Archive for the ‘GMO’ Category

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GMO Canola in the Flathead

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Canola Field in Lower Valley

by Catherine Haug, August 1, 2012

A few weeks ago, canola fields were in bloom all around the Flathead valley. You will recognize them by their bright yellow blooms as in the photo by Devvi Morgan, right.

But despite their sunny look, their disposition is not so sunny. Most, if not all, of these crops are Roundup-Ready® Canola (1), a GMO crop. This means that even IF the GMO aspect were harmless (which I don’t believe is the case), these crops are heavily sprayed with Roundup to control weeds. They may also be heavily sprayed with insecticides. These sprays are then present in the air we breathe and get into the groundwater, and can contaminate our drinking water.

Did you know that canola seeds spread rapidly and cross-pollinate with many other brassicas  including turnips, broccoli raab, some kales, rutabaga, and possibly radish and broccoli, according to research at Oregon State University? This means that if you have any of these growing in your garden, their seeds could be contaminated with GMO DNA from the canola. If you are a seed saver, you may not want to save these.

Apart from the GMO aspect, canola poses other health risks.

(more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Health | 3 Comments »

Organics: Who’s Watching your Back?

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, May 24, 2012

Most people assume if it says “Organic” on the package, it contains no harmful additives and is a healthful food. But this is true only for single-ingredient foods (fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs); it is not necessarily the case when it comes to processed Organic foods (canned, bottled, boxed, packaged or frozen).

For starters, there are three different Organic labels used on processed foods (foods with more than one ingredient; see The EssentiaList: Natural vs Organic Labeling for more detail):

  • “100% Organic”
  • “Organic” (95% of ingredients by weight are Organic)
  • “Made with Organic” (less than 95% of ingredients by weight are Organic)

And then there are the standards that govern what can and cannot be termed ‘Organic.’ These standards are determined and enforced by:

  • National Organic Program (NOP)
  • National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
  • Organic Trade Association (OTA)

These organizations are supposed to be keeping the Organic labels true to the name, but recent history reveals that is not the case. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Organics, Shop Local | 1 Comment »

GMOs: Government People who Worked for Monsanto

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, February 15, 2012

One of the reasons it is so hard to get our government to stop the expansion of approved GMO crops, or even to label foods containing GMO ingredients, is because so many of our government officials are former counsel to, or employees/executives of Monsanto. That’s like the fox protecting the hen house….

Now there’s a very revealing diagram that shows these relationships. I know the print is small, but it comes with a magnifying glass icon that allows you to make the print bigger. Go to: GMO Relationships: Monsanto to Federal Government to see the diagram.

Go to the Just Label It campaign to sign the petition, if this issue is important to you. This link is also on our home page in the right hand column under “GMO”

Posted in Agriculture, Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO | 1 Comment »

Colorado’s Boulder County Outlaws GMO Crops – We can too

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, February 7, 2912

Boulder County in Colorado recently approved a transition process that would eventually ban GMO crops from county open space. This action came after citizen outcry that led to a policy recommendation crafted by the county’s Food and Agriculture Policy Council, despite fears the county would lose farmers and revenue.

“Currently, about 16,000 acres of county-woned land are planted with genetically engineered corn [primarily Bt corn]; the new rule will mean these crops will be transitioned out in favor of traditional GMO-free farming practices.”

See Second committee votes to phase out Boulder County GMOs (1) and Colorado [county] bans GMO crops (2) for more on this story.

But corn isn’t the only GE/GMO crop grown in the US. Soy, canola and most recently sugar beets and alfalfa are the primary crops, but unless this madness is stopped, more will surely follow suit. GMO papaya and zucchini are also sold in the produce section of many grocery stores. GMO sweet corn is awaiting approval.

The problem is that you don’t know if a product is GMO because it is not required to be labeled. My response to this problem is to buy only Certified Organic version of the suspect crops. However, even products that are “Made with Organic” can contain GE/GMO ingredients because up to 30% of the total ingredients (by weight) can be non-Organic. See my earlier posts: Natural vs Organic Labeling and Reading Food Labels for more.

Posted in Agriculture, Community, GMO | Comments Closed

“Just Label It” Campaign

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Frankenfood

by Catherine Haug, February 5, 2012

Montana Organic Association has joined other partner organizations to support the FDA petition for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE, GMO) foods. See JustLabelIt.org. See also the MOA’s GMO Page for lots more about this threat to the environment, and human health

I’ve added a new GMOs category in the right-hand column of our home page called GMOs, where you can find links to the Just Label It campaign and to all my earlier posts on GMOs.

Read on for a 3 minute video about this campaign, and a transcription of MOA’s short article about this problem and the Just Label It petition. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Health | Comments Closed

Scary Foods (or why we should support local food producers)

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

by Catherine Haug, January 26, 2012

Supporting local food producers (gardeners, CSAs, farmers, orchards, ranchers, dairies, etc.) is not only an excellent way to build a strong community, but also the best way to ensure the quality and healthfulness of the foods you and your family eat. A side benefit is a cleaner, sustainable environment and  reduced energy consumption. You can effect food production practices by voting with your dollars.

Given the basic truth of “you are what you eat,” I am astounded at the toxic and unhealthful junk so many of us eat without giving it a second thought. Big Ag and its control of our media have certainly done a good job at getting us to make unhealthy choices voluntarily and enthusiastically. The problem is endemic in our society and affects all aspects of our diet.

(more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening, GMO, Health, Home & Ranch, Livestock, Shop Local | Comments Closed

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