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| One of the hollyhocks I started from seed last year |
The Good
This site has ideas for using free materials to garden, showing that it doesn't need to be expensive to raise your own food.
The Bad
When I opened the latest edition of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, a free publication we receive on the farm, I saw something that made me shake my head. Seems the USDA is now getting into non-GMO certification. While for some, this might sound good, but it's not for small farms. Why?...
The Ugly
Whenever the USDA gets involved in something like non-GMO certification, it means it will become expensive and very difficult for small farmers to receive that certification. We've already seen it with "certified organic." With certified organic, the big dogs ("Big Ag") have taken over. Seems they've come to realize that if you can't beat them,
2 comments:
Cherie, government always means complicated certification and piles of paperwork with government inspectors involved. It's so true that small time businesses can't keep up with all the requirements that have to be set in place. Nor can they afford the the some times required equipment that must be used to be certified. It's sad that the way our ancestors grew food for at least a century or two is becoming illegal. Well, at least for sale, any way. I can't even imagine what the politicians would hatch for non-GMO certification.
Have a great chemical free growing day. I pray that the deer would suddenly lose the taste for fresh garden vegetables.
I do think us small buyers of the farmers market are also aware of this game...it makes no difference to me if the farmers I buy from are certified organic or non-gmo...I know how they grow the food...I know they use no pesticides. In fact, I trust them far more than the "certified" organic in the grocery stores...Our farmers market is so small (5 vendors) that they would let us come and pick our own if wanted. And to think I didn't even know these people 3 years ago is amazing to me...
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