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[InvasiveCreeper]

Traditional gardening vs. dependency on chemical companies

 

[Beth_B]

Beth:


It is one thing to make a comb out of plastic and comb your hair, it is another to take the chemicals designed to poison and kill people in WWI and WWII and apply them to the garden in hopes of killing insects and other pests. I never said I was against technology.

Buy Round Up and gas your garden if you wish, that would be your choice, I prefer to create a garden that nurtures the pollinators and doesn't wipe them out, I prefer to build the soil that gives life to my plants and not saturate it with synthetic chemicals. To each his own, but the normal, traditional way of gardening has gone on long before Monsanto ever came along.

Umm, m'kay, you win your battle. Some plastic good, if convenient, other plastic bad. Got it.
You are the one comparing plastic combs to chemical weapons, not me. Go for it, girl.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Beth,

I never said technology was bad to begin with. It is in the application that I find fault. As I said in my example, make a plastic comb, that seems fine to me. Create poisons to spread over a vegetable patch for the young ones to eat, and I can't get behind that concept.

Exactly right, a synthetic made plastic comb does not compare to the chemical weaponry used in some gardens or farms... I agree! Sounds like we are in agreement then after all... We both win.... hurray ...

 

[Jersey_Marine]

InvasiveCreeper, in another thread you stated when it comes to the worst gardening tools:

"I dislike anything that is motorized. Leaf blowers, lawn mowers, motorized tillers, etc."

Do you drive a car? You have a push mower like in 1950? Do you ever use anything motorized or do you just selectively pick and justify what suits your needs best when you have to use something motorized?

Seems like you are doing that when it comes to synthetic chemicals as well...

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Jersey Marine,

That's a good question. I dislike the noise and fumes when it comes to enjoying my garden. When I enter my garden I don't want to start up a leaf blower, or have a diesel engine fuming around my vegetables. I also like the basic experience of gardening, getting my hands dirty, the physical activities and aspects involved.

As I said before, I am not against technology, just in some of the ways it is applied, in this case the application of synthetic chemicals to the garden bed. Beth has propagated the notion that I dislike technology. I never wrote that. You can read through this thread and see that I never stated that.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

I just feel these chemical companies want to make us dependent on them. They patent seeds and in essence own life and food, their seeds are basically sterile so you have to keep purchasing their seed, being unable to collect viable seed from the plant naturally. I don't buy into any of that dependency, nor in to the mindset of poisoning out my soil with their chemicals so as to grow their seed.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

Jersey Marine,

That's a good question. I dislike the noise and fumes when it comes to being in my garden, or enjoying my garden. When I enter my garden I don't want to start up a leaf blower, or have a diesel engine fuming around my vegetables. I also like the basic experience of gardening, getting my hands dirty, the physical activities and aspects involved.

As I said before, I am not against technology, just in certain ways it is applied. Beth has propagated the notion that I dislike technology. I never wrote that. You can read through this thread and see that I never stated that.

I believe Beth was correlating the fact that technology uses synthetic chemicals and you stated you were against using synthetic chemicals involved with any aspect of gardening. I can be wrong but that's what I got out of it....

Do you grow everything yourself that you digest? Do you ever buy produce at a supermarket? If you do shop at a supermarket do you spend 10x's the amount for something labeled organic? If so check this out:

A 2014 investigation by the Wall Street Journal of USDA inspection records from 2005 on found that 38 of the 81 certifying agents–entities accredited by USDA to inspect and certify organic farms and suppliers—“failed on at least one occasion to uphold basic Agriculture Department standards.” More specifically, “40% of these 81 certifiers have been flagged by the USDA for conducting incomplete inspections; 16% of certifiers failed to cite organic farms’ potential use of banned pesticides and antibiotics; and 5% failed to prevent potential commingling of organic and non-organic products.”

Organic agriculture is an unscientific, heavily subsidized marketing gimmick that misleads and rips off consumers, both because of the nature of the regulations and cheating. The old saying that you get what you pay for doesn’t apply when you buy overpriced organic products.

Henry I. Miller, a physician, is the Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He was the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology at the FDA. Drew L. Kershen is the Earl Sneed Centennial Professor of Law (Emeritus), University of Oklahoma College of Law.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

I just feel these chemical companies want to make us dependent on them. They patent seeds and in essence own life and food, their seeds are basically sterile so you have to keep purchasing their seed, being unable to collect viable seed from the plant naturally. I don't buy into any of that dependency, nor in to the mindset of poisoning out my soil with their chemicals so as to grow their seed.

The corner drug dealer wants you dependant on him when you are feining for a drug that he pushes. A chemical company doesn't have an intention of making you dependant on them. You either want a weed free lawn and use chemicals or you have a weed infested lawn. That is your choice. Ive bought commercial seed for a very long time. Are you saying that all seed sold by a company that produces chemicals are inert without their chemicals? Ive used production company seed for a very long time. Most of the time the company actually states when applying seed chemicals should not be applied for at least 4 cuts which is about a month with a once of week grass cut schedule.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Jersey Marine,

Do you grow everything yourself that you digest? Do you ever buy produce at a supermarket? ...

I completely agree with you in regards to what is being produced and labeled as USDA organic. The bottom line with USDA organic food is that it does meet a slightly higher standard, in other words, for now, there are some restrictions, but it is weak.

I will only buy organic if the price is similar to that of the conventional grown brand. I try to buy organic for the top poisoned foods, the Environmental Working Group has a list that comes out regularly, but the price needs to be close to those that are conventionally grown otherwise I usually abstain. I definitely prefer eating what I have grown, tastes better, dirt cheap (literally), and I know it hasn't been sprayed by someone wearing a hazmat suit.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Jersey Marine,

The corner drug dealer wants you dependant on him ...

I'm saying I like to save seed and grow my own plants freely, so I don't buy patented seed. I also like it when some of my plants self-sow. I have no need for their chemicals either, my plants grow beautifully. One key is crop rotation and adding in enough diversification. Garlic, Marigold, many plants aid in protecting from various insects. Another key is healthy, vibrant, living soil, which creates robust, healthy plants.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Jersey Marine,

In terms of "dependency", the video I posted in this thread I think will explain what I am talking about - I will re-post it here:

Traditional gardening vs. dependency on chemical companies