one tiny example from an unimaginable breadth of human development examples, of which we know little: There will be one hundred billion nerve cells in each of the twins by birth. Quite amazing. There are something called adhesion molecules that are programmed to attract the like cells to the like cells during development, which is a useful way to develop so that you don't have a finger sticking out of your scrotum.

Scientists don't know what the adhesion substance is composed of, but they do know that food is the basic element in development, and the process is ultra fine-tuned and precise. And sensitive. One tiny substance determines whether or not your grandson will be deemed abnormal or normal.

Are abnormalities on the rise or decline, do you think? Autism?

I take it you would willingly grow and feed food who's modification results are unknown, saying, "Pooh, Pooh, We can deal with it later, guys".

You don't mind a little sprinkle of roundup for your grands? So be it. It's your decision.

Just don't contaminate my space. I'm careful about food and what we eat and how it is prepared. Just call it old fashioned. Pars

[parsley]

I'll add this for you to think about:

DNA methalation in the womb: Can activate or deactivate gene growth. The gene is still there, but it is, for some unknown reason, turned off.

The activation and deactivation of genes is not understood. Space in the womb affects development. Hormones affect it. The QUALITY OF NUTRITION affects fetal development.

Don't answer this, bluefargo, but think about it, will you: If you were having a grandchild, anc all things equal, would you PREFER the mother's food was modified or not modified?

There really is no question, is there?, for any of us. Why would anyone take the slightest chance when it comes to growth/development, if a person didn't have to?

I know many people who's children/grands are struggling with developmental issues. Classrooms are filled with special ed. If you have ever observed it, or helped, you would better understand the heartache many have to bear for a lifetime. Why would any expectant mother take medical chances (skip hormonal diabetic checks while pregnant, for example) or food-selection chances?

So far, we've been lucky. And the twins, so far, are healthy, active, and huge, huge, huge! Touch wood.

[charliep]

You refer to GMO and I never sure what you are talking about. My
assumption is transgenics - insertion of a gene from another species.

To the original point, perhaps one of the problem with organics is
adapting agronomic practices to a different world. Organic farmers
perhaps can't use conventional tillage practices (either traditional of
multiple passes or minimum till). Like using a hammer when really what
is needed is screwdriver.

You have talked about research into perennial cereals as alternative in
previous postings. What if the route to this is inserting a gene from a
closely related grass species into wheat?

Perhaps to even make things more interesting, what happens if the way
to perennial wheat is to have a better understanding of gene functions
and science identifies the gene/gene sequence that controls annual
versus perennial expression of wheat and learns how to turn on the
perennial expression (perennial wheat via biotechnology). Would you be
okay with this?

I note that several have suggested that genetic engineering will be old
technology. Understanding genes and their functions will be the future.
Some traits may be contained in genes almost as on off switches. Nature
does this all the time.

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley,

This is a very interesting issue.

Many would say belief and religion are a large component of the actual debate on organic farming.

There were much more dangerous problems like thalidomide and other related treatments that were advised to help humanity.

One would suggest that after a generation and billions of people eating GMO grain... that the proof of a concrete issue is very hard to argue...

BSE is a perfect example of food/feed practices that led to problems and even this could be debated. Growth hormones for beef and milk are another 'religious' issue that has little science to back up claims of damage to humans.

To argue religion... is as close to a futile project; yet many will still try!

Grin <(>;{ Grin!

Good thing we are allowed to think for ourselves... and the thought police don't jail us for this privilege...

YET!

[Burbert]

I don't care about people organic farming. Good for them, if they kin make a go of it. I WORRY more about the chemicals currently being used and GMO's that are pretending to be the silver bullets, to be used by angribusiness. Each to his own though, I guess cause the genie is outta the bottle, now. We gotta live wit it whether we likes it er not! Angribusiness is self-regulatin like a lotta other stuff it seems, okay till problem arise, we depend to much on the industry, butt cheap food is cheap food, no matter what?

[JDGreen]

Pars I am offended at your comments regarding "test tube babies" Surely you are not suggesting that my two beautiful children are less than or freaks because of IVF?? Consider you family fortunate, as not even god almighty could help my wife and I conceive. Science has fulfilled our life with more joy than GM foods will ever cause despair.