The GMO Thread

[The Grand Nudger]

Absolutely not aimed at you except in the most indirect sense. There is a great deal of misinformation about GMO crops. It's understandable because most people have no idea where their food comes from, or how it came to be what it is. In the US, less than 1% of the population feed the rest. Even in that 1%, you end up with alot of people who farm but are otherwise unaware of the history or science behind what they're doing.

Long story short, all crops are GMO. You've never eaten anything in your life that isnt a GMO.

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Ah Summer, (and anyone else who wonders why people should even give a shit about agriculture)...got another book for your wishlist

http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Bittersweet-...0143017136

"Much like oil today, sugar was once the most powerful commodity on earth. It shaped world affairs, influencing the economic policies of nations, driving international trade and wreaking environmental havoc. The Western world's addiction to sugar came at a terrible human cost; the near-extinction of the New World indigenous people gave rise to a new form of slavery, as millions of captured Africans were crammed into ships to make the dangerous voyage to Caribbean cane plantations."

Something to think about. Particularly in the light that we are currently turning oil into food, and have been taking an increasingly serious look at sourcing a replacement fuel from the agricultural sector. Sugar is, of course, still massively important in it's own right.

(the book is unapologetic and unflinching in it's portrayal of slave life on a plantation, so if that's not your thing, you'll have to skip 1/3 of the book at least)

[thesummerqueen]

I'm unflinching, except at some of the comments you make now and then. Adding it to booklist now.

Did you see the odd plant I posted in the botany thread?

[leo-rcc]

A 'weed' is just a plant whose usefulness hasn't been discovered yet.

Actually, a weed is a plant that grows where it isn't wanted, that is the definition we used on agricultural school.

[Jackalope]

Actually, a weed is a plant that grows where it isn't wanted, that is the definition we used on agricultural school.

From this layman's perspective, I tend to agree. We have an invasive species of non-native blackberries in my area. I happen to love blackberries.

However, I don't want them growing on my property, as the vines have a nasty habit of spreading to consume all available space. I've got an are behind a large outbuilding that was vine-free at the end of winter, get so overgrown by the middle of summer that the vines reached the eaves (this is no small building, it's bigger than many urban homes, about 1800 sq ft). I've pulled down many vines that grew 30-50 feet up trees.

Unfortunately, my three of my four neighbors don't see the need to clear them from their property (or keep them from spilling over to mine), and they encroach from all sides every year and it takes a lot of labor and money to keep them out.

At least kudzu doesn't have thorns.

[thesummerqueen]

A 'weed' is just a plant whose usefulness hasn't been discovered yet.

Actually, a weed is a plant that grows where it isn't wanted, that is the definition we used on agricultural school.

Technically yes - I must remember to put my "facetious" markers on. Actually I think it's a silly quote from somewhere as well.

[Jaysyn]

I'm on the fence about GMO food, but Monsanto is evil as hell & needs a good curb-stomping.

[The Grand Nudger]

Their legal dept. definitely isn't doing them any favors is it.

Got a blackberry problem, roger that, so do I. I trimmed them into a hedge. We call them bushes but they're more like sprawling tress. They have a tendency to move through the soil. Plus side, train them around the house and you have a natural burglary prevention system.

I'm munching on GMO corn I grew in my backyard btw. SSE Strain. Grows with white kernels that have the flavor and consistency of potato. The yellow kernels are pure sugar. They have aims to use it for cornmeal as it has higher carb and sugars count. I like it grilled..lol. My daughters do too.

[Jackalope]

Got a blackberry problem, roger that, so do I. I trimmed them into a hedge. We call them bushes but they're more like sprawling tress. They have a tendency to move through the soil. Plus side, train them around the house and you have a natural burglary prevention system.

A hedge? I should take a pic of the neighbor's blackberry forest and see if you'd want to make a hedge of that. We're talking acres of blackberry vines, 15-20' high in some spots. I've literally about a thousand feet of property line in imminent danger of blackberry invasion - and that's not including the domestic threat of vines originating on my own land, which thankfully I can keep under control due to a policy of brutal oppression.

[The Grand Nudger]

Yeah send me pictures. A bush-hog would make a nice hedge out of any berries. Are you prepared to engaged in chemical and mechanical warfare against your neighbors bushes btw? Of course, could go straight for biological.

If you hire a neighbor to draw a deep plow line at the property line every year you won't have a problem. (it will also draw water out of your property proper)

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BPM Is till/burn. Might want to look into releasing Phragmidium Violaceum (blackberry leaf rust) if it's legal. Are these berries evergreen?

[Jackalope]

Yeah send me pictures. A bush-hog would make a nice hedge out of any berries. Are you prepared to engaged in chemical and mechanical warfare against your neighbors bushes btw? Of course, could go straight for biological.

If you hire a neighbor to draw a deep plow line at the property line every year you won't have a problem. (it will also draw water out of your property proper)

I have a guy come out every couple of years with some serious machinery to keep the fence line clear and clear out any undesirable underbrush - my property was formerly very overgrown with trees and brush, I've cleared much of it except for the larger healthy trees.

Around here, biological warfare means "goats". Don't have or want any or those. LOL

Chemical warfare = Crossbow. Check. The flame-thrower does a good job too.

I'm a bit limited as to what I can do on the worst part of it - it's part of a natural seasonal drainage and I'm not too fond of dumping a bunch of chemicals into it. My best bet is to take down a section of barbed wire and run a brush hog through it to cut it all back 10-15' back from my property line.