Podcasts about promised bounty

Jeffrey Smith is back talking GMOs! Join us as we dive even deeper into the murky world of GMOs and RoundUp. Jeffrey helps bust some myths and explains how we got to where we are now. You want to understand what Roundup (Glyphosate) does to your body so tune in and let Jeffrey explain in layman’s terms.   * * * About Jeffrey Smith Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. He was named the 2017 Person of the Year by Masters of Health Magazine for more than two decades or work in 45 countries exposing how biotech companies mislead policymakers and the public and put the health of society at risk. In 2018, he and Amy Hart released Secret Ingredients, a documentary that highlights numerous individuals and families that healed from serious conditions after switching to an organic diet. His feature-length documentary, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives was awarded the 2012 Movie of the Year, and inspired millions worldwide to choose healthier non-GMO foods. His books include Seeds of Deception, it is the world's bestseller on GMOs, and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. He has counseled government leaders and healthcare practitioners from every continent and has been quoted by thousands of news outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine. He appears on influential radio and television programs, including the BBC, NPR, Fox News, Democracy Now, The Doctors, and the Dr. Oz Show.    Secret Ingredients - SecretIngredientsMovie.com “The most effective and efficient tool at convincing people that they absolutely have to eat organic immediately”, Jeffrey Smith In the film, all these people get better from different diseases and disorders just after switching to organic food. then they realize the role of the food and the secret ingredients in the food   GMOs That Are Sprayed With Roundup Soy Corn Cotton (for cottonseed oil) Canola Sugar Beets Alfalfa Zucchini Yellow Squash Papaya - from China & Hawaii Potatoes and Apples (engineered not to go brown) Can change expression in our bodies - very dangerous In fact, the person who made the potato, the scientist who first worked at Monsanto and then later at J.R. Simplot, Cauis Rommens, wrote a book after that, Pandora's Potato is the Worst GMO. He realized after he retired that it was a travesty and could be causing massive damage to health.   Other Mom-GMO Crops That Are Regularly Sprayed With Roundup Grains Beans Sunflowers Kiwi Citrus Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Vineyards ...and more!   What Roundup (Glyphosate) Does To Your Body It's primary poison is called glyphosate. Glyphosate was patented as a chelator. It chelates with all sorts of minerals making them unavailable, and these are the minerals we want to have available. . The reason it was patented, it was patented as a descaler to clean the mineral deposits inside industrial boilers and pipes. So it was a cleaning chemical. It kills the beneficial bacteria in the soil and also in our guts, but not the nasty pathogens. It blocks the shikimate pathway which is a seven-step metabolic route used by cells to function. The shikimate pathway is used by gut bacteria to produce the precursors to; serotonin, melatonin, dopamine. Causes a leaky gut. “When you take human cells in a Petri dish that are bound tightly together with tight junctions, and you add Roundup in that Petri dish, they separate. So it loses the tight junctions. If that happens inside our gut, that's leaky gut.” Linked to birth defects. Linked to increased cancer numbers.   An Activist’s Timeline IRT started talking about the health dangers early on, 1996. Jeffrey published Seeds of Deception in 2003. It became a world best seller. He traveled all over the world with that book. People started changing the way they're talking about GMOs. Starting around 2010, I found that people who had been reading my books and reading my articles which were not lightweight. They were detailed and long as to ensure understanding of all the issues we faced with GMOs and glyphosate. In 2010, IRT created the Tipping Point Network of groups. In 2010 the Non-GMO Project came up. Started to verify products. There was a flood of people trying to get their products, Non-GMO Project verified so that they would get a boost in sales. So there was an 18-month waiting list for getting their verification. In 2012, he released the movie Genetic Roulette, and also there was a ballot initiative in California for labeling. Between the two of them, the number of people that were concerned about the health dangers in GMOs went from 51% in 2012 to 61% in 2013. Whole Foods, in 2013, said at the Natural Foods Expo West, "We're going to require products to be either organic, certified, or Non-GMO Project verified by 2018, or they will be considered GMOs." They also mentioned that when a product becomes non-GMO verified, there's an increase in sales at 15 to 30%. That was the tipping point for the natural products industry. At the beginning of 2014, other products started to do the same, who are not in the natural products industry, first was Cheerios, and then Grape-Nuts. It started in 2014 in the mainstream, and now it's 46% of Americans say they're seeking non-GMO food. All the major food companies are putting more and more effort into replacing the GM ingredients due to consumer demand. Then comes along 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, determines that glyphosate is a class two A carcinogen. In particularly for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Now, the lawyers are involved because of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and they started to defend and take on cases of people that had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that were using Roundup, or the survivors. And winning.     Myths Busted   GMOs are the same as Crossbreeding The FDA scientists have said GMOs are different, lead to different risks, compared to natural breeding. George Wald, the Noble Laureate, said the same thing. Belinda Martineau, who did the first GMO tomato. It's no longer on the market. She says, "Of course it's not an extension of natural breeding. It's different. It leads to different risks. It creates massive collateral damage that's not seen in nature. Those mutations can be dangerous. A single point mutation can kill someone, and there can be hundreds or thousands of them when you do these transformations with genetic engineering."   GMOs Increase Average Yield & Help Feed the World Over 400 scientists contributed to a document for the United Nations. The most comprehensive evaluation, how to feed the world. What do they say about GMOs? Doesn't apply. It's not a solution. It does not have any positive impact to feed the hungry world, eradicate poverty, or create sustainable agriculture. The NY Times’ article agrees. Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops It doesn't increase average yield, and yet agroecology and things like beyond organic can double yields in developing countries.      Deeper Dive Resources   Secret Ingredients - The Movie https://in188.isrefer.com/go/sifs/Organixx/   BOOK: Seeds of Deception https://amzn.to/2DC5N9O   BOOK: Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods https://amzn.to/2Jbcpj5   Institute of Responsible Technology https://responsibletechnology.org/   Pets & GMOs https://petsandgmos.com/   Shikimate Pathway https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15012217   Controversy Around the Séralini Study in 2012 https://www.gmoseralini.org/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-seralini-study/ https://www.gmoseralini.org/retraction-by-corruption-seralini-study/ http://www.seralini.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Novotny-JBPC-2018-On-Seralini-FCT-retraction.pdf   Laboratory Rodent Diets Contain Toxic Levels of Environmental Contaminants: Implications for Regulatory Tests https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4489719/   Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26302742   Glyphosate Causes Serious Multi-Generational Health Damage to Rats – New WSU Research https://responsibletechnology.org/glyphosate-causes-serious-multi-generational-health-damage-to-rats-new-wsu-research/   RoundUp Risks Website https://rounduprisks.com/   Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05860-7/fulltext   New UN Report: Pesticides Don’t Feed the World https://civileats.com/2017/03/13/new-un-report-pesticides-dont-feed-the-world/   BOOK: Pandora's Potatoes: The Worst GMOs https://amzn.to/2GV8NA0   Non-GMO Project https://www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/ https://www.nongmoproject.org/about/   USDA Certified Organic https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Jeffrey Smith is back talking GMOs! Join us as we dive even deeper into the murky world of GMOs and RoundUp. Jeffrey helps bust some myths and explains how we got to where we are now. You want to understand what Roundup (Glyphosate) does to your body so tune in and let Jeffrey explain in layman’s terms.   * * * About Jeffrey Smith Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. He was named the 2017 Person of the Year by Masters of Health Magazine for more than two decades or work in 45 countries exposing how biotech companies mislead policymakers and the public and put the health of society at risk. In 2018, he and Amy Hart released Secret Ingredients, a documentary that highlights numerous individuals and families that healed from serious conditions after switching to an organic diet. His feature-length documentary, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives was awarded the 2012 Movie of the Year, and inspired millions worldwide to choose healthier non-GMO foods. His books include Seeds of Deception, it is the world's bestseller on GMOs, and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. He has counseled government leaders and healthcare practitioners from every continent and has been quoted by thousands of news outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine. He appears on influential radio and television programs, including the BBC, NPR, Fox News, Democracy Now, The Doctors, and the Dr. Oz Show.    Secret Ingredients - SecretIngredientsMovie.com “The most effective and efficient tool at convincing people that they absolutely have to eat organic immediately”, Jeffrey Smith In the film, all these people get better from different diseases and disorders just after switching to organic food. then they realize the role of the food and the secret ingredients in the food   GMOs That Are Sprayed With Roundup Soy Corn Cotton (for cottonseed oil) Canola Sugar Beets Alfalfa Zucchini Yellow Squash Papaya - from China & Hawaii Potatoes and Apples (engineered not to go brown) Can change expression in our bodies - very dangerous In fact, the person who made the potato, the scientist who first worked at Monsanto and then later at J.R. Simplot, Cauis Rommens, wrote a book after that, Pandora's Potato is the Worst GMO. He realized after he retired that it was a travesty and could be causing massive damage to health.   Other Mom-GMO Crops That Are Regularly Sprayed With Roundup Grains Beans Sunflowers Kiwi Citrus Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Vineyards ...and more!   What Roundup (Glyphosate) Does To Your Body It's primary poison is called glyphosate. Glyphosate was patented as a chelator. It chelates with all sorts of minerals making them unavailable, and these are the minerals we want to have available. . The reason it was patented, it was patented as a descaler to clean the mineral deposits inside industrial boilers and pipes. So it was a cleaning chemical. It kills the beneficial bacteria in the soil and also in our guts, but not the nasty pathogens. It blocks the shikimate pathway which is a seven-step metabolic route used by cells to function. The shikimate pathway is used by gut bacteria to produce the precursors to; serotonin, melatonin, dopamine. Causes a leaky gut. “When you take human cells in a Petri dish that are bound tightly together with tight junctions, and you add Roundup in that Petri dish, they separate. So it loses the tight junctions. If that happens inside our gut, that's leaky gut.” Linked to birth defects. Linked to increased cancer numbers.   An Activist’s Timeline IRT started talking about the health dangers early on, 1996. Jeffrey published Seeds of Deception in 2003. It became a world best seller. He traveled all over the world with that book. People started changing the way they're talking about GMOs. Starting around 2010, I found that people who had been reading my books and reading my articles which were not lightweight. They were detailed and long as to ensure understanding of all the issues we faced with GMOs and glyphosate. In 2010, IRT created the Tipping Point Network of groups. In 2010 the Non-GMO Project came up. Started to verify products. There was a flood of people trying to get their products, Non-GMO Project verified so that they would get a boost in sales. So there was an 18-month waiting list for getting their verification. In 2012, he released the movie Genetic Roulette, and also there was a ballot initiative in California for labeling. Between the two of them, the number of people that were concerned about the health dangers in GMOs went from 51% in 2012 to 61% in 2013. Whole Foods, in 2013, said at the Natural Foods Expo West, "We're going to require products to be either organic, certified, or Non-GMO Project verified by 2018, or they will be considered GMOs." They also mentioned that when a product becomes non-GMO verified, there's an increase in sales at 15 to 30%. That was the tipping point for the natural products industry. At the beginning of 2014, other products started to do the same, who are not in the natural products industry, first was Cheerios, and then Grape-Nuts. It started in 2014 in the mainstream, and now it's 46% of Americans say they're seeking non-GMO food. All the major food companies are putting more and more effort into replacing the GM ingredients due to consumer demand. Then comes along 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, determines that glyphosate is a class two A carcinogen. In particularly for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Now, the lawyers are involved because of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and they started to defend and take on cases of people that had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that were using Roundup, or the survivors. And winning.     Myths Busted   GMOs are the same as Crossbreeding The FDA scientists have said GMOs are different, lead to different risks, compared to natural breeding. George Wald, the Noble Laureate, said the same thing. Belinda Martineau, who did the first GMO tomato. It's no longer on the market. She says, "Of course it's not an extension of natural breeding. It's different. It leads to different risks. It creates massive collateral damage that's not seen in nature. Those mutations can be dangerous. A single point mutation can kill someone, and there can be hundreds or thousands of them when you do these transformations with genetic engineering."   GMOs Increase Average Yield & Help Feed the World Over 400 scientists contributed to a document for the United Nations. The most comprehensive evaluation, how to feed the world. What do they say about GMOs? Doesn't apply. It's not a solution. It does not have any positive impact to feed the hungry world, eradicate poverty, or create sustainable agriculture. The NY Times’ article agrees. Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops It doesn't increase average yield, and yet agroecology and things like beyond organic can double yields in developing countries.      Deeper Dive Resources   Secret Ingredients - The Movie https://in188.isrefer.com/go/sifs/Organixx/   BOOK: Seeds of Deception https://amzn.to/2DC5N9O   BOOK: Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods https://amzn.to/2Jbcpj5   Institute of Responsible Technology https://responsibletechnology.org/   Pets & GMOs https://petsandgmos.com/   Shikimate Pathway https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15012217   Controversy Around the Séralini Study in 2012 https://www.gmoseralini.org/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-seralini-study/ https://www.gmoseralini.org/retraction-by-corruption-seralini-study/ http://www.seralini.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Novotny-JBPC-2018-On-Seralini-FCT-retraction.pdf   Laboratory Rodent Diets Contain Toxic Levels of Environmental Contaminants: Implications for Regulatory Tests https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4489719/   Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26302742   Glyphosate Causes Serious Multi-Generational Health Damage to Rats – New WSU Research https://responsibletechnology.org/glyphosate-causes-serious-multi-generational-health-damage-to-rats-new-wsu-research/   RoundUp Risks Website https://rounduprisks.com/   Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05860-7/fulltext   New UN Report: Pesticides Don’t Feed the World https://civileats.com/2017/03/13/new-un-report-pesticides-dont-feed-the-world/   BOOK: Pandora's Potatoes: The Worst GMOs https://amzn.to/2GV8NA0   Non-GMO Project https://www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/ https://www.nongmoproject.org/about/   USDA Certified Organic https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Have you ever wished you really understood genetic modification and food engineering? What does it really mean for us? Is it good? Is it bad? Who decides? We know these technologies aren't going away. But, can science answer values questions?   Join us to discuss cutting-edge genetic research and its impacts on food and farming. What ethical questions do the technologies raise?   Links mentioned in the episode:   Synthetic biology products database: http://database.synbiowatch.org/ NY Times articles about older GMOs; not synthetic biology, but the danger is the same with synthetic biology: sometimes we believe the hype about benefits and ignore the risks:   Monsanto Weed Killer Roundup Faces New Doubts on Safety in Unsealed Documents https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/monsanto-roundup-safety-lawsuit.html Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls-short.html?_r=0 Church positions on synthetic biology: Commission of the Bishop’s Conferences of the European Community http://www.comece.eu/dl/KptMJKJOOMLJqx4KJK/20160119_SyntheticBIO_EN.pdf   Church of Scotland http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3793/synthetic_biology_report.pdf   Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) http://quakerservice.ca/SBIssues The Quakers also produce general updates about twice a year with simple info on some of the applications of synthetic biology. These are available for download at: http://quakerservice.ca/SyntheticBiology

Please leave us a review at http://openskyfitness.com/review    Do We Actually Need GMOs?   "If France was able to decrease the amount of  pesticides and herbicides and yield the same amount of crops while the USA increased herbicides and decreased pesticides but had no increase in crop yields with GMOs, then what's even the need of GMOs? Money." - Devon Dionne   On this week's episode of the Open Sky Fitness Podcast, Devon and I wanted to focus on nutrition and specifically Genetically Modified Organisms aka GMOs. What are they, when did we start to use them, and have they made any type of impact are the questions we'll be answering and more.   What Are Gyrotonics? BONUS! As many of you know from listening to the most recent introductions, Devon is not only a certified holistic nutritionist, but also a certified gyrotonic instructor. Like some of the members of the , you might be asking yourself, what exactly does a gyrotonic instructor do? We took some time at the beginning of the episode to explain how gyrotonics got its start, how a gyrotonic gets certified and what they do, as well as how gyrotonics benefits the body.   How GMOs Got Their Start We began to introduce GMOs into the food chain back in 1998. Even before the, we've been creating hybrid foods for years with cross-pollination, but we had never genetically modified them like this until now. GMOs are created by splicing the genes and adding new DNA information into the genetic pattern. This new genetic information doesn't even have to come from the same type of food, they can be from different biological kingdoms. BT corn is genetically engineered that would use less pesticide and so they put in new bacteria into the DNA of the corn so that they naturally have pesticides and when the bugs eat the corn, they die. Its not toxic to us, but to insects.   "You can vote with your wallet. If you're buying food that says "Non GMO," local, and organic foods, then place your vote." - Rob Dionne     Genetically Modified Food   "The seeds are so unique that they need to be patented. But at the same time, they're so substantially equivalent to other seeds, there's no need to label them, test them, or otherwise regulate them." Monsanto on not labeling their GMO ingredients in products.   There are two types of GMOs: GMO1 foods and GMO2 foods. However, we don't really know the true consequences yet of genetically modifying food, but GMO2 type foods sounds particularly harmful. As mentioned above, GMO1 foods are created by splicing the genes and placing natural genetic information  to try to improve them. However, to create a GMO2 food, the DNA is computer generated in a lab and not natural at all. The most common types of GMO1 foods include: Corn Soy Cotton Sugar beets (no. 1 source of our sugar) Canola oil Alfalfa Hawaiian papaya Zucchini Yellow Squash Specifically, Bt-corn is genetically engineered to require less pesticide by putting new bacteria into the DNA of the corn. By doing this, the modified Bt-corn species naturally contains pesticides that are toxic to bugs, but not us. The most common types of GMO2 foods include: Canola oil Potatoes Arctic Apples (that don't naturally brown after you slice them or take a bite) Stevia EverSweet Patchouli Rose Oil    "And now we're taking GMOs to the lab, but do we really need to? GMOs are like a supplement that we don't even need. The highest GMO crops are corn, soy, and sugar and these are all of the foods that are killing us. They're causing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease and our government is funding this." - Rob and Devon Dionne   Join The Open Sky Fitness Podcast Group! That's right! We have a closed Open Sky Fitness Podcast group  on Facebook where you and everyone have the opportunity to talk about your health and fitness goals in a safe environment. We post workouts and start discussions about how to be strategic around finding a healthier you. Check it out! Start Building Your Own Workouts and Meal Plan! Download Results Tracker here! Click To Download Home Workout Templates or text the word, "lifting," to 33444 to download the templates.  Download the OSF Food Journal Now! Have a Question or Review for Rob or Devon? We love answering questions and getting feedback from you, our listener! If you have any questions to ask us, want to share a review of the show, or tell us any suggestions for guests/topics that you think would be great to have on the show, just email Rob at rob@openskyfitness.com or Devon at devon@openskyfitness.com or you can also leave us a review at www.openskyfitness.com/review, ask a question in the closed Open Sky Fitness Facebook Group and even text OSFreview to 33444 to get the link.   What You'll Hear on This Episode 00:00 Open Sky Fitness Introduction 1:15  Opening comments with Rob and Devon 1:30 Gyrotonic and  Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) 2:30  The history of gyrotonics. 4:00 The different gyrotonic machines. 9:00  What gyrotonics can do for the body and why it's so beneficial. 12:00  Different breathing techniques you can use for gyrotonics. 13:00  Who should consider doing gyrotonics and where you can do it. 18:10  What are Genetically Modified Organisms? 20:00  About Monsanto seeds 21:30  When did we start creating GMOs? 23:00  How do we genetically modify food? 28:00  Different pesticides that Monsanto has created such as Roundup Ready and why they eventually don't work anymore. 30:00 Controversies for Monsanto and new products 33:00  How GMOs are affecting the world and government policies 34:10  Recent studies on GMOs and its affect on our bodies 35:00 The story behind GMO1 foods and the new GMO2 foods 36:00 What foods are genetically modified 39:30  GMOs don't need to be labeled as of now 40:00  About F1 hybrid cross-pollinated seeds 43:35  How you can make a difference with your wallet 45:00  What to look for in the ingredients of the packaged foods that you buy. 47:15  Comparing the USA's use of GMOs to other countries that don't use them like France, Germany, and Russia 51:40  Closing comments with Rob and Devon 1:11:55  Open Sky Fitness Closing   RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW: Leave us an iTunes review Join the The Open Sky Fitness Podcast Group on Facebook Read Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops from The New York Times The Monsanto official website The Syngenta official website   To Download Rob’s FREE workout templates click below** Download Templates Ask Rob a Question or tell him what is working for you: Email Rob@OpenSkyFitness.com To leave a Review for Rob and the Open Sky Fitness Podcast CLICK NOW!  Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them. Contact our amazing sound engineer Ryan? Send him an e-mail here: info@stellarsoundsstudio.com Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Do you have any questions (and would like to hear yourself on the Open Sky Fitness Podcast)? Click on the link on the right side of any page on our website that says “Send Voicemail.” And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free! Thanks for listening/reading Episode 139: 16 Fitness Hacks to Kickstart Your Health! We hope you have gained more knowledge on how to be a healthier you!

Links No Dirt Gardening! http://wp.me/s5Cqpo-55805 A "Natural" Experiment: GMO farming. http://wp.me/p5Cqpo-ewG **** This is the World Organic News Podcast for the week ending 27th of March 2017. Jon Moore reporting! We begin this week with post from farmer406: No Dirt? No problem: Strawbale Gardening. Quote: The concept of growing food from a bale of straw was odd at first until I thought it through. Commercial growers have been using alternative growing mediums for years, so why not scale it down for the backyard Do-It-Yourselfer? It is, of course, different than growing in dirt. End quote. The idea is to line up a row of straw bales into garden beds. Turn the bales so as to have the stems facing vertically and the bale twine on the sides. This allows for better water retention and the twine doesn’t rot as quickly, usually lasting the entire first season. The bales are then wetted and some sort of fertiliser added to the top. This done to start the decomposition process. A fish and or kelp based fertiliser is applied and the bales begin to decompose. Into the spaces between the lines of straw, seedlings or seeds are placed. Continue as per any other garden bed. The advantages of this system are numerous. Good organic matter, great drainage, heated beds at the start of Spring (from the decomposition process), no digging (always a plus for me), almost non existent weed issues, especially if the bales are clean of weeds to start with and a ready made pile of organic matter for next seasons garden beds. This also a great way to start gardening on compacted soils, thin soils, soils likely to be a bit wet at the start of Spring and excessively sandy soils. All these conditions, except for the excess water require the incorporation of organic matter to render them suitable for gardening. With straw bale gardens you start the process above the soil and let the soil biota, earthworms and microbia do the incorporating for you. I used a variation of this method by using the straw a bedding for dairy goats over winter and piling the bedding, complete with manures and urine, into garden beds. In all cases the organic matter boost and a food harvest is the outcome. I have also seen these done with spoiled bales of lucerne hay, that’s alfalfa for those listening in the Americas. To my mind this is overkill but it does bump up the nitrogen levels especially in the second season so it might be an option depending upon your rotation plans. However you do it, it is a viable option as far as I can see. Compared to our next post: Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops as reported in the blog: SEPTISPHERE. To sum up the thrust of the post before we dig a little deeper, Quote: Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise. End quote. The big sales pitch with GMOs back in the late 1908s and 1990s was the promised reduction in pesticides. This has occurred but not in isolation. Whilst the pesticide use has fallen, it is still being used and alongside this use is a huge jump in herbicide use. Let me explain the process of GMO farming. GMO seeds are designed to be resistant to pests and to withstand the application of herbicides. That being the case, each cell of the GMO plant contains a pesticide which is deadly to insects and, apparently, safe for humans and other non insect animals to consume. Therefore there is no need to spray insecticides. Now the resistance to herbicides means a farmer doesn’t need to till between the rows of plants to remove weeds. They just need to spray a herbicide, a herbicide who’s patent coincidently is owned by the GMO seed producers. So the claimed benefits of GMO farming are less pesticides, less tillage and better weed destruction. The reality is a little more complex. The one thing which appears to have been overlooked is a thing the scientific community like to call: Evolution. “How does that work in this situation?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m glad you asked. By spraying the one herbicide the GMO plants were resistant too, glyphosate, you might know it as Roundup, over the populations of weeds, year in and year out, the farmer is in reality changing the local environment of the weed species. Creating a new ecological niche is another way to think of it. Once the weeds were growing in competition to the plough, the crop and the application of herbicides, now the weeds species are living in a niche where resistance to the herbicide alone will ensure reproductive success. It is worth remembering that reproductive success within a given niche is the sole purpose of the evolutionary process. So not surprisingly, over time, the GMO farming sector has been carefully selecting for weed species with an ability to survive being sprayed by Roundup and then reproducing. Even less surprising is the seeds these plants scatter on their demise are, mostly, also resistant to Roundup. It would appear the resistance to Roundup is on a sliding scale and so further applications of this herbicide were found to be effective at removing many of these semi-resistant individual plants. Can you see where this is heading? Yes, much more herbicide is used in the USA and Canada than in Europe. Ah but I hear you cry, much lest pesticide is also used in North America. Yes but so too is that figure falling in Europe, mainly through the use of ecological methods such as crop rotations, companion planting, interplanting and the retention of hedging which acts a base for insect eating birds and predatory insect species. Toss in the World Health Organisations findings in 2016 that Glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and the longer term prospects for GMO farming look poor. Remember glyphosate is marketed as Roundup the most ubiquitously used herbicide in not just agricultural settings but also in suburban gardens and local authority weed reduction plans. If only ten percent of us turned those lawns into straw bale gardens, the use of glyphosate would plummet. The two posts I’ve highlighted this week represent alternative ends of the agricultural spectrum. We have, in the West, since the second world war handed over our food production from the garden level to the industrial. If you think of the health changes in that time, one thing stands out. Body mass, in the both West and the industrialising nations of the world. The experiment has been run on the GMO method and the side effects are, I believe, not worth the expense. So line up your straw bales, shorten your supply lines and taste real food again! And that brings us to the end of this week’s podcast. If you’ve liked what you heard, please tell everyone you know any way you can! I’d also really appreciate a review on iTunes. This helps others to find us. Thanks in advance! Any suggestions, feedback or criticisms of the podcast or blog are most welcome. email me at podcast@worldorganicnews.com. Thank you for listening and I'll be back in a week. **** Links No Dirt Gardening! http://wp.me/s5Cqpo-55805 A "Natural" Experiment: GMO farming. http://wp.me/p5Cqpo-ewG