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Double speak by the media is distorting the very identity of “farmer” for the average American. In fact, most of our food production – the food chain we’ve become so dependent on and can’t do without – is controlled by only a half dozen “chemical corporations.” What is a farmer? A farmer is NOT a global chemical corporation! 
US industrial agriculture has turned the Central Valley of California from a natural paradise of biodiversity into a desert waste land. It’s sad for everyone. The Valley was one of Americas most beautiful places; today it has become a demonstration of the worst agricultural practice in the US over time and a standing model of bad public food policy. 
It’s very strange to hear the FDA and food safety people talking about outlawing manure on organic farms. I grew up on an organic farm where I rolled around with my dog on the manure pile (well composted, of course) and, you know, my brother and I were the healthiest kids in school. It may turn out that all this manure may actually be worth a lot of money! 
This is an important presentation I think most for its honesty. And because it is being delivered by an authentic Iowa farmer, not some fabrication on contract hauled out to speak the corporate line because of the special interest of the parties involved. 
This is my last word on the Initiative 522 GMO labeling failure in Washington State; it is time to move on. It’s always easy to criticize a campaign after it is over but with the Washington GMO Labeling Initiative 522, three serious weaknesses stand out that I believe kept us from winning our very just cause and that is too bad. 
Yes, we need GMO education but we need it now most strongly at the grass roots level in the home and in our local communities. Major money-driven top-down movements forget that – with food – people speak most directly from their eating habits and culture. We have a real problem now in Washington state; especially close to cities where bankers and real estate hacks are turning protected farm easements into horse ranches for the wealthy. There is nothing strong to protect valuable farm soils in critical service areas, to insure that the resource will be used to grow good food for local markets. 
We keep saying this but, of course, the “big boys” don’t want to hear it: the wake-up call is being sounded! In fact, Big Food and Big Ag (Monsanto, et al) are covering their ears. La, la, la – no one wants to listen! And why? That’s the way our economic system operates – “big” is rewarded. But only at a rapidly increasing social and environmental cost. 
It’s clear we are now having a serious problem identifying honest players among aid givers in the 3rd World. Africa is a prime example. So how do we differentiate; how do we separate the honest helpers from the “carpetbaggers?” The trouble is, industrializing nations like China and India, and already industrialized nations like the US and Russia are going full out after the last big reservoir of remaining resources and indigenous peoples already made poor by exploitation (the Green Revolution, etc.) have no defense. How far exactly are our colleges and universities able to embrace our current food/health crisis? Or should we teach the science of food at all? Of course we should. People should indeed know where their food comes from but college may not be the only place to learn. |
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