Flax 2

[Fransisco]

"Because alterations are slipped into the food we eat without our knowledge."

I was wondering how long it was going to take before we'd see a conspiracy theory argument. The evil corporations are secretly slipping things into our food in order to create the ape,cricket,giraffe cross that will be difficult for parsley to get into her apartment.

This certainly is one of the more pressing moral issues of our time. LOL

[parsley]

fran, I thought you'd enjoy a little verbal treat when you were sweating it out on the combine. Hope it went well.

But, I must admit, even I was surprised by the list of novel food that has been approved in Canada:
<p></p><p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><p></p><p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><a href=" http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/appro/index-eng.php ">("Damn it! Eat your government approved novel food, kids, or no dessert!")</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></strong></p>

[parsley]

I didn't know I was eating all this. Did you? Be honest.

[FarmRanger]

Parsley,
Exerpt from the Safety Assessment of Potatoes Resistant
to the Colorado Potato Beetle from the website you linked to:

"One gene produces a protein derived fromBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) subspeciestenebrionis which provides the protection

from CPB to these potato plants. The Bt family of insecticidal proteins are naturally occurring proteins which are included as the active insecticidal agent in certain commercial pest control products. These have been used safely for more than 30 years to control insect pests by home gardeners, organic growers and other farmers.

A second gene produces an enzyme, a biological marker, that allows researchers to identify the modified plants."

Does that really sound all that bad?
Why the paranoia with GMOs?

[parsley]

I know that the following video addresses Bt, click on vimeo, and you only have to go a short way into it to catch the Bt comments:

<p></p>
<p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><a href="http://www.seedsofdeception.com/GMFree/MediaCenter/VideoandAudioInterviews/EverythingAboutGMOsVideo/index.cfm">(Jeffrey M. Smith)</a></strong></p>

This is a long video, and I havent watched it all, but plan to. You can U-tube him for other videos, which I have not watched. I've spent most time reading court cases, where GM testing evidence has been submitted by the modifiers, and it's heavy going.

farmranger, maybe I'll have to think about the "paranoia" adjective you've pinned on me for a day or two, about wanting to source and eat natural food, which is, for many, impractical and behind the times. A lot of families don't even sit down together for meals, anymore.

I don't belong to Greenpeace, and never have, and haven't burned a ship or my bra.

I'm usually not on a hardcore rant, but the Triffid-spill ticked me off.

There's a tone out there that dismisses food, that farmers are there merely to supply a cheap commodity for the EU, for the trade, for important things like deckchair backing, and the less questions asked the better, and the farmers role and say and influence is expected to end when the truck empties, that it is none of your business when your grain or even, get this, your information is put at risk, either

I have to admit I love to eat. There are things out there going on with food that I don't like. And the more I read, the less I like it. A doctor friend brought southeast Saskatchewan cancer trends to my attention years ago, to my then "wait and see" eyes.

But, farmranger, I also realize there is nothing worse than enduring a pissy parsley moment. lol Friends, like fran,lol, take it in stride, and accept me for what I think, just as my antagonists like rockpile did, with my ranting over the CWB issue. lol

I say spend money on two things...a comfortable bed and good food. You spend eight hours every day in one, and eat the other three times every day. For the rest of your life.

Ask questions about your food. Pars

[parsley]

checking,

Moose know the difference between GM grain and natural grain if you listened to the video. lol Pars

[checking]

Was that a nimbus 2000 I saw in the sky today, or a newer model? (lol) I'd watch the video, but unless it has closed caption I'd likely not follow. Maybe even with the audio. Is it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words? If you'd send me just the moths from that cash pile you've harvested I'd be happy to replace this clunker. More (lol) Anyway, I do realize (in poor Burbert knees) that it was a moose steak to comment on the hidden dangers of eating wild game, your fish included.

[FarmRanger]

Parsley,
I apologize for the "paranoia" label and am not trying to hang it on you. In your case it would be a small "p" and not a capital "P". ;-) I certainly didn't mean to imply that you have some kind of mental disorder. I've come to appreciate your comments on Agriville over the years, and respect your opinions.

In my opinion, there are those who try to capitalize on people's fears and use GMOs as some kind of bogey man. They make money traveling around trying to convince people to support them in what I consider to be an exaggerated threat at best, and a malicious exploitation of people's paranoia at worst. I’ve had people tell me absolutely ridiculous things about what harm is done to fields where GMOs are grown, that they’ve heard from some “guru” that they’ve heard .

I've grown GMO canola for more than a decade now, and don't care to go back to spraying the harsher more poisonous pesticides that we formerly used before that technology was available. In combination with no-till technology our soil has become much healthier in that time as well. Organic matter and tilth have increased substantially, soil organisms are far more abundant due to not having the periodic cultivator devastation crashing through their home anymore. The crop we use in rotation (Non-GMO)are also healthier and more productive than ever before. I know that when I retire, the soil on this farm will be healthier, more productive, and generally in far better shape than when I started farming.

I’m not saying that every technology that we could ever use in agriculture would be always be good and/or sustainable, but broad sweeping statements that all GMO technology is always bad is irresponsible at best.

[parsley]

[parsley]

I don't feel too easily frightened, farmranger. lol And I don't want to bury my head in the sand either. Do u? Humor me and watch a bit of the video.

Good to eye market trends in other countries too. EU is going greener, whether or not Canada agrees. Obama election-pledged GM labelling. Germany is moving towards organic milk:"GM-free" claim boosts Campina's LANDLIEBE sales by 7.7 percent"


"Since October 2008, the Ohne Gentechnik“ seal offers information to consumers on all fresh milk and UHT milk cartons on the GMO-free status of Landliebe products. This was made possible by a feeding initiative on Landliebe farms that is probably unprecedented: For instance, cows are given primarily feed that has always been cultivated in Germany and therefore can do quite well without genetic engineering, such as grass, ****seed or lupines. At the same time, the concepts does entirely without feed imports from overseas and therefore also without genetically modified soy."

I was in Germany in July. (I loved it). We don't want to cut ourselves out of EU feed markets next, after flax, do we? Pars

[charliep]

What is your definition of genetically modified organism? As gene mapping unlocks the secrets
of organisms and allows new technologies for plant breeding (perhaps animal as well), things
are going to get very gray in determining rules. The closer the world can come to determining
international standards that can verify a technology as safe the better so issues like triffid come
up less often. Hopefully, this would remove some of the expense and risk associated with
moving a new technology forward thereby allowing universities/smaller companies to
participate. Today, it is only the big companies with lots of money and willingness to move
through the regulatory systems.

Here is a definition of GMO.
A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an
organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These
techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different
sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then
transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset
of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. Some
GMOs contain no DNA from other species and are therefore not transgenic but cisgenic.

[URL="http://www.answers.com/topic/genetically-modified-organism"]gmo definition[/URL]

[parsley]

Female. Friend. 36. Rare lesions continuously growing on her lungs. Reoccuring conjestion. Repeatedly hospitalized over past ten years ..released after a spell on oxygen. Good looking. Came yesterday for a visit.

[parsley]

Male. 47. Lontime acquaintance. Professional hockey player. MS. Came last week for organic flax.

[charliep]

As point of clarification, the EU doesn't buy feed grains except from perhaps eastern Europe. They are self sufficient and in fact a competitor in export markets. Exceptions are high quality CWRS and CWAD. Was surprised myself but Europe doesn't buy US corn (some south american and eastern European). Lots of soybeans and soymeal, however (mainly south america but significant amounts US). Only buys barley from eastern europe.

[parsley]

28. Male. Red Deer. Oil fields. Out of the blue....Severe Crones disease. Colostomy. Last week, endured the week from Hell.

A typical week..., four people I know very well, all under-fifty, exhibit health problems they should not have.

I could substiute different names every week. It's an epidemic.

I am not blaming food as the cause. Or environment. Or lifestyle. Or heredity.

But food is something I am interested in. And all of them have found specific food helps them.

And I want to try, as a farmer, to the best of my ability, which I agree is neither professional nor particularly informed, to learn more about the food we are eating.

And charliep, definitions are very very important. Could you start a new thread and post only one at a time? Pars