You can visit my blog at http://bitchinboutbreastcancer.blogspot.com/.

I go into why I think so many women in their 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Thank you, Whole Foods, for providing this former farm girl with sustenance I can confidently feed to my family — away from industrialized foods…

The comment on the post was that there was at least a 7 mile drift from the herbicide, killing all in its path. The ecological damage was very apparent.

I found an interesting argument involving its use and winter squash…

The EPA is saying it is “a reliable supply in the food commodity”. A “commenter” was making claims against the EPA. The “EPA has failed to conclude that the tolerance would be protective of the public health.”

Then went on to say, ” the tolerance is unnecessary since there is ‘no actual demonstrated need’ for the proposed use of clomazone in order to produce an adequate or safe food supply and no emergency condition which is uncontrollable with herbicides for which tolerances already exist.”

The EPA concluded that the commenter incorrectly interpreted the standard for approval of tolerance under Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act section 408. They claimed the commenter was trying to deny a “tolerance solely on the basis of a calculation of the risks posed by pesticide residues on agricultural products. Instead, the Agency must balance these risks against the benefits of the pesticide for food production.”

SOURCE: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/herb-growthreg/cacodylic-cymoxanil/clomazone/clomazone/clomazone-tol-squash.html

This is the agency that is saying what is and isn’t okay to go into our food source. You know, the stuff we as moms (and dads) lovingly and trustingly give to our kids thinking it is 100% safe — to nourish their bodies so they can grow to be strong and healthy? But at who’s expense? Or who’s gain?

How much have chemical companies contributed to political campaigns?

Indonesia is ahead of us: In 1986, Indonesia banned 57 types of pesticides. Farmers were taught Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — where they are taught to distinguish between good and bad bugs, the good bugs being predators of the bad bugs. According to Sjamsoe Soegito of the Indonesian National Development Information Office, in 3 rice crop yields (18 months), farmers reduced the number of pesticide sprays from 4.5 to .5. The yield rose from 6.1 tons to 7.4 tons per hectare (2.471 acres). The government saved 50 million in pesticide subsidies. And the ecological impact has been nothing but good.

How much oil can be saved (lowering demand) if farmers didn’t have to treat their fields and crops several times a year? Again, back to supply and demand rules with oil…

Less fuel needed, possibly lowering the cost of production? Lower prices in the store? Less government assistance needed? More supplies of oil available, thus lowering the price there as well? Would that be a realistic model?

And how much does our federal government give to farmers to subsidize use of pesticides?

How much of the money saved can be put back to THE PEOPLE for health care?
Hmmm…

I’m really grateful that our Whole Foods provides a number of options for local food that has been raised traditionally. We can get several kinds of milk from local dairies, eggs and butter from a local farm, and grass-fed beef as well as several produce items. My family’s grocery bill has been steadily climbing as I have learned more about getting quality food and made a commitment to eating well, but it is a top priority for us and I’m willing to budget less to other areas of our lives. We have also cut back our meat consumption significantly, so even though we eat it less often it is of a high quality – from a local farmer, raised humanely with plenty of access to pasture and no antibiotics or growth hormones.

Make mindful decisions about where we shop and what we buy. Stores such as Whole Foods are a great choice, but still not always “everyday” accessible to lower income families. Local growers-markets are becoming more economical and they are fun. We need to have a variety of healthy, sustainable choices.

Cut back on meat. Pollens’ book impressed upon me the stunning amount of energy that goes into the production of meat, so – my husband and I have cut way back and enjoyed surprising results, one of which is that we are really incorporating a lot more vegetables into our diets. That has to be better for us, right? We still get plenty of protein from beans and nuts and we eat ‘meat’ once or twice a week. The upshot is that ‘meat’ has become a treat to us, something that we appreciate rather than take for granted. And because we eat so much less of it now, we really take our time picking it out at the store and can buy the best cuts and choose organic which would have been cost prohibitive before. Another surprise our new lifestyle has offered us is a rediscovery of my love of cooking. Since our way of eating is changing, I have to find new and varied recipes for the weeks’ menu, often vegetarian! I don’t know much about vegetarian cooking -so I have had to delve into all sorts of new and interesting cookbooks. It’s been a trip.

Finally, I believe that buying local is the best thing we can do for the larger environment and for our own communities at the same time. If we support our local growers, they’ll stick around rather than sell off to developers, and in turn we’ll have more open space and less hopscotch development creating domino effects on the environment. Additionally, locally grown and raised means our food is more closely under our own watchful gaze where we can see if pesticides are being applied, too much water is being wasted, animals are being inhumanely raised, etc… Green markets such as Whole Foods help sustain these growers and ranchers. They help sustain our communities and so should we. Buy local!

I grew up around this stuff. What it does – to the plants or animals, to the worker, to the land, to the water, even to the communities – in many ways resembles some horrific nightmare. Weirdly manipulated, be that via hormones, antibiotics, hybridizing, or even GMO if they can sneak it in, plants and animals that are far from what nature created and functioning far from what was intended…if not ill. Abused workers whose rights are violated and whose employers often fail to follow even common sense safety rules – and as a result workers are often sick or injured. The land is often worn out and/or contaminated. The water is frequently full of bacterial and/or chemical contaminants. The area’s people and wildlife get strange diseases at high rates. Neighboring, smaller farms and ranches are bullied into doing whatever, however the corporate farm wants – or they’re driven out of business for refusing.

There’s a reason why this now city resident won’t drink unfiltered tap water, buys meats that are at least free of hormones and antibiotics, buys dairy without rGBH, and buys organic produce. I don’t want to feed that corporate sickness machine. It goes far beyond global warming.