North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

"First of all, I don't think it's that ridiculous to be more cautious 
of synthetic chemicals when it comes to food than when it comes to 
other parts of our lives.

Second of all, it's not practical to avoid all manner of modern 
chemistry while still being part of society.  It is practical to 
reduce the amount of synthetic chemicals that one ingests along with 
one's food (even if it means ingesting more of the pest fighting 
chemicals that plants make themselves :) )"

Alex, my satire wasn't intended to convey the message that all who proscribe to organic agriculture are ridiculous.  I was trying to be amusing and a little provocative to get the dialogue percolating.  I began as a gardener totally committed to organic methods in the mid '60's and I still think seriously about the environmental impact of agriculture and the danger of persistent chemicals in the environment.  I also keep the juggled molecules out of my vegatable garden, which is partially an emotional decision.

 

I have perceived, however, a consistent blind acceptance that organic methods are absolutely the only path to sustainable agriculture among some of its practitioners.  You know- you can't be green if you're not organic.  

 

Several years ago the Rodale Institute joined with Cornell to try to develop methodology to economically (where you can make a profit) produce organic apples in the northeast.  After several years the project was abandoned with the agreement of both parties that given the current technology, profitable organic production was not possible (there were no articles about this in OG magazine).  

 

As far as the individual reducing his or her exposure to the chemical pollutants of the modern world, residue in our food accounts for a tiny fraction of our overall exposure as I read the literature.  It's what certain agricultural chemicals do on-site that concerns me.  This danger has been shown to exist in at least as great a degree in manufacturing and mining.

 

And I still contend, and the logic seems obvious,  that every man-made chemical is not a threat to our environment and to our bodies.  Also, as I stated before, yeilds are an environmental issue.  The less land we cultivate the more we can leave wild.