I need to talk GMO's with other aware Mama's!

[GreenVariety]

Alright, here goes. I am going to try not to unload too much as I have a 3 year old that's waiting for me to interact but I laid awake last night for hours thinking about stuff of this nature.

GMOs. I am adamantly against these so if you aren't where I am, you may not want to read further. We raise our own meat, I source and order our own, GMO free (tested) feed. How do you educate people though. People look at me as if I have 3 heads when I tell them that "Organic" is not necessarily GMO free. They think I'm lying because the standard says that organic does not allow GMO's. The kicker here is, they don't test. It's assumed. And the proof of this is talking to feed and seed companies. Even check out the FAQ in the Non-GMO Project for verification requirements.

"Why should I enroll if my products are already USDA certified organic?

While the National Organic Program (NOP) identifies genetic modification as an excluded method, GMOs are not a prohibited substance. This means that although GMO seeds are not supposed to be planted, and GMO ingredients are not supposed to be used, no testing is required. These rules were established at a time when GMOs were in limited production, and accidental contamination was not a significant risk. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. With the majority of key crops like soy and corn being planted with GM varieties in North America, contamination of seeds, ingredients, and products is a real risk, even for certified organic products. The good news is that the NOP has excellent guidelines for traceability and segregation, and the Non-GMO Project is designed to honor the work that certified organic companies are already doing, with the added measure of testing risk ingredients at critical control points. Many founding members of the Non-GMO Project are the leaders of organic companies. These pioneers understand that protecting the long-term integrity of organic products, starting at the seed level, requires that they be protected from GMO contamination, which can only be done with testing."

Now how do you tell people this? Parents? Mom's that are eating this crud during pregnancy. The testing showing so many different health/birth defects with GMO's. It's damaging our children, our elderly, and ourselves. I suspect my grandmothers Diabetes was triggered by the introduction of GMO's (she was diagnosed in '98, started having problems in '97 and GMO's were introduced in '96 ... the woman ate lots of microwaved popcorn, we are talking daily for lunch). They are being linked to all sorts of autoimmune issues but women that are incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition (and I'm not an exception on very rare instances...Sunday bacon from applegate...) still eat industry meat on their paleo or primal diet (so they can still enjoy the convenience of eating out).

How do we educate? How do we get people to listen? Monsanto has proven that their dollars are far more powerful when it comes to government mandates/standards/regulations... How can I get people to understand that it's going to have to start with each individual or company (Hiland Feed, Baker Creed Heirloom Seeds) spending their money and educating themselves...

Feeling defeated and lacking sleep... thanks for listening. Time to go stack wood and get read for my feed delivery!

[MDeLury]

We too raise our own meat, I've only just in the last few weeks found non-GM feed and to my dismay it's right at about twice what I buy feed at now :(  I absolutely believe they should have non-GM feed but as it stands now and at 100lbs of feed a week, it's not a switch we can afford- our budget is just stupid crazy tight right now.  We started sprouting forage oats to help offset the poultry feed and the goats right now get a strict hay/grass diet over winter so they don't get any GM feed at all.  We are picking up some freshened does in the spring (we lost our dairy girl to toxemia last spring and haven't been able to replace her until we get our tax return this year since we just had a baby) and they will be the first to go GM free since they don't need nearly as much grain as do the poultry.

We don't directly (at least intentionally) eat the GM foods, I avoid all corn/soy/beet/canola products that are not labelled GMO free project or organic.  That contamination is a real bear.  Even when we grow our own corn, I can't get away from the contamination issue.  We have 5 acres and at the end of our acreage is a corn/soy rotation field that is definitely GMO.  I've had to take the stance of doing the best I can with the resources I have in all of this.  Limiting exposure versus just giving up because we can't get it perfect.  

I find that I mostly associate with a group of moms who are already well into the know on these things or if they aren't it just doesn't come up.  I occasionally try to explain to those who seem to be unaware but most of the time they just don't care.  I'm not sure how much you can do about that.  I think mostly people come into caring about it on their own terms, something will speak to them or they'll just continue on unaffected.

I know none of that really helped you, just commiserating I guess.  I hope you managed to work in some sleep :)

[missmagoo]

I think you just have to try and get the information out there any way that you can if you are passionate about it.  I think just letting people know what kind of feed you are using and why is a good place to begin.  I would also think that writing to some of the organic companies that don't test for GMOs might be valuable.  I considered myself to be pretty well-educated, and a TF person, and my daughter developed a very rare disease (primary lymphedema) when she was three weeks old.  Now I m doing more research and I feel like there is so much that I didn't do, so much I didn't know.  I'm not sure if I am just reading more, or if there is just more information available now.  I personally think that after Prop 37 failed in CA that there has been a lot more talk about GMOs, what they are in, and what they do to our bodies.  

I think we just don't always realize the full extent of the problem.  You know corn is commonly GMO, so you buy only organic corn, but you don't worry about the HFCS in your Ben and Jerry's.  

[GreenVariety]

Thanks for the responses! As I said, I was mostly needed to blab! :-) I get a little down heartened sometimes. There is a lot of stuff that is happening to our children and mothers (and fathers, parents, grandparents, etc) that is totally preventable. I've been at this a while and it really wasn't until I started raising my own meat and looking for GMO free that the dots started connecting. I always thought that Organic meant GMO free (because it's the standard). What I didn't know was there was no testing and that that was commonplace... that about blew my top off. HOW...HOW if you don't test a plant that pollinates the same way as grass (corn) can you just flat out assume that farmer John's organic corn is still completely GMO free when his next door neighbor farmer Jack grows GMO's? Plateau's in Mexico with heritage corn are testing positive for heaven's sake. They are at x hundreds of feed! Sigh...

As far as the budget, I totally hear ya. We have number 2 on the way after relocating this fall (10 hours from where we were) and my hubby starting a new job. Our new house is about 150 years old...but new to us and we got it on short sale I think (it wasn't official but it was real darn cheap). We can grow all our own food but the man hours alone. And we are super fortunate to have great neighbors, the only corn grower is a certified organic grower and I don't eat any corn products anyway...my son reacts horribly. So. We aren't going to be growing it.

MDelury, PM me! You are literally the state over from where I get my feed. They aren't organic but they have practices second to none and their prices are not ridiculous. Similar to premium Purina for their base products (the chicken and turkey are now Non-GMO Project Certified). You may have already come across them but I would love to share just in case! We just have chickens but we feed a special blend that is soy/corn free because my son and I have so many issues with those grains. We feed our broilers soy free in the spring/summer/fall.

Missmagoo - loved the Ben&Jerry's comment. Want a rabbit hole to go down. Dextrose (corn derivative)... if you eat almost any sausage it's in it. Maltodextrin is also a corn derivative I believe. Ascorbic Acid (did you get your vitamin C today) ... corn. I would suspect, although I may be very wrong, that most that eat a traditional diet probably avoid pasteurized dairy. Again I could be very wrong. So B&J probably isn't a real concern. But what about that pastured pork sausage you just bought ... does it have dextrose? Or that coconut water to hydrate after a heavy workout, Ascorbic Acid... Your vitamin D3 capsules (or whatever other capsule)...vegetable cellulose most commonly derived from corn... Vitamin E...soy derivative..

I'm not going to lie, I'm grateful for my falling down the hole but sometimes I wish I didn't. I would really like to be able to help people, but you can't help those that won't help themselves. The more people I talk to want the government to regulate this that and the other thing (including food labeling) but ... look at Organic. It's just as corrupt as many other systems. There are loop holes. You can use conventional chicken manure on and organic farm as there is no standard for chicken manure. Or the simple fact that Organic isn't tested for GMO's. If you check a seed catalogs like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com) they have a whole description prefacing their corn section (they have been testing for 8 years) stating that it's becoming harder and harder to find corn that is not contaminated. They have 11 varieties available and are concerned that that is going to be less in the not so distant future because of the contamination.

I do realize people will catch on in their own time, but the worry of the irreparable damage done to the ones we love isn't easy for me at times. I am grateful for my Biology degree, it's made it easier for me to plow through the research I think but I'm always running into brick walls trying to get people to listen even with my "credentials..." If I could get my grandmother to stop eating popcorn... or my mom to listen. Or my sister.... or even strangers for that matter. I got yelled at on a GMO specific board for saying that organic wasn't tested...

So Thanks for listening!! :-) You just want to help ya know. And I do get through sometimes. So I should be glad for small victories! Thanks again ladies!
 

[tracyamber]

?

[countryangels]

Originally Posted by GreenVariety 

Alright, here goes. I am going to try not to unload too much as I have a 3 year old that's waiting for me to interact but I laid awake last night for hours thinking about stuff of this nature.

GMOs. I am adamantly against these so if you aren't where I am, you may not want to read further. We raise our own meat, I source and order our own, GMO free (tested) feed. How do you educate people though. People look at me as if I have 3 heads when I tell them that "Organic" is not necessarily GMO free. They think I'm lying because the standard says that organic does not allow GMO's. The kicker here is, they don't test. It's assumed. And the proof of this is talking to feed and seed companies. Even check out the FAQ in the Non-GMO Project for verification requirements.

"Why should I enroll if my products are already USDA certified organic?

While the National Organic Program (NOP) identifies genetic modification as an excluded method, GMOs are not a prohibited substance. This means that although GMO seeds are not supposed to be planted, and GMO ingredients are not supposed to be used, no testing is required. These rules were established at a time when GMOs were in limited production, and accidental contamination was not a significant risk. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. With the majority of key crops like soy and corn being planted with GM varieties in North America, contamination of seeds, ingredients, and products is a real risk, even for certified organic products. The good news is that the NOP has excellent guidelines for traceability and segregation, and the Non-GMO Project is designed to honor the work that certified organic companies are already doing, with the added measure of testing risk ingredients at critical control points. Many founding members of the Non-GMO Project are the leaders of organic companies. These pioneers understand that protecting the long-term integrity of organic products, starting at the seed level, requires that they be protected from GMO contamination, which can only be done with testing."

Now how do you tell people this? Parents? Mom's that are eating this crud during pregnancy. The testing showing so many different health/birth defects with GMO's. It's damaging our children, our elderly, and ourselves. I suspect my grandmothers Diabetes was triggered by the introduction of GMO's (she was diagnosed in '98, started having problems in '97 and GMO's were introduced in '96 ... the woman ate lots of microwaved popcorn, we are talking daily for lunch). They are being linked to all sorts of autoimmune issues but women that are incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition (and I'm not an exception on very rare instances...Sunday bacon from applegate...) still eat industry meat on their paleo or primal diet (so they can still enjoy the convenience of eating out).

How do we educate? How do we get people to listen? Monsanto has proven that their dollars are far more powerful when it comes to government mandates/standards/regulations... How can I get people to understand that it's going to have to start with each individual or company (Hiland Feed, Baker Creed Heirloom Seeds) spending their money and educating themselves...

Feeling defeated and lacking sleep... thanks for listening. Time to go stack wood and get read for my feed delivery!

[countryangels]

Originally Posted by GreenVariety 

Thanks for the responses! As I said, I was mostly needed to blab! :-) I get a little down heartened sometimes. There is a lot of stuff that is happening to our children and mothers (and fathers, parents, grandparents, etc) that is totally preventable. I've been at this a while and it really wasn't until I started raising my own meat and looking for GMO free that the dots started connecting. I always thought that Organic meant GMO free (because it's the standard). What I didn't know was there was no testing and that that was commonplace... that about blew my top off. HOW...HOW if you don't test a plant that pollinates the same way as grass (corn) can you just flat out assume that farmer John's organic corn is still completely GMO free when his next door neighbor farmer Jack grows GMO's? Plateau's in Mexico with heritage corn are testing positive for heaven's sake. They are at x hundreds of feed! Sigh...

As far as the budget, I totally hear ya. We have number 2 on the way after relocating this fall (10 hours from where we were) and my hubby starting a new job. Our new house is about 150 years old...but new to us and we got it on short sale I think (it wasn't official but it was real darn cheap). We can grow all our own food but the man hours alone. And we are super fortunate to have great neighbors, the only corn grower is a certified organic grower and I don't eat any corn products anyway...my son reacts horribly. So. We aren't going to be growing it.

MDelury, PM me! You are literally the state over from where I get my feed. They aren't organic but they have practices second to none and their prices are not ridiculous. Similar to premium Purina for their base products (the chicken and turkey are now Non-GMO Project Certified). You may have already come across them but I would love to share just in case! We just have chickens but we feed a special blend that is soy/corn free because my son and I have so many issues with those grains. We feed our broilers soy free in the spring/summer/fall.

Missmagoo - loved the Ben&Jerry's comment. Want a rabbit hole to go down. Dextrose (corn derivative)... if you eat almost any sausage it's in it. Maltodextrin is also a corn derivative I believe. Ascorbic Acid (did you get your vitamin C today) ... corn. I would suspect, although I may be very wrong, that most that eat a traditional diet probably avoid pasteurized dairy. Again I could be very wrong. So B&J probably isn't a real concern. But what about that pastured pork sausage you just bought ... does it have dextrose? Or that coconut water to hydrate after a heavy workout, Ascorbic Acid... Your vitamin D3 capsules (or whatever other capsule)...vegetable cellulose most commonly derived from corn... Vitamin E...soy derivative..

I'm not going to lie, I'm grateful for my falling down the hole but sometimes I wish I didn't. I would really like to be able to help people, but you can't help those that won't help themselves. The more people I talk to want the government to regulate this that and the other thing (including food labeling) but ... look at Organic. It's just as corrupt as many other systems. There are loop holes. You can use conventional chicken manure on and organic farm as there is no standard for chicken manure. Or the simple fact that Organic isn't tested for GMO's. If you check a seed catalogs like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com) they have a whole description prefacing their corn section (they have been testing for 8 years) stating that it's becoming harder and harder to find corn that is not contaminated. They have 11 varieties available and are concerned that that is going to be less in the not so distant future because of the contamination.

I do realize people will catch on in their own time, but the worry of the irreparable damage done to the ones we love isn't easy for me at times. I am grateful for my Biology degree, it's made it easier for me to plow through the research I think but I'm always running into brick walls trying to get people to listen even with my "credentials..." If I could get my grandmother to stop eating popcorn... or my mom to listen. Or my sister.... or even strangers for that matter. I got yelled at on a GMO specific board for saying that organic wasn't tested...

So Thanks for listening!! :-) You just want to help ya know. And I do get through sometimes. So I should be glad for small victories! Thanks again ladies!
 

[countryangels]

Originally Posted by GreenVariety 

Thanks for the responses! As I said, I was mostly needed to blab! :-) I get a little down heartened sometimes. There is a lot of stuff that is happening to our children and mothers (and fathers, parents, grandparents, etc) that is totally preventable. I've been at this a while and it really wasn't until I started raising my own meat and looking for GMO free that the dots started connecting. I always thought that Organic meant GMO free (because it's the standard). What I didn't know was there was no testing and that that was commonplace... that about blew my top off. HOW...HOW if you don't test a plant that pollinates the same way as grass (corn) can you just flat out assume that farmer John's organic corn is still completely GMO free when his next door neighbor farmer Jack grows GMO's? Plateau's in Mexico with heritage corn are testing positive for heaven's sake. They are at x hundreds of feed! Sigh...

As far as the budget, I totally hear ya. We have number 2 on the way after relocating this fall (10 hours from where we were) and my hubby starting a new job. Our new house is about 150 years old...but new to us and we got it on short sale I think (it wasn't official but it was real darn cheap). We can grow all our own food but the man hours alone. And we are super fortunate to have great neighbors, the only corn grower is a certified organic grower and I don't eat any corn products anyway...my son reacts horribly. So. We aren't going to be growing it.

MDelury, PM me! You are literally the state over from where I get my feed. They aren't organic but they have practices second to none and their prices are not ridiculous. Similar to premium Purina for their base products (the chicken and turkey are now Non-GMO Project Certified). You may have already come across them but I would love to share just in case! We just have chickens but we feed a special blend that is soy/corn free because my son and I have so many issues with those grains. We feed our broilers soy free in the spring/summer/fall.

Missmagoo - loved the Ben&Jerry's comment. Want a rabbit hole to go down. Dextrose (corn derivative)... if you eat almost any sausage it's in it. Maltodextrin is also a corn derivative I believe. Ascorbic Acid (did you get your vitamin C today) ... corn. I would suspect, although I may be very wrong, that most that eat a traditional diet probably avoid pasteurized dairy. Again I could be very wrong. So B&J probably isn't a real concern. But what about that pastured pork sausage you just bought ... does it have dextrose? Or that coconut water to hydrate after a heavy workout, Ascorbic Acid... Your vitamin D3 capsules (or whatever other capsule)...vegetable cellulose most commonly derived from corn... Vitamin E...soy derivative..

I'm not going to lie, I'm grateful for my falling down the hole but sometimes I wish I didn't. I would really like to be able to help people, but you can't help those that won't help themselves. The more people I talk to want the government to regulate this that and the other thing (including food labeling) but ... look at Organic. It's just as corrupt as many other systems. There are loop holes. You can use conventional chicken manure on and organic farm as there is no standard for chicken manure. Or the simple fact that Organic isn't tested for GMO's. If you check a seed catalogs like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com) they have a whole description prefacing their corn section (they have been testing for 8 years) stating that it's becoming harder and harder to find corn that is not contaminated. They have 11 varieties available and are concerned that that is going to be less in the not so distant future because of the contamination.

I do realize people will catch on in their own time, but the worry of the irreparable damage done to the ones we love isn't easy for me at times. I am grateful for my Biology degree, it's made it easier for me to plow through the research I think but I'm always running into brick walls trying to get people to listen even with my "credentials..." If I could get my grandmother to stop eating popcorn... or my mom to listen. Or my sister.... or even strangers for that matter. I got yelled at on a GMO specific board for saying that organic wasn't tested...

So Thanks for listening!! :-) You just want to help ya know. And I do get through sometimes. So I should be glad for small victories! Thanks again ladies!
 

I thought I knew everything there is to know about GMO's until you mentioned vitamin C.....

Could you please give me the name of a good multivitamin for children as well as for adults that is GMO free?

No soy, no sugar added in any form (usually that could be GMO as well) And free of GMO corn in any way.

I thought I was also safe drinking goat protein shakes until I found out that they feed their goats alfalfa, grains( including soy) in the winter. And I believe

that alfalfa is GMO, as well as most soy (I do not like soy in any way, GMO or not) 

Now, even before I knew about the HFCS in Ben & Jerry's, I remember going to the actual place in Vermont & having a tasting in a small cup, and it was way too sweet for me. I have now come to realize when something is too sweet, it usually has HFCS. That ice cream was so sweet, that I did not feel like biuying it after the tour. The tasting was plenty...And I have a sweet tooth. The same thing happened when I tasted pecan pie for the 1st time,

it was way too sweet, that also has HFCS. The really soft granola bars also have it.

Anyway, thanks so much for your post, thread, it really has helped me a lot!

Please let me know what multivitamins & vitamin C you give your children.

Are there any goat protein shakes safe out there?

Are there any goat milk powders safe without GMO feed given to the goats?

Are there any green powder used for smoothies that are GMO free as well?

Also, when I have traveled, I have seen people eat  white corn, it is also used for their corn cakes, corn tortillas, etc. Is the white corn, blue corn,

and other colors of corn also GMO?

I think that the increase of GMO corn, GMO soy, etc. in everything we eat without wanting to, or knowing is the reason so many children

suffer from allergies, and we have so many cases of autism & ADD, etc. And of course the artificial colorings, artificial flavors do not help either... 

Thank you for your help, input

[ErinMomma]

the gmo topic is so difficult, dhs family is oblivious andthinks were nuts. most people around here, sjersey, have never heard the term. when we try to explain, it doesnt seem like the message gets through.  weve lived in or and ca and i long for that consciousness, sometimes i just avoid the topic, sometimes i wave the flag for organic. and yes, you must be selective, know your brands.

[santa]

Hi I am from Seattle and started doing research on GMOs for a nutrition blog in November. I was terrified to learn how far GMOs have entered into our food chain.  I am off to a meeting tonight on the subject-here in Seattle we are trying to get an initiative on the ballot to have GMO food labelled.  So many people are not aware of what is happening in this country regarding this.  It is frightening.  I am the mom of two young boys, I was dismayed to learn that organic does not neccesarily mean non GMO !   We have gone almost exclusively to organic food, but many people or most cannot afford to do this.  We need to unite- we are not farmers but we really need to get things going on making people aware.  I have tried to get the word out without sounding like a kookie mom. I feel like the answer may lie in uniting the organic famers and all those who know anout this terrible and growing scurge.  Any suggestions from those of you with farms?

[santa]

Sorry; word is scourge.

[GreenVariety]

I have a farm :-) Albeit small. And GMO for the other organic farmers I have talked to is a concern, but testing is not required and many of them don't (all that I have talked to) because it is cost prohibitive. Being a small organic farmer is hard enough with the costs. We won't ever become certified organic because of the cost, but we do use a lot of the practices (not all...we would never use conventional chicken manure on our fields but that is a practice that some organic farmers use because there is no standard). Most farmers are aware that there are no requirements and I have talked to a few that operate under the notion that because they are organic they have higher ideals. Unfortunately that's not the case across the board. I think a lot of the small farmers are doing it because they believe in it. But there are also a number of huge farms that are organic and don't have the ideals, they just want a portion of the market share. There are also small farmers that don't have the ideals...they are just shifting because they don't want to loose their farm and can't compete in the conventional markets anymore... The best thing in the world is the end consumer requiring these things of their farmers. Removing their business if their farmers don't do these things and not being afraid to pay a bit higher price if the farmers are willing to do these things (soy free, GMO testing, etc). A farm can't survive if they don't pass some of those costs onto the end consumer. Not great for our wallets but if the farm that is willing to change and give us what we want can't survive because we aren't willing to "pay the piper" as it were, what is the result...

As far as Alfalfa, it hasn't made it into the market yet as far as I'm aware. It has been approved I believe though.

Vitamins - well this is a hot topic because when you get down to the knitty gritty of vitamins a lot of them (if not all) have some sort of soy or corn derivative. We no longer take multi's but get our nutrition though a very nutrient dense diet. It's all we can do. Vitamin E is a soy derivative. Lecithin. Ascorbic Acid. Maltodextrin I believe. Dextrose. Then there are the whey proteins that are derived from industry milk where it isn't only the GMO's that are an issue but the antibiotics, steroids, etc. I have no source I'm afraid for multi's. We get our vitamin C in the form of whole foods and as Ascorbic Acid from tapioca as I mentioned previously. We get our vitamin D3 through our Fermented Cod Liver Oil and from Premier Research Labs which has a liquid that's just olive oil, a non soy vitamin e and D3. I also take probiotics either developed for the GAPS diet or Friendly Force which is vegan and made by HealthForce. Other then that I eat pastured raw egg yolks which supply a lot of vitamins (in smoothies) from eggs that are corn/soy free (but there are GMO free grains that are tested and don't rely on the organic label). I do consume liver in very small amounts in smoothies so I don't taste it. And I balance with greens, veggies and meats with a very small amount of fruit in my diet as I don't absorb fructose well. I don't do green powders because I don't do well with Wheat Grass. I would recommend HealthForce though, both their Vitamineral Green and Earth are fantastic. I grow sunflower sprouts and other sprouts... those will start making it into my smoothies here shortly.

As far as the milk powders, I wouldn't. They are being produced on a large scale so chances are, they aren't being grown with tested grains or even clean grains for that matter. Is there a reason you drink protein powders? Powdered Milk?

Corn is one species. Zea mays. It all falls under that and it can all cross breed as far as I'm aware. That means that contaminated corn can pollinate any other variety whether blue, white or otherwise. It's not that they are being developed in the lab to be GMO, it's that they are cross pollinating, the seeds are being saved and they are contaminated. Non-GMO Project does have some corn products that are verified (blue corn usually I believe).

As far as the children (and adults), GMO's are being linked to everything from ASD diagnoses to autoimmune diseases including type 1 Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Crohn's etc and other gut issues like IBD. They are also being linked to allergies and are causing (or the trigger) for anaphylactic reactions in some children (and adults). I am unsure of ADD/ADHD but has seen a big benefit in pulling out soy with children (as well as colorings and flavorings) - the soy has other interactions in the body though and is a phytoestrogen and has anti-nutrient properties when not prepared correctly.

Hope that answers a few questions! :-)

namaste

[countryangels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenVariety 

I have a farm :-) Albeit small. And GMO for the other organic farmers I have talked to is a concern, but testing is not required and many of them don't (all that I have talked to) because it is cost prohibitive. Being a small organic farmer is hard enough with the costs. We won't ever become certified organic because of the cost, but we do use a lot of the practices (not all...we would never use conventional chicken manure on our fields but that is a practice that some organic farmers use because there is no standard). Most farmers are aware that there are no requirements and I have talked to a few that operate under the notion that because they are organic they have higher ideals. Unfortunately that's not the case across the board. I think a lot of the small farmers are doing it because they believe in it. But there are also a number of huge farms that are organic and don't have the ideals, they just want a portion of the market share. There are also small farmers that don't have the ideals...they are just shifting because they don't want to loose their farm and can't compete in the conventional markets anymore... The best thing in the world is the end consumer requiring these things of their farmers. Removing their business if their farmers don't do

things and not being afraid to pay a bit higher price if the farmers are willing to do these things (soy free, GMO testing, etc). A farm can't survive if they don't pass some of those costs onto the end consumer. Not great for our wallets but if the farm that is willing to change and give us what we want can't survive because we aren't willing to "pay the piper" as it were, what is the result...

As far as Alfalfa, it hasn't made it into the market yet as far as I'm aware. It has been approved I believe though.

Vitamins - well this is a hot topic because when you get down to the knitty gritty of vitamins a lot of them (if not all) have some sort of soy or corn derivative. We no longer take multi's but get our nutrition though a very nutrient dense diet. It's all we can do. Vitamin E is a soy derivative. Lecithin. Ascorbic Acid. Maltodextrin I believe. Dextrose. Then there are the whey proteins that are derived from industry milk where it isn't only the GMO's that are an issue but the antibiotics, steroids, etc. I have no source I'm afraid for multi's. We get our vitamin C in the form of whole foods and as Ascorbic Acid from tapioca as I mentioned previously. We get our vitamin D3 through our Fermented Cod Liver Oil and from Premier Research Labs which has a liquid that's just olive oil, a non soy vitamin e and D3. I also take probiotics either developed for the GAPS diet or Friendly Force which is vegan and made by HealthForce. Other then that I eat pastured raw egg yolks which supply a lot of vitamins (in smoothies) from eggs that are corn/soy free (but there are GMO free grains that are tested and don't rely on the organic label). I do consume liver in very small amounts in smoothies so I don't taste it. And I balance with greens, veggies and meats with a very small amount of fruit in my diet as I don't absorb fructose well. I don't do green powders because I don't do well with Wheat Grass. I would recommend HealthForce though, both their Vitamineral Green and Earth are fantastic. I grow sunflower sprouts and other sprouts... those will start making it into my smoothies here shortly.

As far as the milk powders, I wouldn't. They are being produced on a large scale so chances are, they aren't being grown with tested grains or even clean grains for that matter. Is there a reason you drink protein powders? Powdered Milk?

Corn is one species. Zea mays. It all falls under that and it can all cross breed as far as I'm aware. That means that contaminated corn can pollinate any other variety whether blue, white or otherwise. It's not that they are being developed in the lab to be GMO, it's that they are cross pollinating, the seeds are being saved and they are contaminated. Non-GMO Project does have some corn products that are verified (blue corn usually I believe).

As far as the children (and adults), GMO's are being linked to everything from ASD diagnoses to autoimmune diseases including type 1 Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Crohn's etc and other gut issues like IBD. They are also being linked to allergies and are causing (or the trigger) for anaphylactic reactions in some children (and adults). I am unsure of ADD/ADHD but has seen a big benefit in pulling out soy with children (as well as colorings and flavorings) - the soy has other interactions in the body though and is a phytoestrogen and has anti-nutrient properties when not prepared correctly.

Hope that answers a few questions! :-)

namaste

Hi,

I just tried sending you a private message, but it seems to NOT be going through...Not sure...

I tried again, I hope you got it.

Thank so much for this wonderful, informative post, very helpful.

What do you think of Brewers yeast flakes, for minerals?  Thanks so much.

Edited by countryangels - 1/16/13 at 2:48pm

[countryangels]

Originally Posted by tracyamber 

?

What happened to this post? It vanished....

I really do not like this new version of the forum, I was so used to the old version....I am having a hard time getting used to it. I also see less posters compared to before....

[reg423]

There's a documentary called "Genetic Roulette" that breaks down the GMO issue so perfectly. I made my husband and a close friend watch it so far and they finally understand what a crisis our food system is in. Trying to explain it otherwise has always made me appear to be some kooky, crunchy mom that just took the "organic hype" to another level. I plan on showing the film to many others when the opportunity presents itself. I always have to keep in mind that many are just not ready to learn about this stuff - there's so much to consider and it's scary when you finally realize that our food has been slowly ruining our health. Hopefully showing this film to more people can get the message across. 

Good luck!

[ErinMomma]

thanks, ill be checking that out!