Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

I noticed that bit about "wheat gluten from China" in the news.  I thought the Chinese were buying wheat from the US because they couldn't raise enough.  Is this another indication of how absurdly wacky the world has become?

 

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz

----- Original Message -----

From: TradingPostPaul

To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 1:58 PM

Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Is organic food the real deal?

Unfortunately, testing produce for pesticides is prohibitively expensive,
and USDA does not rely on testing for organic certification. Of course
chemical fertilizers don't show up in produce as chemicals that can be
tested. Certification is all based on documenting permitted inputs and land
history for three years back - correct? No one knows whether prohibited
chemicals were used. Which leaves us buying local from known sources and
growing our own to know what we're getting. I read recently that USDA has
never yet levied any fines against corporations violating organic
standards, or revoked anyone's certification over it ("we didn't do it and
we promise not to do it again"). And what control does USDA have over
"organic" tomatoes grown in Mexico, or wheat gluten (pet food) from China,
or winter produce from Chile? Zip.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net