Monsanto just wants to help poor people gain access to food, and all opponents to the GMO-infused crops are merely elitists. No, I have not been drinking while writing, nor do I think the statement is the least bit accurate; yet the sentiment is exactly what Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant wants the American people to believe. The mega-biotech company is apparently trying to turn the negative press coverage about their pesticide resistant crops into a new direction. During an interview with Bloomberg News, Hugh Grant states that those who loathe GMOs are simply not at
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America’s food supply is in danger, and not just from Monsanto and GMO crops. The declining number of farmers in the United States has paved the way for more imports of consumables from China. A recent congressional hearing about the increasing amount of food being shipped from China revealed that only 2 percent of such products actually undergo safety testing. Although there was rare bi-partisan support over the potential health risks posed by the lax oversight, the only action the governing body took was to plan another meeting on the matter later this year. Between
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There’s a lot of talk in gardening circles these days about the value of using heirlooms and saving their seed. Hybrids have fallen out of favor with many gardeners who favor older, often tastier, varieties. But do hybrids belong in the same category as GMOs? Do hybrids pose a safety risk, and just what are the differences between the two? Read on for everything you need to know about hybrids and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). What Are Hybrids? The process of hybridization occurs continually in nature as open-pollinated plants pollinate each other. Over years and
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Today, May 6th, 2013, the European Commission will consider legislation titled the “Plant Reproductive Material Law” which is intended to  give it the power to “classify and regulate all plant life anywhere in Europe,” according to the Wales-based, DEFRA-registered seed supplier, The Real Seed Catalogue, a UK non-profit company dedicated to the needs of home gardeners. According to Open-Seeds.org, “If passed [this law] would mean no seed can be sold, or potentially even given for free, to anyone anywhere in the EU unless it is registered on the EU Plant List as an ‘approved’ variety.
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Starting Seeds Indoors If you’re like most people who live in a place that has winter, you are probably itching to get outside. Cabin fever tends to set in by January, although for the tougher amongst us, maybe not until February. While you can certainly spend time outdoors in the winter, the cold temperatures, gray skies, and lack of green can leave you feeling glum and even depressed. One way to beat the winter blues is by working on your garden. If you are living the off-the-grid lifestyle, you undoubtedly keep a vegetable garden. Growing
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With all the economic uncertainty in the world, people are turning to traditional items of value again.  Precious metals prices are hitting record highs, but they are not the only traditional store of value that is gaining ground.  Another group of commodities – seeds – are returning to their historical place as treasures to be
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If you’re looking for a resource book to add to your paper library, then Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth is well worth the price. With over 150 vegetables listed, Seed to Seed gives you not only the information you need to harvest the seed from your
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