50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods

I ran across this article today and thought it was really great, so I had to share it here.  It's too long to post the entire thing to this blog, so I'm including the link

50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods

This is a great article, especially if you really don't know much about GM foods.  It tells you just why GM foods are harmful and will give you a great idea why I make such a fuss over GM foods. 

How to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods

Steps

1. Become familiar with the most common applications of genetic modification. These are the products (and their derivatives) that are most likely to be genetically modified:
   
   
   • Soybeans - Gene taken from bacteria (Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4) and inserted into soybeans to make them more resistant to herbicides.^[1] See How to Live With a Soy Allergy for more information on avoiding soy products.
   • Corn - Gene from the lepidoptera pathogen microorganism Bacillus thuringiensis inserted into corn genome to produce the Bt toxin, which poisons insect pests.^[2] May be present in high fructose corn syrup which is prevalent in a wide variety of foods in America.
   • Rapeseed/Canola - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
   • Sugar cane - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
   • Rice - Genetically modified to resist herbicides; not currently available for human consumption, but trace amounts of one GM long-grained variety (LLRICE601) may have entered the food supply in the USA and Europe.^[3]More recently, golden rice, a different strain of rice has been engineered to produce significantly higher levels of beta carotene, which the body uses to procduce vitamin A. Golden rice is still undergoing testing to determine if it is safe for human consumption.^[4]
   • Cotton - Used for making cottonseed oil.
   • Dairy - Cows injected with GE hormone rBGH/rBST; possibly fed GM grains and hay.
     
     
2. Buy food labeled 100% organic. The US and Canadian governments do not allow manufacturers to label something 100% organic if that food has been genetically modified or been fed genetically modified feed. However, you may find that organic food is more expensive and different in appearance from conventional products. Also, just because something says "organic" on it does not mean that it does not contain GMs. In fact, it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be sure the labels say 100% organic.
   
   
   • This applies to eggs, as well. Eggs labeled "free-range", "natural", or "cage-free" are not necessarily GE-free; look for eggs to be 100% organic.^[5]
     
     
3. Purchase beef that is 100% grass-fed. Most cattle in the U.S. are grass-fed, but spend the last portion of their lives in feedlots where they may be given GM grain, the purpose of which is to increase intramuscular fat and marbling. If you're looking to stay away from GMOs, make sure the cattle were 100% grass-fed or pasture-fed (sometimes referred to as grass-finished or pasture-finished). The same applies to meat from other herbivores such as sheep. There is also the slight possibility that the animals were fed GM alfalfa, although this is less likely if you buy meat locally. With non-ruminants like pigs and poultry that cannot be 100% grass-fed, it's better to look for meat that is 100% organic.
4.  

   GMO-free marshmallows
   Seek products that are specifically labeled as non-GM or GMO-free. However, it is rare to find products labeled as such. You can also research websites that list companies and foods that do not use genetically modified foods, ^[6], but be aware that information is often incomplete and conflicting interests may not be declared.
5. Shop locally. Although more than half of all GM foods are produced in the US,^[7] most of it comes from large, industrial farms. By shopping at farmers' markets, signing up for a subscription from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, or patronizing a local co-op, you may be able to avoid GM products and possibly save money at the same time.

• More and more small farms are offering grains and meat directly to customers, in addition to the usual fare (vegetables, fruit, herbs).
•  

  Inspecting non-GMO cabbage
  Shopping locally may also give you the opportunity to speak to the farmer and find out how he or she feels about GMOs and whether or not they use them in their own operation.
  

6.  Buy whole foods. Favor foods that you can cook and prepare yourself, rather than foods that are processed or prepared (e.g. anything that comes in a box or a bag, including fast food). What you lose in convenience, you may recover in money saved and satisfaction gained, as well as increased peace of mind. Try cooking a meal from scratch once or twice a week--you may enjoy it and decide to do it more often.

Rice 'n' Apples Breakfast - Traditional Food Thursday

Farm Day at Sand Creek Farm & Raw Milk Dairy

FARM DAY AT SAND CREEK FARM AND RAW MILK DAIRY

SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH

Please RSVP with your name and the number in your party by email.

FEEL FREE TO POST THIS EVENT ON YOUR VARIOUS INTERNET YAHOOGROUPS TO HELP MAKE OUR FARM DAY A SUSTAINABLE EVENT

Come and enjoy the following activities:

11:45pm Picnic under the trees(bring your own sack lunch)

12:30pm Introduction and farm overview.

Let the kids shake the mason jar to make butter.

Feed the Pastured Pigs and collect eggs from the 300 pastured laying hens and learn why our farm is soy free and GMO Free.

Tour the Raw Milk Dairy and cheese kitchen and learn about the benefits of Grass Fed/ Grain Free raw milk

Taste the fresh, clean-tasting, grass-fed raw milk.

See the 500 heirloom tomato plants in the organic garden (pick a few weeds as you walk through)

Climb on board for a wagon ride pulled by Percheron Draft Horses to the "back 40" to see the wild plum trees and wild grapes. This will be the longest wagon ride of all the farm days so far.

Ask questions about what you have seen and learned.

Bring a cooler if you would like to take some products home with you. The farm store will be open all day!

Cost: $15/family, Farm members are free

Date: 6-7-08

Time: 11:45am - 3:30 pm

Location: Sand Creek Farm, 1552 County Road 267, Cameron, TX 76520,
254-697-2927

Directions : Visit our web site at www.sandcreekfarm.net and go to the contact us page.

Legal Defense Fund Moves to Stop Animal ID Program

From:  http://www.ftcldf.org:80/press-15May2008.html

Legal Defense Fund Moves to Stop Animal ID Program;
Files Intent to Sue Letter with USDA and Michigan Department of Agriculture

Falls Church, Virginia, (May 15, 2008) -- Attorneys for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund today sent a Notice of Intent to Sue letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) over implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a plan to electronically track every livestock animal in the country.

The Notice asks the USDA and MDA to “immediately suspend the funding and implementation of NAIS,” and “fully and fairly examine” whether there is even a need for such a program.

Taaron Meikle, Fund president, said that contrary to USDA’s claim, NAIS will do nothing to protect the health of livestock and poultry. “At a time when food safety and costs are a concern, the USDA has spent over $118 million to promote a program that will burden everyone from pleasure horse owners to ranchers and small farmers to individuals who raise a few chickens or steers on their own land for their own use.”

Once fully implemented, the NAIS program would require every person who owns even one livestock or poultry animal (a single chicken or a pet pony) to register their property with the state and federal government, to tag each animal, and to report “events” to a database within 24 hours. Reportable events would include such things as a private sale, a state fair, or a horse show.

The Notice charges that USDA has never published rules regarding NAIS, in violation of the Federal Administrative Procedures Act; has never performed an Environmental Impact Statement or an Environmental Assessment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act; is in violation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act that requires them to analyze proposed rules for their impact on small entities and local governments; and violates religious freedoms guaranteed by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

“We also think there are constitutional issues at stake here,” Meikle noted. “The requirement to use electronic ear tags or RFID chips violates the religious beliefs of some farmers, such as the Amish, and provisions in a memorandum of understanding between the USDA and the MDA could violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution by requiring the state to stop and inspect vehicles carrying livestock without a warrant or probable cause.”

The MDA has implemented the first two stages of NAIS –property registration and animal identification – for all cattle and farmers across the state as part of its mandatory bovine tuberculosis disease control program, which is mandated by a grant from the USDA.

“While touted as a disease control program, the NAIS will drive many small farmers out of business” Meikle noted, “and burden every person who owns even one horse, chicken, cow, goat, sheep, pig, llama, alpaca, or other livestock animal with expensive and intrusive government regulations.”

Joe Golimbieski, a farmer from Standish, Michigan and Fund member, explains: “The cost of the tags is just the start. We’re at the mercy of whatever price the stockyards charge to do the tagging. And our farm doesn’t have extra employees to deal with paperwork. NAIS is likely to put us out of business.”

Gary Cox, General Counsel for the Fund, states that “USDA and MDA have exceeded their authority and they have completely failed to follow the proper procedures. We are calling on the agencies to immediately halt implementation of the program or face appropriate action.”

About The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund: The Fund’s mission is to defend the freedoms and to broaden the rights of sustainable farmers and their consumers to produce and consume local, nutrient-dense foods. Concerned citizens can support the Fund by joining at www.farmtoconsumer.org or by contacting the Fund at 703-208-FARM. The Fund’s sister organization, the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation (www.farmtoconsumerfoundation.org), works to support farmers engaged in sustainable farm stewardship and promote consumer access to local, nutrient-dense food.

Editor’s Note: The Notice of Intent to Sue the (USDA) and (MDA) is available at www.farmtoconsumer.org

###

Contacts:

Taaron G. Meikle
President, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund and Farm-to-Consumer Foundation
703-537-8372
tgmeikle@aol.com

Brian Cummings
Cummings & Company LLC
214-295-7463
brian@cummingspr.com

The Press Release
Excerpts from the Notice of Intent to Sue
Notice of Intent to Sue

To learn more about NAIS and our lawsuit, attend the teleseminar -  

Stop NAIS NOW!
May 28, 2008
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 
$15/phone line
Click here to learn more.

Donate Now to help STOP NAIS.

Donate to the Fund, to defray the costs of legal, legislative and lobby actions: Donate online or download the Donation Form.

In making your donation it may be helpful to consider.

Donations to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund ARE NOT tax deductible, because the primary mission of the Fund is to effect change in legal, lobby and legislative arenas. The donations received are 100% usable by the Fund for the primary mission.

Donations to the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation ARE tax deductible, because the primary mission of the Foundation is to educate and provide memberships to those in need. The Foundation is restricted in the support it can provide the Fund.  The Foundation has established special pages for contribution for the legal expenses in specific cases, such as the case to stop NAIS and the AB1735 lawsuit.

If you want to donate to the Foundation, go to click here.

Food and Beverage Giants Lining Up to Cash in When Stevia Gets GRAS Approval in U.S.

Reasons for Starting Your Own Garden

(NaturalNews) The Season of Spring is lavish with its abundance. Before we even ask, nature blesses us with every shade of color and profusion of green. Far and wide, beauties of nature are bursting forth with new growth and blossoms. Our copious supply abounds everywhere. Everyone is relieved spring has finally sprung for nature is teeming with plenty for everyone. Yet, our country is presently experiencing numerous economic, environmental, and health crises.

Concerns from reducing pollution, greenhouse gases, energy consumption, and the burden on our landfills, to protecting our increasingly scarce water supply, plants and animals from extinction, and against serious threats to human health, have risen on the list of public interests causing many more people to "go green". There are simple but meaningful actions people can take to save our planet for future generations including choices to recycle, composting, using energy efficient light bulbs, or using barrels to collect rainwater.

Consequently, over the last year one reason gardening is witnessing tremendous growth nationwide is because people who love fresh food are reducing environmental costs of mass-producing and shipping food all over the globe by drastically reducing "food miles" and simply choosing to grow their own. With this culinary trend towards fresh, local cuisine one knows exactly what they are serving and eating. Among the numerous reasons more than 70 million US gardeners grow their own fruit, veggies, and herbs includes reasons for health, to save money, to teach children, and to share.

Another enormous dilemma in America is our growing hunger plight. According to a 2007 USDA report, over 35 million Americans experienced food insecurity in 2006. In other words, there are tens of millions of Americans including over 12 million children who are not sure when or where their next meal will come from. Our nation's largest charitable hunger relief organization, Second Harvest reported in "Hunger in America 2006" over 25 million Americans depend on emergency food services annually with the hardship currently exploding.

Many food banks struggle to meet the need for food assistance to the point where now they only serve people living within their zip code area. By 1995 to contend with this ever-growing predicament, the Garden Writers Association (GWA) launched their Plant a Row (PAR) program (http://www.gardenwriters.org/Par/index.html) encouraging gardeners to donate their extra produce to food banks and local soup kitchens serving the homeless and hungry. Wherever a local Committee exists, the GWA PAR program provides direction, training support, and materials for businesses, church groups, home gardeners, schools, and youth and community organizations making a difference in their community for their neighbors. Through their simple people-helping-people approach they have made a significant impact on reducing hunger. In 2005 mainly through the media, GWA PAR efforts provided, without government subsidies or bureaucratic red tape, more than 1.5 million pounds of fresh produce to over 5.5 million hungry recipients. Throughout the U.S. and Canada their total donations have reached nearly 10 million pounds.

If these reasons don't persuade your interest in gardening, take into account the quandary we are in two different wars and our soldiers are returning home daily. During World War I and World War II private residence gardens provided up to 40% of the vegetable produce consumed thereby reducing the strain on the food supply. Such devotion doesn't exist now. Are you aware the Veterans Health Administration confirms an average 126 veterans per week for a total of 6,552 veterans per year are committing suicide? Sorrowfully there are about 18 veterans suicides per day, which hasn't happened in previous wars. Imagine after war coming home with health and psychological problems to unemployment, high prices, and a non-responsive government. Consider welcoming home your local returning weary vet by donating a row of garden produce to assist them as they re-assimilate.

Some seed companies have even stepped up to meet some of these types of community needs by donating seeds to qualifying organizations. Two examples of companies with seed donation programs are Seeds of Change ((http://www.seedsofchange.com/donations/...) and Park Seed ((http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/cli...) .

Interestingly, there is even a Victory Gardens organization in Oregon specifically devoted to supplying untreated, organically grown or certified organic open-pollinated and heirloom seeds (http://www.victoryseeds.com/TheVictoryGarden/) .

With all the supplies and options available, gardening is much easier today. Between the Internet, the local County Extension Agencies, and gardening supply businesses, a plethora of information is available to make your 2008 gardening endeavors great. Gardeners contribute to saving the planet for our children, future generations, and us. So whether you are motivated by concerns about the environment, feel a civic duty, just want to share with your neighbors, need a new hobby, teaching children, or whatever your impulse might be, pick up some seeds and supplies and Happy Gardening!

About the author

Debby is a Registered Nurse, and a free-lance journalist. Please visit http://spirit-expressing-law-of-attraction.com.
Debby educates the public about a preventative-based healthy lifestyle and operates an on-line business offering the best in whole food health and wellness products at http://debbybolen.wholefoodfarmacy.com/.... The best method of achieving wellness and optimal weight is by eating healthy and exercising.

How Safe Are Green Cleaning Products?

A growing number of Americans are seeking so-called green cleaners -- products made with natural, nontoxic, and biodegradable ingredients. Sales of natural cleaning products totaled $105 million in the last year.

Some of these cleaners promise that they contain natural (instead of synthetic) agents, break down quickly in the environment, or pose less of a toxic threat to humans and ecosystems. But critics caution that just because the ingredients in green cleaners are plant-based or natural doesn't necessarily mean they're safe.

Although green cleaners may purport to list all ingredients, the market is largely unregulated -- which means consumers still must be wary of what's in the bottle. Even cleaning products labeled "natural" may contain some fraction of synthetic chemicals. Or they may contain natural ingredients consumers would rather avoid, such as petroleum distillates, some of which can cause cancer. And just because a cleaning product is biodegradable and made from plant-based sources doesn't mean that it is without potential adverse effects on health.

Plant-based ingredients included in some green cleaners include limonene (a citrus-based oil), pine oil, and the foaming agent coconut diethanolamide -- all of which can cause allergic dermatitis. And a recent study of natural and nontoxic consumer products found the suspected cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane in roughly half of 100 tested products -- including several dishwashing liquids with words such as "Earth friendly" and "eco" in their brand names.

Consumer advocates have pressed for stricter labeling rules, but the industry has resisted, arguing that long lists of ingredients would create a distraction on product labels, drawing attention away from important safety information.

Article found at Mercola

Homeschoolers Boycott Subway

Homemade Seasoning Mixes - Kitchen Tip Tuesday

I love making my own seasoning mixes.  For one thing, I can ensure that my family isn't getting any artificial ingredients, such as MSG.  So many seasoning mixes you buy at the store contain MSG which is SO harmful to your body.  Not only that, but it allows me to use homegrown and/or organics.  They are also much less expensive than purchasing them.  There are some of my favorites!

Italian Seasoning

 6 tbsp. dried basil, crumbled
3 tbsp. dried oregano, crumbled
|2 tbsp. dried parsley, crumbled
2 tbsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1 tsp. dried garlic

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place in an airtight container (I use an old seasoning container). Use within 3 months for best flavor.

Chili Powder

3 tbsp. ground chili peppers (or paprika)
1 tbsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. dried oregano, finely crumbled
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/8-1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black papper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place in an airtight container (I use an old seasoning container). Use within 6 months for best flavor.

Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
2 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. ground cilantro
2 tbsp. dried oregano, crumbled
2 tbsp. dried basil, crumbled
1 tbsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1 tbsp. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place in an airtight container. Use within 6 months for best flavor.