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Keeping in Touch:  Monsanto. Company of the Year  |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 08:04:54 AM
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I just had a thought: Monsanto's idea of growing bigger, faster, better--does that include our citizenry since obesity is a considerable problem.
What do you think?
Betty in Pasco |
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beadbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
148 Posts
Therese
Valencia
California
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 10:03:14 AM
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Interesting, Betty. After watching Food Inc, I was struck with the thought that there may be a tie in with the pharmaceutical community. I was thinking of the family that ate mostly fast food, even though the father has diabetes, and one daughter is headed that way too. If a portion of the population is practically forced to lower their eating standards and consumes mostly processed cheap food, the heatlh ramifications to them are a benefit to big pharma.
It is frustrating. Sometimes the choices aren't so easy, and I blame the big corporations for being greedy, and I blame us as a nation for letting them become so powerful. Somewhere along the line, we let 'them' have more control, and we accepted it as it freed us up to live lives of instant gratification. Now the pendulum is swinging back and I predict that it will be a long and difficult road to repair. We, as farmgirls, have the opportunity to influence our friends and neighbors, and to share what we know to help make that change come about.
I am so grateful for these forums. My husband, although he agrees with me, is weary of listening to me rant whenever there is something in the news about this topic!!
Therese
Farmgirl Sister #1217
If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~Emile Zola |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 4:49:36 PM
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Yes, it's true--Barbara Kingsolver writes about it in Animal. Vegetable, Miracle. Farmers are producing more calories now than they did in the past and there have been meetings where these helpful :( people have brainstormed on ways to get all those extra calories into the American public.
cindy
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". Mahatma Gandhi
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 6:59:21 PM
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Therese - the corporations becoming more powerful actually goes back to a supreme court decision in the late 1800's where corporations were granted the rights of individuals without the responsibilities. That was the age of the robber barons, the "Gilded Age", where then everything fell apart financially, you can definitely see some parallels. So we have been building to this point for a long time - it is encouraging to see more people realizing things like " oh, maybe they aren't going to police themselves"
And scary that the most "affordable" food is the food with the least nutritional value.
Something's gotta give
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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textilelover
True Blue Farmgirl
557 Posts
Dianne
Middletown
NY
USA
557 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2010 : 11:59:33 AM
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As far as getting Americans to consume more calories...Michael Pollan talks about that in one of his books (can't remember which one). It's a BIG business because think about it: we can consume only so much food in a day, but if companies figure out how to make those meals more profitable for them (more calories, more expensive, new products), that's how they'll make their money. That's what food advertising is all about! So make good choices...Dianne
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1404 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1404 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2010 : 12:39:28 PM
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I agree with you, Therese, about the control that has taken over our food supply. We are definitely not the winners here. All of the cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are laid at the feet of those providing the food. I agree that more of us should provide our own food and then we will know what is in it.
Betty in Pasco |
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2010 : 09:17:55 AM
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Don't you just love Food Inc. !! But this big company controlling has got to stop. Just checked out the site that listed the seed suppliers, no more Burpee seeds for us!!!
Tammyb
Sisterchick #541
Live to leave a legacy
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pinkwitchy~farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
230 Posts
Beverly
Lee's Summit
MO
USA
230 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2010 : 3:41:40 PM
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Food Inc is awesome, and I'm glad I found this thread because I've found more resources (movies/books) by reading the posts. My family usually looks at me like I'm crazy, or too much time on my hands... they think I just look for the next "band wagon" to jump on. After I watched Food Inc. I told my DH & my mom about it... I think what they actually heard was probably more along the lines of Charlie Brown's teacher (waa, waaaa, waa....) It amazes me that there is SO much, about SO many things, that we, Americans are totally oblivious to...
* * * It is often the bend in the road that makes life worth the drive * * * |
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beadbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
148 Posts
Therese
Valencia
California
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2010 : 4:57:19 PM
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One of my favorite expressions is "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention"
How can people be motivated to get involved if they don't/won't even look at what is going on?! Good for you , Beverly for planting a (non-GMO) seed in their minds!
Therese
If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~Emile Zola |
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frannie
True Blue Farmgirl
2246 Posts
fran
bonham
texas
USA
2246 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2010 : 08:30:07 AM
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i love this thread and thanks so much for posting it.
we are trying here to be organic farmers, and i too have watched and LOVED seeing the movie food, inc.
my frame of reference for all of this as a 2 time cancer patient is that as a child i grew up in the "shadow of monsanto" and those of us who did all have similar stories. (i also grew up one mile from motco, one of the most dangerous toxic waste dumps in texas, google it.)
anyway, even if monsanto wasnt making all the dioxin for the viet nam war, and now trying to monopolize the seed industry(which of course does have a tie in to the pharmaceutical industry) when you live in a refinery town with the large petro boys as your neighbors it affects you on so many levels. \ie, for you the night sky is a pulsating pink from the plumes , for you the weather change is annouced by the change in the air smell, from ammonia to rotten egg. for you it is normal to hear about several cancers per week and have your best friend die in jr. high from leukemia. for you it is normal for people to have syndromes, rather than diseases because they have been exposed to the newest chemical leak.
my point is these companies dont just kill folks, in the name of profit they also rob people of the beauty of nature in the surroundings. they alter the QUALITY of a refinery childs life.
we are all affected by their greed.
thanks for letting me vent, i needed it, i love this site, most folks just look blankly at me when i go on my anti-corporate rants.
love
frannie in texas
home of "green"crafts,
where no scrap is left behind
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/)
www.angeltree.etsy.com
check out the farm at:
www.localharvest.org/farms/M24434 |
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justbe
Farmgirl in Training
48 Posts
Kris
Garland
Texas
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2010 : 1:43:39 PM
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| Thanks for the link on monsanto seeds. I love this group! |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2010 : 5:09:23 PM
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Frannie--I hear you when you rant about the oil refineries and the shadow of Monsanto. I live, and grew up, in a town with close proximity to three oil refineries. Fortunately, I live upwind from the refineries, but there's a steel mill nearby, and south of here is the remains of Chemetco, the area's worst polluter. I'm lucky to know people like myself who want to preserve the natural heritage of this area and who aren't afraid to fight the corporate giants. People talk about "jobs" but what good is it to have a job if your kids are being poisoned by God-knows-what emissions from the oil refinery? People are starting to realize that quality of life is more important than a large salary. Monsanto is an evil word around here, unless your idea of "green" is limited to $$$. I'm sorry that people you know have died because of some corporation's greed and indifference, but I really do believe that things are changing. i just hope that we can change our ways before we run out of chances. It IS a quality of life issue, and it affects EVERYONE. Monsanto is just the tip of the iceberg.
Cindy
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". Mahatma Gandhi
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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beadbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
148 Posts
Therese
Valencia
California
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2010 : 10:39:33 AM
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This just in! Please read, pass along on FB, Live Journal, whatever networking source you use.
We CAN make a difference, let's be relentless in passing this info on, and educating others.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm
Thanks,
Therese
If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~Emile Zola |
Edited by - beadbabe on May 18 2010 10:40:55 AM |
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vintagediva1
True Blue Farmgirl
1251 Posts
Michele
Brighton
Michigan
USA
1251 Posts |
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frannie
True Blue Farmgirl
2246 Posts
fran
bonham
texas
USA
2246 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2010 : 12:21:38 PM
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thanks for the link to the site, therese. very informative.
and once again, thanks for posting this thread, kristin, it is a great vent, and i am also learning even more about this very important topic.
i just love being a farmgirl.
love
frannie in texas
home of "green"crafts,
where no scrap is left behind
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/)
www.angeltree.etsy.com
check out the farm at:
www.localharvest.org/farms/M24434 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2010 : 3:58:59 PM
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Fran, that's horrible what you've been through living where you did. And I just read about Anniston, Al. That is scary. And they say there's no way to tell if people in Anniston are any sicker than people everywhere else. What does that tell us? Al those articles are very interesting and very scary. And now the company in Anniston is making a "chemical" that goes in Tylenol. Here where I live there is alot of people who have cancer. There were several people just in the neighborhood we lived in for 17 years. I guess really there is no way to escape it.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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frannie
True Blue Farmgirl
2246 Posts
fran
bonham
texas
USA
2246 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2010 : 10:19:09 AM
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i dont think we can escape out past, but i do think we can provide a better future by continuing to be informed,question, check and recheck and demand a different attitude and direction.
sometimes i feel that we are being assaulted and challengeded on all fronts and i can begin to feel overwhelmed with the whole thing. then i come to my senses.
i do know that greed is a big motivator for many corporations. all the more reason to support locally grown and also when not locally grown we can at least buy with a some kind of conviction, like maryjane farm products.
they arent locally grown for me, but at least i know that i am not supporting big petro boys when i shop farmgirl, ya know what i mean?
budget mix buyers inite!!!!
love
frannie in texas
home of "green"crafts,
where no scrap is left behind
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/)
www.angeltree.etsy.com
check out the farm at:
www.localharvest.org/farms/M24434 |
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beadbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
148 Posts
Therese
Valencia
California
USA
148 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2011 : 08:58:41 AM
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I have been following Monsanto's antics for several years, and go through periods of depression as a result of reading what they do. This morning I actually started crying, to which my husband said I had to read something that made me happy, and that it was no good to get depressed about this. But, I can't go all Pollyanna when my daughter's future is at stake, as is the future of every child on the planet and those yet to be born.
I went on a rant, posting links on my Facebook page, and then remembered you all here, my other family. You are probably more aligned with my thinking than a lot of my FB pals, but I have hope for them!
Anyway, here are a couple of links this morning to get your blood pressure up, be sure to breathe and take a walk if needed.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22240.cfm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22449.cfm
This link takes you to a site that encourages participation; not for the faint of heart. Please consider if you can do this, or if you know someone who can, pass it on to them. I believe it is time to get out there and inform the TV/media tranced public what is going on.
http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm
I sometimes feel powerless against such giants as Monsanto, with all their unholy government connections. But I firmly believe in the power of people; the power of voting with our dollars, the economic impact of boycots, and the power of the Internet to get the word out.
I feel a bit better, it may take a while for the black cloud to disperse from my heart, for I feel as I have been deeply wounded this morning. Thank heavens for all of you, for this forum, for Mary Jane creating this space, a safe place to share.
Bless us all.
Therese
If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~Emile Zola
http://www.domesticgoddessenterprises.artfire.com/
http://www.blahddieblog.blogspot.com/
If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~Emile Zola
http://www.domesticgoddessenterprises.artfire.com/
http://www.blahddieblog.blogspot.com/ |
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2011 : 08:17:01 AM
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Big business like this is killing us slowly-from the inside out. This is why I thank my lucky stars every day I never have left the farm. I grow my own food and raise my own meat.
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com |
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Keeping in Touch: Monsanto. Company of the Year |
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Monsanto. Company of the Year
