Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>]

This is from an India listserve I am on.  I have been corresponding with this guy for the last 2-3 days.  I thought you people would find it interesting.  Avery is a spokesman for the chemical industry if case you do not know. 

 

I told Marcus I want my food grown in healthy soil which follows nature.

 

Ken Hargesheimer

Marcus Ferrell <aeroagro@rogers.com> wrote:

From: "Marcus Ferrell" <aeroagro@rogers.com>
To: "'Ken Hargesheimer'" <minifarms2@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: A Doctor Speaks On Organic Consumption
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 10:28:42 -0400

Hi Ken,

 

Alex Avery - Director of Research

Centre for Global Food Issues

Hudson Institute

 

"But it's not always by accident that pesticides end up on organic foods; sometimes

they are deliberately applied. Most people don't realize that organic farmers are allowed

to use a wide array of "natural", nonsynthetic chemicals as pest killers, and just because

those pesticides are natural doesn't mean that aren't toxic.

 

The natural pesticide rotenone, for instance, found in a number of plants, causes Parkinson's

symptoms when injected into rats. Pyrethrum, derived from dried Chrysanthemum heads, has

been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as having "suggestive evidence

of carcinogenicity".

 

 

 

Christine Bruhn - Director

Center for Consumer Research

University of California - Davis

 

"Washing alone removes from 70-99 percent of pesticide residues. After washing, any trace

elements are minute. In fact, we're exposed, on average, to only about 0.09 milligrams of

synthetic pesticides daily.

 

Compare that to our daily consumption of built-in pesticides that every plant from tomatoes to

lettuce, produces naturally to deter insects, animals and fungi: roughly 1,500 milligrams a day -

or 16,000 times as much."

 

 

Bruce Ames - Professor

Biochemistry and Molecular- Biology

University of California, Berkley

 

"And the proportion of nature's pesticides that cause cancer in rodents is the same as for

synthetic pesticides."

 

 

University of Minnesota - Study

Journal of Food Protection - 2004

 

" Far more dangerous is E. coli, which was found to be more prevalent in organic produce

than in conventional. The study looked at 32 organic, and eight conventional farms. It found

the overall presence of E. coli in the organic produce tested "was approximately six fold greater

than in conventional fruits and vegetables. ( It was spinach from an organic farming operation

in California that was tainted with E. coli in 2006, causing 3 deaths, and 200 cases of illness.) Wash-

ing will NOT kill the bacteria.

 

 

Don't get me wrong. I am a staunch supporter of organic farming methods. MY problem with the

industry is all the false claims made based on "bad science".

 

Personally, I am preparing to start an organic "aeroponic" operation here in Canada. My goal is to

create a totally segregated ecosystem. Free from outside contamination. Not dependent on

nutrient deficient soil as a growing medium. Producing multiple harvests of organic produce on a

year round basis.

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