Geez, another week almost gone. Where does the time go? We have had excellent weather this week, sunny with highs in the 80’s for the most part. Still very windy, though. I feel like I’m living in Winnie the Pooh’s Blustery Day….LOL. It makes it hard get some things done with the wind blowing so hard.
We have just about finished with the re-tilling of the garden, only a small patch of the back space left to do. I did get some corn planted on Tuesday, 2 long rows of an heirloom variety called Stowell’s Evergreen sweet corn. According to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange this is one of the oldest white sweet corns tracing back to American Indian stock. It was developed in 1848 by Nathan Stowell of NJ. It remains in the milk stage for a long time hence the name “evergreen.” I can’t wait to try it….I just love fresh corn! Just in front of the corn rows I planted two varieties of cucumbers, this will allow the cukes to climb up the corn stalks. The first variety is called White Wonder, they are an heirloom straight cuke for slicing or pickling. The second variety is called Ellen’s Family White. This is an heirloom from NC which appealed to me since I lived in NC for a long time. These cukes are good for pickling and also have a tender skin, good for quartering and serving as a side dish in vinegar….yum, makes my mouth water thinking about them…LOL.
Alot of my seeds came from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange this year. Their motto is “Saving the Past for the Future.” When looking for heirloom and non-GMO (genetically modified) seeds this year I was looking for a seller that was local to my region. Doesn’t make sense to buy seeds grown from plants in Oregon does it? Their weather is nothing like ours here in Virginia. I love Heirloom seeds. The thoughts of growing plants that have been around forever, are a part of our history just tickles me. I want to continue that history and maybe someday make a little of my own once I learn enough about propagation and creating your own varieties. To qualify as an heirloom or family heirloom the variety has to have been introduced prior to 1940. After the 40’s hybrid varieties became the “in” thing as people were looking for drought and disease resistance. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region I urge you to check out Southern Exposure’s website and if you don’t, please find a local seed savers exchange in your area and choose open pollinated heirloom or organically grown varieties if possible. Always know where your seeds are coming from and be as sure as you can that they are non-GMO. Heirloom seeds are saving a way of life and food from times past. A better way of growing and a better way of living in my humble opinion.
Why do we need to worry so much about genetically modified seeds? Growers and farmers have been modifying and hybridizing plants for generations, what’s the big deal now you ask? Well, there’s this company called Monsanto. A giant conglomerate working closely with the FDA in this country as well as having their fingers in a lot of other country’s farms and food industries. Ever heard of Round-up? Monsanto makes Round-up. They have also been accused (and have admitted to) developing Round-up resistant weeds and crops. Why would they do that? Think about it. They are also into seeds in the same way. Their growers and developers have genetically modified seeds so that the plants they produce will be sterile. They produce seeds but the seeds will not germinate. Thereby, eventually, making the world dependent upon Monsanto’s seeds to grow food. They are genetically modifying corn, alfalfa, soybeans, potatoes and who knows what else at this point. They hold the patent’s for these seeds making it illegal for the farmer to retain any seeds from his plantings for next year’s crops, even if they would grow. The sad thing is our own government helps them by not requiring labeling of their seeds as genetically modified. The other sad thing is that you don’t have to plant their seeds to be affected by them. If you plant your corn in a field next to theirs (and you may not even know it’s their field planted with GMO corn) and the wind blows pollen from their field to yours, your corn is now contaminated and genetically modified. Because they hold the patent for their corn, they can then sue YOU for growing their corn without their permission. WTF?????
Recently, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, along with 60 other plaintiffs filed suit against Monsanto. Please, please research Monsanto and their insidious business on your own, don’t take my word for it….there is plenty of information out there regarding their practices and belief that they have the RIGHT to control your food and how you grow it. They are working hand in glove with the FDA and Congress to gain control of OUR rights to grow our own food and eat what we choose. This is not a “conspiracy theory” but fact. They had input into the design of this bill that President Obama signed into law in January, The Food Safety Modernization Act. (Also see the UN’s Codex Alimentarius that Obama also made the US a part of…sigh). “They” say this bill won’t affect us that much, the local farmers and growers. Hmmm. Please read it and tell me what YOU think, I’m interested in other folk’s opinions on this subject.
Wow…I really didn’t mean to go off on this tangent today….LOL. It just seemed to flow and it is something that we all need to be aware of, especially if you want to keep eating healthy food and want to know where it came from. I could rant about this all day long. It makes me extremely angry that we, THE PEOPLE, have allowed government to become so out of control that they are now determining what is best for us to grow, if they allow us to grow it, and what is best for us to eat. They allow companies like Monsanto and others of their ilk to produce whatever franken food or seeds they like without caring about the consequences to the Earth or her people. It’s all about money and control.
Wake up, people. Please research and find out what you are planting. Where it came from and who grew it. It’s not easy to get away from companies like Monsanto, either. Read this article, A Month without Monsanto. The author was very surprised at how difficult it was to do that because they are literally everywhere. They are creeping into every facet of our lives and we have let them. It’s time to stop it.
Okay….enough of a rant for today! I’m going to go bake some bread…we are down to the last few slices. Yes, I bake my own bread. Haven’t bought any of that store bought “stuff” in months. Yes, I’ll post the recipe and how to a little later….LOL. There is nothing like fresh, warm bread right from the oven with butter slathered over it…..YUM!
Talk to ya’ll later!
Storm
Rosemary by the Garden Gate 