Our goal is to be as self reliant for all our own food as possible too. We need to do more dividing up of our animal pen to make room for cattle so we can raise our own beef again. Only problem we have to buy our hay so we have to be careful since a lot of farmers use heavy doses of pesticides/herbicides on them, not to mention there is now gmo hay too!! I desire to branch out into bee keeping also so our sweetner is grown by us also. But I know it won't be organic as we live near a few cotton fields & they spray chemicals on them(the crop dusters fly right over my house).
Because of the cost of organic food, we eat a semi organic diet & I try very hard to NOT buy foods from other countries, other than Canada. I do 98% of my cooking from scratch which helps on knowing my ingredients. My two remaining children at home haven't really experienced much convienence food cooking from me in their lifetimes.I buy a lot of my cooking staples in bulk from Azure Standard & they disclose where the products come from very well. They try very hard to buy & sell from American Farmers & producers. Even though they are in Oregon & we have to have it delivered here by semi each month. It is well worth it.

Keep up the good work everyone!!

You keep up the good work as well:) You are sowing good seed with your kids and they will teach there kids the value of what you're doing!

Angeles_2008 With utmost respect My body disagrees with everything you have to say about GMO foods. It took me ten years to find out why I felt sick all the time and getting worse every year and I finally had to do my own research. I have RN after my name so I can access the REAL scientific studies. I can truthfully tell you Monsanto stopped their studies in 90 days because of all the negative results they were noting. I am acutely gluten sensitive. The kind that puts me in the Hospital in excruciating pain kind of sensitive. GMO foods cause gluten sensitivity and other symptoms TNTM here. Through a process of elimination I have discovered my enemies ALL GMO FOODS and pesticides/herbicides! While I respect your opinion I gently encourage you to do some more research on GMO foods and their inherent danger to the human body. Monsanto et al, are fighting hard and releasing a lot of false reassurances so be warned. Our Government is loaded with Monsanto people and that is a deliberate move on Monsanto's part. Labeling is very important to people who have sensitivities but they are fighting hard against labeling. Why do you think that is?

Anyone interested in reading more on the USDA, I recommend any of Marion Nestle's books. "What to Eat." is an excellent read. Her web site: www.foodpolitics.com/ is also good.

Watching Food.inc was enough to convince us.

CDfromKY wrote: Actually, I never supported Monsanto, Just pointed out that the study done was rigged from the start to fail. If you got more out of that than intended, you need to check your degree as mine is doing fine and the fact that disinformation is going both ways on that issue because of the money involved. Just like getting organic certification after 3 years of no chemicals but they fail to mention that half lives of the chemicals can persist in toxic form for decades and twice that in lake water. Your sensitivities I can appreciate and eliminating one source of aggravation is important. But, do also note that many illnesses of the body can be directly traced to water (if you'd check the California EPA list for toxic chemical allowances you'll see most water sources will fail if they are in farming areas or major cities).
Also, if you want to blame anyone, blame your congress for allowing the corruption in congress to get as bad as it is.

Ha ha ha!! Same here:)

angelas_2008 wrote:
She changed her diet not her water consumption and got better results. Now just so we are clear are you a supporter of Monsanto or any genetically modified seeds? CD does not seem like she is attacking or blaming anyone here at least. I'm really curious because this site is mostly geared toward growing organically using non-GMO seeds so to come here just to stir the pot is not okay with me.

HFI_Matt wrote:
Evidently, you also read in between line what is not there. No I do not support Monsanto. Also, I would like to point out that since the early 50's issues with gluten sensitivity has increased dramatically according to researchers at Mayo I believe. Long before monsanto and genetic splicing. This is due to the increased use of gluten in many lines of foods for things as simple as texture. That people are predisposed to a situation and the straw that breaks the camel's back is monsanto does not make monsanto the only and singular cause. You people do not understand what can happen with half lives of farming chemicals, increased used of products such as gluten, continued use of preservatives, and the constant, always constant, petroleum chemicals in the environment. But you are quick to jump on studies which are biased from the beginning, or what action groups say. All studies can be twisted to show a desired result by leaving out critical datum. Activists make a living by doing exactly what the big corporation and government do in disseminating part truths and misleading trails.
I made a living cleaning up oil spills and contaminated former and current gas stations. I saw what most people do not and know what the limits are for these chemicals you cannot detect using the equipment employed by most city water utilities. A life time of consumption by the most puritan of people (meaning they do not over indulge in booze or tobacco and such) will still result in strange illnesses and cancers which cannot be explained except that they were genetically predisposed to cancer. They might be less resistant to constant chemical bombardment, but they aren't going to get sick just because they are, there has to be a trigger, be it smog, contaminated water, nano-traces of chemicals in foods, preservatives and coloring or stabilizers. What I am saying is there is always something else that is usually not taken into account for a given situation simply because the FDA says we have no long term data on that because we cannot measure to theoretical limits. An example is young women wearing a overly tight bra for all of their adult life which traps these minute traces of bad chemicals in tissue which cannot deal with accumulated concentrations.

Angela,

I continue to be perplexed by your responses. They do not address my original post in any way.

It is difficult to read and digest your arguments in the form you present them.

I will attempt to summarize your arguments:

1) You believe we are over-reacting to GMO/GE's.

2) Organic foods are a fallacy, because pollutants and other harmful "things" are inescapable and present everywhere.

I and, likely, many other members would be delighted to debate these points with you if you can present them in a cogent, concise and structured manner. You are always welcome to your opinions, but your arguments need to be presented in an understandable manner.

I must say, that I was offended by your reference to "You people..." and "Don't understand..."

First, as a member of this group, you are part of a family, albeit a family that may have differing opinions.

Second, this is a group of intelligent and educated people. Many of us are highly informed/educated on GMO's/GE, organic practices/issues and the environment in general. We may disagree with you, but please don't assume that we "don't understand."