is my garden toxic? 'seeds of deception'...

[MommyHawk]

I'm doing my own garden, started from seed. Amend my own soil with my beautiful compost that I make from kitchen scraps and what not...no bug sprays, no fertilizers. So I'm thinking I have a close to organic garden.

Although I did not use all organic seeds. Most were purchased at the farmer's co-op (Livingston Seed Co., Green Island Seeds, Burpee Seeds)...

This morning I watch a bit from the author of Seeds of Deception and I'm shocked...and scared...

Ok, so I'll look more to make sure I am not feeding my family GMO foods...but now I'm wondering...is my own garden that I love and tend to everyday toxic?

Should I tear it down (probably not, but I don't know) or how can I know for sure that my garden doesn't have GMO stuff in it?

Moreover, how can I tell if stuff that I purchase at the farmer's market not GMO?!... no one around here has organic produce at the farmer's market (not on a regular basis anyway)...

am I going bananas too quickly? or am I right on target with this?

[Talula Fairie]

You're fine. First of all, the average person cannot get GMO seeds. They are marketed to farms. Also, Burpee is not owned by Montesanto, they merely get a *few* of their seeds from Seminis, which Montesanto purchased a few years ago. So yes, there is a weak link between them and the big GMO giant, but they do not sell GMO seeds to the public.

Most of the "avoid the GMO company" stuff is a boycott/environmental issue and not an issue for your garden specifically. It's kind of like the Nestle boycott, very important but doesn't immediately directly effect you.

Here are some more links on the subject:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1037851

http://www.greendaily.com/2009/03/25...-laid-to-rest/

Not sure about your other seeds as far as their Montesanto ties but I am pretty sure they're at the very least not GMO. Next time, if you are super worried, just buy seeds online. Seeds of Change is a good company, but there is a huge list of 'safe' companies to choose from at the top of this forum.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I agree. I think it's important to avoid Monsanto and other big agribusiness companies simply because I don't want to support them and give them my money. However the GMO crops they produce are not marketed to the home grower so your garden is likely safe. If your compost has scraps from conventionally grown veggies then there are probably small traces of pesticides and herbicides in your soil but not enough to worry about.

The only way you might end up with a GMO crop is if you save seeds from conventionally grown veggies from the supermarket. Seeds saved from heirloom veggies from the farmers market should be safe though.

Organically produced seeds are great because their production doesn't add to the pollution problem. There is also some evidence that the plants grown from organic seed will be healthier but the amount of toxin that may be present on a non organic seed is minuscule and not going to impact human health.

[lmonter]

I mean this in the nicest way, but you're going bananas.

I think pretty much the only way you're going to end up with GMO seed in your garden is if you manage to buy some somehow (like, say, you're buying 40 bushels of seed wheat?)... Or you save seed this year from something like corn which could cross with farmers' fields up to miles away and you forget to bag the ears or something. Then you could possibly end up with part-GMO corn the next year.

Fwiw, the folks at my farmers market do grow some hybrid stuff, but no GMO stuff. Kind of counter productive to the whole farmer's market vision and all that, you know? But I'm always asking my vendors what variety of tomato this is or how they grew their asparagus so huge this year and blah blah blah. They're fine with me continually grilling them, as long as I don't catch them when there's a dozen people waiting to buy.

And organic produce isn't always heirloom, nor is conventional farming exclusive of heirloom varieties. Just depends on your vendors.


ETA: Have you read his book? Pretty interesting reading, that's for sure.

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by lmonter

I mean this in the nicest way, but you're going bananas.

yes, I know...that's why I asked quietly here instead of screaming frantically while pulling out my veggie garden

thanks!

I feel better now...I just don't know what to believe anymore :

[lmonter]

It is crazy out there what companies and such don't tell you. Kind of sad, really. I figure if I'm doing things the way my grandparents did, or the way their grandparents did, I'm doing okay.

Oh, you don't live in a crop-dusting community, do you? I grew up in a place surrounded by wheat fields, and they crop dusted. Our yard was like black death to plants the several times we attempted to grow food.