A few years ago, I started a garden without realizing the risks. Besides sunburn, ticks, and mosquitoes, I learned that not all seeds are created equal. Big box stores, such as WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc., carry self-pollinating plants. If you want to grow corn, even Co-Op stores deal almost exclusively in GMO plants. Monsanto provides most of the seed for the big box stores. Not only are their seeds genetically modified, but also, Monsanto infuses corn and wheat seeds with Round-Up, or glyphosate, a known neurotoxin. Many organic farmers and bee-keepers blame Round-Up for the honeybee die-off.
One of my family members works in a feed mill at a company I'll not name; he wears biohazard gear inside the mill. Few workers wish to enter this area for good reason: Chemicals in everything from fertilizer to pesticides. Many of these workers suffer chemical burns, breathing problems, and other health issues. But even after I got the chemically loaded seed home, I learned that I was adding to the problem. Even Miracle-Gro contains ammoniacal nitrogen, a pollutant considered a toxin. Mega corporations are allowed to peddle their poisons, but that doesn't mean we have to buy their products. The least we can do is garden with organics, beginning with seed sources. Small companies such as Baker Heirloom in Mansfield, Missouri, boast an impressive array of seeds cultivated by individuals rather than corporations. At Baker, some species go back over 100 years. This year, I ordered Cherokee heirloom tomatoes, dwarf pok choy, Antiguan peppers, and strawberry lettuce. I even got a free pack of purple carrots for the kids to enjoy. I'm thinking this may turn them on to vegetables; at least, we might create some memorable vegetable art. Lest you argue that your dwelling is of the apartment-variety and not conducive to planting vegies, I can say that my own attitude adjustment came when I saw what one creative soul did with less than an acre of back yard. With the proliferation of tower gardens, box gardens, and giant planters, your local Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Co-Op can help with the kind of hardware that will make your apartment balcony flourish with organics. Several good companies sell organic potting soil. In starting an organic garden, it's best to read the ingredients yourself. As is true with food labels, any ingredients you don't recognize, you should look up on a trusted internet site. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of a giant crimson Cherokee heirloom tomato stuffed with homemade chicken salad with walnuts and grapes. Now, to find a chicken that hasn't been stuffed with antibiotics and dipped in arsenic. Wish me luck! |
Author
Mother, writer, reformed culinary disaster, Andrea Mosier shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Award for Fire Eater and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award for prose in 2014. "The Illuminated Man" will appear in the first edition of Serendipity. Her legendary potato salad recipe appears here on the June 5 entry. Archives
February 2019
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