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Actually, I grow my own veggies or eat frozen ones in the off-season. I can't AFFORD the store-bought organics. Is Obama going to tackle THAT issue? Not bloody likely. Americans only eat what they can afford and the contamination of our food supply remains a big risk.
Of course you can afford store-bought organics. You can afford the internet, can't you? You could also grow your own. Even when I was a poor student, I ate organic.
I say great, everyone should have a garden that has a spare patch of dirt, does the body good.
Well the problem with the 2009 food safety act (or whatever it is called) is that it remains ambiguous. I have farm status but I do not grow commercially, so as it is stated right now, I couldn't sell a tomato on the side of the road without having proper licenses. In fact the definition on what a "producer" is, hasn't been well defined and could for all intents and purposes mean anyone who grows a pepper in a potted planter.
I agree with the premise of it, but as it is now it is vast, sweeping, non specific, and crudely written.
You make some good points. I was looking at it more from a public health professional's POV.
Actually, I grow my own veggies or eat frozen ones in the off-season. I can't AFFORD the store-bought organics. Is Obama going to tackle THAT issue? Not bloody likely. Americans only eat what they can afford and the contamination of our food supply remains a big risk.
If you can grow your own vegetables, you can grow your own organic vegetables. I do not eat meat, but I do poultry and fish occasionally, so I am able to afford organic produce without feeling pinched. If someone is insistent on eating steaks, that might cut into your food budget, but I do not have that problem. The FDA was severely downsized during the Bush years and food inspection suffered. Hopefully this is another disaster that Obama will undo.
We don't intentionally garden organically, but we come pretty close. Also, we froze and canned (well, I did it, LOL) tomatoes and green beans, and still have some left, though they're going fast. This is done on a small city lot. We also buy at farmer's markets, esp. sweet corn, which we're very picky about but don't have much luck growing.
I say great, everyone should have a garden that has a spare patch of dirt, does the body good.
Too many deer around here to make that practical! On the other hand, it would make it easier to keep the freezer stocked with venison. I wonder what the Obama's will do to keep critters from eating their garden? I doubt there are any deer on the white house grounds, but I bet there are some rabbits around.
I have grown squash, zucchinis and tomatoes in my small garden behind my condo. This worked for about a decade without using pesticides or inorganic fertilizer (the dirt was rock hard glacial till that I modified with Maine organic compost into fertile soil) but last year some virulent (organic) fungus showed up and proceeded to rot the leaves. I responded with copper carbonate dust but that barely slowed the fungus invasion. This year the vegetable portion of the garden will be planted with a ground cover and the section with the "butterfly bushes" will expand. I'll get my veggies at Mack's Apples or at my egg lady.
Nope, I think they should be forced to take their chances with produce from Latin America, just like the rest of us.
I don't know about you but I buy most of my produce freshly grown and local. It's great to live in California plus by shopping at farmers markets I get to meet the people who actually grow my food which is nice.
You make some good points. I was looking at it more from a public health professional's POV.
Well as I said, I believe the premise to be sound but far too often under the guise of "caring for the people", legislation is pasted that has tendrils leading under doors and into oubliettes of unknown places, such as lack of accurate definition on what a producer is, as that one thing could have a HUGE impact.
We already have an organization called the FDA which is way understaffed according to our own governments accounting. So if the FDA which is already in place and is already supposed to be monitoring our food for quality and safety is under funded and under staffed that it cannot do its job, then passing larger legislation with more laws and regulations doesn't seem to be a logical first step. Additionally, most of the problems we have had with our food supply chain have been either from other countries or from larger production facilities without adequate monitoring under our current laws and regulations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake
Too many deer around here to make that practical! On the other hand, it would make it easier to keep the freezer stocked with venison. I wonder what the Obama's will do to keep critters from eating their garden? I doubt there are any deer on the white house grounds, but I bet there are some rabbits around.
I can't help but laugh at a twisted visual of Obama in green tights, hunting deer and boar on the White House lawn with a yew bow to celebrate organic food day. Just add it to the next stimulus under "urban to green renewal" projects and claim it will add 300 new jobs. (rabbit handlers)
Barry should grow some tobacco in the garden so he can switch over to organic cigarettes.
Without the nicotine, he wouldn't be addicted to them in the first place. So they wouldn't be organic.
Did you mean grow organic tobacco?
Either way I'd have to say I need to watch an hour of George Carlin to regain my sense of humor after reading that atrocity.
Last edited by Hoarfrost; 03-20-2009 at 07:49 AM..
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