As our family drives around Western NY this weekend we see hectare after hectare of fields planted with corn and soybeans and a few smaller crops like cabbage, sunflower and alfalfa. Many of these are GMO crops – the signs themselves best the fields tell us as much.
And we’ve seen our share of bumper stickers, articles, etc. over the years telling us of the horrors of these so called “Frankenfoods.”
(An interesting literature aside is that the monster in Mary Shelly’s masterpiece ends the story quite educated and cosmopolitan – it seems the grisly figure we think of as the monster is really from early theatrical adaptations of the novel)
Let’s not discuss the science of Frankenfoods. Indeed, give the anti-Franks their position.
On this lovely weekend, as our son takes a cocktail of medicines prescribed by our doctor, where are all of the horror stories and protests against “Frankendrugs?” Really. Recombinant DNA technology, for example, for drugs has almost worldwide acceptance as I understand it.
What gives? Just found this:
Some of the fiercest opponents of GM seeds are European governments that “protect” farmers by banning GM imports.
They buy local, of course.
Glad WC is a good photographer. The bumper sticker says, “Right to Now GMOS… Keep the government out of my kitchen.” Did I read that wrong? Maybe that person is not a hysterical Sierra Clubber, or an OWS groupie, but rather someone willing to eat a hamburger from a steer fed with Roundup Ready corn, or willing to buy from the regular produce section at Wegeman’s , which for some folks is buying local.
The Roundup Ready soybeans fifteen feet from my garden are nearly shoulder high, higher than my robust tomato plants, which would have been more robust had they not been starved of carbon dioxide this summer.
It says “Right to kNOw GMO”. It doesn’t make any freaking sense. Government out of my kitchen? What does the government have to do with it? Crazy hippies.
Rich, I think the sticker was making a pun, but I might be wrong.
I get behind these cars, and I can hardly make out what they say until my bumper is under the tailpipe.
This one may have been on the bumper of a real farmer who grows Roundup Ready crops, sprays for other weeds, and cleans the manure out of his barn regularly, beds down the cows, and showers before dinner, etc.
In contrast, the USDA promotes undercapitalized amateur farmers to run lousy operations, resulting in below-poverty (?) incomes, and then spends billions to get them signed up for food stamps. This is supposed to help unemployed John Deere workers, who also get food stamps and generous unemployment benefits for several years. The idea is to subsidize the poor to plant corn on marginal farmland with federally subsidized credit.
Watching the PGA, Oak Hill is a Mendelian example of genetic engineering, grass selectively grown to produce long roots. I am surprised Obama or some other liberal does not take credit for it, given our state agricultural colleges and the grand contribution to our well being by the US Department of Agriculture. You did not build that, my Martha’s Vineyard greens are better than Rochester greens, etc.
GMO s may be the closest thing to a miracle that we see in our lifetime.
What I mean is, Just consider how many mouths are fed, and how much less is consumed in food production, and the incredible amount of wealth that GMOs have provided. I find it difficult to wrap my head around – not to mention the scientific accomplishment!
Front page D&C Wednesday aug 14
Aren’t Great Danes, Irish Setters, poodles, dachshunds and shar peis basically GMO wolves?