Something as farmers we do every day.
It seems we are often justifying why and how we do our jobs. Maybe we can say the same thing for doctors and nurses as well?
When I was pregnant I had an appointment for Baby and spent the last few minutes discussing GMO’s, our family farm, and feeding the world with one of the nurses.
She explained how she has many west coast friends that had a heated debate on Facebook about GMO’s and how farmers are bad because we use pesticides.
These are the moments that farmers should live for. The moment to give just enough information to make a difference, but not confuse.
We plant GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms). We plant GMO’s because we can get more bushels per acre, have a resistance to certain pests, and feed more people. (Really, there are tons of reasons..but I will keep it simple.)
The earth’s population is over 7 billion. The nurse said that her friends insists we should all grow what we need and we shouldn’t support those that grow GMO’s. Her husband’s response to their friend was simple, but so true “How can you explain that to the people that are starving and don’t have the resources to grow their own food?”
How true. As Americans it seems we often times have more than we need. But what about the children and homeless who are starving, not just here in America, but around the world. How do we explain to them that even though we have the resources to grow more, we shouldn’t?
Last week a friend of mine on Facebook posted about how she was watching Food, Inc. and her response was “Wow!”. I immediately seized the moment and spend the next hour addressing some of the misconceptions of the movie and urged her to please do research on both sides before she made her decision to jump on the Food, Inc bandwagon.
Do I know all the answers to agriculture topics? No way! But, what I have come to find out is that people appreciate a few things when I do talk to them about farming…
1) My passion for my family and our family farm
2) My honesty and credibility- if I don’t know the answer I direct them to someone who can get them one.
What are your thoughts on the ongoing conversation of GMO’s, pesticide usage, and growing your own foods?
Lauren Borquez says
Hi! I’m a new follower from Kelly’s Korner. Feel free to follow me as well ๐
http://www.BeingBorquez.blogspot.com
SDFarmWife says
Great blog! Thanks for following!
Anonymous says
Interesting blog, thanks Morgan. Questions! : ) So what kinds of GM foods do you produce? I personally am adamantly against them as I see it as a threat to my health and a threat to the natural evolution of food. I would much rather grow my own food, not buy from big farms because it’s so hard to know what they do. The producers of Food Inc. asked to speak with many Farmers about their practices and get their take on things but many refused, I ask myself why? What’s to hide? It seems like it is a rare thing indeed to buy anything ‘organic’ or not affiliated with Monsanto, or suppliers who use pesticides, hormones or antibiotics that I believe in fact are not primarily used to treat illnesses in our animals but to plump them up, help make a bigger, more attractive ‘product’. Just my thoughts on that. What do you think Food Inc. has misrepresented? I am the kind of person who doesn’t just buy something blindly. I want to know exactly where and how my food was produced and thankfully Moroccan farmers and I have this candid conversation about the food I buy from them. I know that’s not completely possible for all people but a girl can dream eh?
SDFarmWife says
So sorry I am just now getting back to you. Adjusting to life with my little one has it’s ups and downs and then I had to have my gall bladder removed right after I saw you made this comment..So sorry about that!
Anywho..
Most of the seed that we use is genetically modified. I definitely see your concern. Thinking of GM can be scary, but understanding it can definitely help lesson some of that concern I always say. We use GM because we are trying to grow on a very large scale, on a lot less land. As the world population continues to increase we worry about being able to feed that many mouths. GM allows us to do that.
Food, Inc. has very many misconceptions. I could really have a whole reply on that. If you want to go into deeper on them email me- MorganKontz@gmail.com. And check out this website too, great resource and might give you a different perspective. http://www.safefoodinc.org
But, I will say this…Farmers have been scared in the past to talk to talk about their farms and open up about their practices because it seems that many times when we do a lot of things are misconstrued, but that is changing. Many farmers are using their voices and allowing tours on their farms to help consumers understand a little bit more about where their food comes from.
I can tell you for sure we do not feed antibiotics on a large scale to “plump” animals up, we give antibiotics when animals are sick, and that’s it. But also, when antibiotics are used there is also a time frame that the drug has to be out of it’s system before the animal is allowed into the food chain. This is something we also abide by on our farm. And most farmers I know do not feed antibiotics in large quantities- unsafe but also very pricey for farmers.
I think it is super amazing that you take the initiative to know where your food comes from. I believe every person should, you have the right to ask questions and want to know more. Keep asking and finding the answers, and I think your dream can become more and more of a reality as you do more research! ๐
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed answering your comment!
suze says
Hi! I just found your blog as I was scouring for ag-related content for my job. I’m curious about your opinion on how systemic pesticides may be contributing to honeybee loss and colony collapse disorder. I watched “Vanishing of the Bees” this weekend, and activists against pesticides cited that the use of certain pesticides in monoculture crops may be causing CCD.
It sounds like your farm may be a little more diverse than some large commercial ones, which is a great thing! I don’t always buy organic, more often opting to buy local and support the local economy. I get irritated when people think automatically that organic = healthier when they should really be thinking about sustainability and lessening overall environmental impact. A great farm may be responsibly protecting the environment but can’t get organic certification from the USDA if it treats its animals with antibiotics when they’re sick.
Thanks for the post!
SDFarmWife says
Hi suze! To be honest, I don’t know a whole lot about the the Vanishing of The Bees…however, it is on my list of things to learn more about .. simple because as I hear more and more about it, I get more and more fascinated. Once I do a bit more research I may feel a little more confident answering your questions!
I agree with you, organic doesn’t equal healthier. It’s a choice we all make as consumers! Thanks so much for reading! And once I do a bit more research on bees I will track you down! ๐