by 
John P. Huntington
By John P. Huntington, D.C.
Some of you may have heard Dr. Oz (and other media) recently state that “organic food is great, it’s just not very democratic” implying it’s an elitist food “for the 1 percent”, and that there not much difference nutritionally between organic and conventional foods.
The same slanted coverage could be found when a Stanford study looked at differences between the two farming practices and found no huge difference in the produce.
Despite the fact that other studies clearly show stronger nutrient density in organic products, what are also missing from these reports are the pesticide residues and the damage that results, not only to farm workers, but consumers, birds and mammals, soils, etc.
Most of us are familiar with Genetically Modified (GM) crops that are made to be resistant to the pesticide Round-up. This, Monsanto assured us, would allow corn to be drenched with pesticide and thrive while the weeds died.
Unfortunately, a cascade of damage to humans and the land has been the result: Super-Weeds requiring more Round-up and more 2, 4 D, the main ingredient in Agent Orange.
Round-up is now being tied to the increased rates of autism – which has gone from 1 per 100,000 children 30 years ago, to 1 in 50 today (just last year it was 1 in 88).
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Round-up, has also been found to fuel breast cancer, and as well as increasing the rates of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, MS, and more.
So there it is: we have Round-up ruining farm land and worsening health, we have other pesticides (neonicotinoids) killing off bees, and we are the only country refusing to label GM crops.
And we have the media not only silent on these concerns, but loudly labeling you if you choose to avoid these products.
I guess we have to follow the money once more….. And, even more importantly… get back to the garden ourselves.
Grandma grew organically, though she didn’t call it that. Let’s follow her example and put a tomato plant in, grow some cukes, make a little compost pile of our own, try lettuce on the patio in our fine winters.
It’s time to reclaim our culture and ignore the media talking-heads; they are the real elitists.
Dr. Huntington practices Chiropractic, Biomedical Acupuncture and Physiotherapy in Oracle, Az. He enjoys gardening and has an organic-fed egg and broiler business with his son, Andrew. 520-896-9844 huntingtonchiro@hotmail.com
Huntington Family Farms produces and sells organic eggs and pastured poultry. And it is a family affair.
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