Re: CONFESSIONS
I grew up on a farm and it was always a desperate struggle with nature and
the cost of farming to survive and make enough money to pay our bills and
have a little left over to live on. There were no vacations for us. If it
wasn't for the love of what farmers do they would get jobs in the city and
make a lot more money. The profit motive has to be there or the farmers
would lose their farms and believe me they would rather not spay as it is
extra cost and labor and they too wonder what it is doing to their soil.
Believe me its not the farmers who are making the big bucks. Go up the
chain and check out the middle man etc. Also ask the people who are buying
the produce how much they want and can aford to pay for what they eat.
This summer my neighbor sprayed and sprayed his commercial peppers. They
were a terrible crop and he must have lost a lot of money. I did not spray
anything in my non commercial garden. I had peppers from July into December,
more than enough to give away etc. I am not against spraying when it is
absolutely necessary but try to avoid it.
By the time I see something has a serious problem its probably too late to
spray anyway and I have saved myself time and money. I also plant more then
I need so if I lose some it won't make any difference to my harvest. I also
try disease resistant varieties . If my garden is not successful it does not
mean losing the farm and that is what a lot of farmers face on a yearly
basis. You look at things differently when it comes to survival. I just
want to point out another point of view.
L.E. Schmiege
----- Original Message -----
From: Janet Smithen <jansmithen@earthlink.net>
To: Mediterranean plant list <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 4:47 AM
Subject: Re: CONFESSIONS
> Thankyou Moira,
>
> For your gentle, reasoned, yet eloquent reply to Fred Thompson's
> "Confession". Often, I'm asked these same questions in many different
ways
> by those who don't understand the warnings made by the organic community.
> They view our approach as "wild-eyed doom-sayers". And perhaps, I've
sounded
> like that from time to time. The profit motive is so strong in U.S.
> agri-business and petro-chemical companies, they are unable to see any
other
> goals, or care about any other results of their activities. Corporate
greed
> is rampant, while they support large advertising and public relation firms
to
> keep them looking good in the public eye. Only investigation and
education
> that passes from gardener to gardener, then from gardener to friend can
start
> a ground swell of informed protest. And that is where you have been so
> helpful.
> I shall share your insights drawn from experience as well as research with
my
> classes. And I will learn from you to speak softly. Thankyou. Jan
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Jan Smithen, gardening teacher
> Los Angeles County Arboretum
> jansmithen@earthlink.net
> Sunset zone : 19
> USDA zone : 10
>
> Visit the Victorian Rose Garden website at :
> http://victorian-rose.org/
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
