Friday, February 28, 2014

March - Ban GMO Seeds!

 I'm sure the serious gardeners among you have started thinking about what you want to do with your garden this year. As GMOs are a very big topic to cover, I have decided to focus on just one element of it. GM seeds. I will probably cover additional elements in following months.


So, what even is GMO?  
GMOs ,or Genetically Modified Organisms, are plants or animals that have had a gene from another organism spliced into their genetic makeup. At this point in time we have cabbage with scorpion venom genes, oranges with pig genes, and corn with bacteria genes. Despite claims that GM crops are drought resistant and fine for your health, there is growing evidence of the exact opposite.  
  

How are GMOs bad for your health?
  1. The health consequences for eating Genetically Modified Organisms are largely unknown do to the lack of unbiased scientific studies. 
  2. Genetically engineered foods have not been proven to be safe, but the few studies conducted don't look so great.  
  3. GM crops require massive amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. So even if GM crops weren't bad for you on their own, all those chemicals have soaked into the plants making it toxic to us!  

Who are the main companies behind GMO? 
  1. Monsanto (Called by some Monsatan) is the biggest offender for promoting and creating GMOs. Their headquarters are located in St. Louis, Missouri. 
  2. Dupont is the second biggest company promoting and creating GMOs. Their headquarters are located in Wilmington, Delaware. 
  3. Syngenta, the third biggest offender, is based out of Basel, Switzerland. 
  4. Bayer, the fourth largest offender for promoting and creating GMOs, is based out of Leverkusen, Germany. 
  5. Dow, the fifth biggest offender, is based out of Midland Michigan. 
These five GMO giants have bought up more than 200 other companies between them. They have pretty much taken over our food supply and we haven't noticed a thing! 


Which seed companies should be avoided? 
This is just a small amount of the many companies that had best be avoided. Taken from https://www.facebook.com/notes/saving-us-all/a-list-of-gmo-and-non-gmo-seed-companies/334086699976625   

GMO SEED COMPANIES
American Seeds
Asgrow
Audubon Workshop
Breck’s Bulbs
Burpee - purchase a portion of their seed from Seminis
Campbell
Cook’s Garden - % of Monsanto Seed
De Ruiter
Dege Garden Center
DeKalb
Diener Seeds
E & R Seed Co.
Earl May Seed
Ferry Morse – Possibly
Fielder's Choice
Flower of the Month Club
Fontanelle
Garden Trends
Gardens Alive
Germania Seed Co.
Gold Country Seed
Hawkeye
Heartland
Heritage Seeds
Holdens
HPS
HPS Seed
Hubner Seed
icorn
Johnnys Selected Seeds - 4% Monsanto seed
Jung Genetics
Kruger Seeds
Lewis Hybrids
Lindenberg Seeds
McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
Mountain Valley Seed
Osborne
Otis S.Twilley Seed Co.
Park Bulbs
Park Seed - % of Monsanto Seed
Park’s Countryside Garden
Peotec
Poloni
R.H. Shumway
Rea Hybrids
Rocky Mountain Seed Co.
Roots and Rhizomes
Rupp
Seeds for the World
Seeds of the World
Seminis Companies
Seymour's Selected Seeds
Snow
Specialty
Spring Hill Nurseries
Stewart
Stokes
Stone Seed
T & T Seeds, Ltd.
The Vermont Bean Seed Company
Tomato Growers Supply
Totally Tomatoes
Trelay
Wayside Gardens
Western Seeds
Willhite Seed Co.

And what seed companies are ok? 
Taken from the same URL as previous list. 
NON-GMO SEED COMPANIES
Abundant Life Seeds
Adaptive seed
All Good Things Organic Seeds
Amishland Seeds
Annie's Heirloom Seeds
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - rareseeds.com
Baker Creek Seed Co.
Berlin Seeds
Blue River Hybrids
Bonnie Plants
Botanical Interests
Bountiful Gardens
Diane's Flower Seeds
Dirt Works
Fedco Seed Co.
Garden City Seeds
Grannys Heirloom Seeds
Harris Seeds
Heirloom Acres Seeds
Heirloom Seeds
Heirlooms Evermore Seeds
High Mowing Organic Seed
High Mowing Seeds
Horizon Herbs
Irish-Eyes
Kitchen Garden Seeds
Lake Valley Seeds
Livingston Seeds
Local Harvest
Mountain Rose Herbs
My Patriot Supply Seed
Native Seeds
Nature's Crossroads
New Hope Seed Company
Ommas Aarden - Heirloom Seed
Organica Seed
Peaceful Valley
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Pinetree
Renee's Garden
Richters Herbs
Sand Hill Preservation Center
Seed Saver's Exchange
Seeds of Change
Seeds Trust
Southern Exposure
Sow True Seed
Sustainable Seed Company
Territorial Seed Company
Tomato Fest
Turtle Tree Seed
Underwood Garden Seeds
Uprising Seeds
Victory Seed Company
White Oak Valley Farms
Wild Garden Seed
Wildseed Farms
Wood Prairie Farm

 And now, your assignments for this month. Once again assess your level and follow the suggestions.
Level One - You had no idea there was such a thing as GMO, and at the moment are in a bit of shock. Here are some ideas for you:
  1.  Watch Mike Adams of Natural News singing Just Say No To GMO 
  2. Don't buy from any seed companies on the bad list. 
  3. Watch GMOs Myths and Truths 
  4. Spend 10 minutes or more a week on Just Label It!    

Level Two - You might have been aware once, but fell asleep. It's time to wake back up! Here are some ideas for you:
  1. Watch Mike Adams of Natural News singing Just Say No To GMO  
  2. Try to buy at least half your seeds or transplants from local, organic farmers. 
  3. Watch GMOs Myths and Truths 
  4. Spend five minutes a day on Just Label it!   

Level Three - Of course you know about GMOs and avoid them the best you can. Here are some ideas for you: 
  1. follow suggestions for previous levels 
  2. Tell the USDA to Stop Dow Chemicals "Agent Orange" Crops!  
  3. Show your support for the GMO labeling in Arizona 
  4. Make a donation to either GMO Free USA, Just Label It!, and/or Center For Food Safety. We have a responsibility to support these organizations, as they are providing us with important truth. If we don't support them who will tell us what's really going on? 

Resources 




   
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