Misinformation about Seeds

[ottawagardener]

This is an actual conversation I had the other day with a fellow mom at one of our 'mom' events:

Me: "when I was a science student in uni, the word 'organic' cracked me up because I wasn't eating a 'copper' apple was I? Now, I know better but the term put me off initially."

Other Mom: "What does it matter, nothing is really organic anyway."

Me (not sure where the conversation is going): "What do you mean with Integrated Pest Management - IPM practices? Not sufficiently organic?" (seriously I really said that, man I must be boring to listen to).

Other Mom: "That and everything is modified anyway. You can't buy unmodified food."

Me (with a puzzled expression no doubt on my face): "I guess it's true that many major crops are mostly GMO, there are places you can buy GMO free produce and seed. I can send you a link to Seeds of Diversity if you're interested in seeds."

Other Mom: "Talk to me in the spring. I really would be interested in some seeds."

Me: "Sure. And I can give you some seeds. What do you grow?"

What?!?!

I think I am going to have to post a blog post about this. I take it by unmodified she meant GMO not traditional breeding methods. Seriously, why bother because everything is poisoned and injected with spider DNA?

How many people hold these ideas? Sometimes I think that my organic speel is so 'yesterday' because 'everyone already knows these things' and then I read something like this:

"The integration of this gene will lower the incidence of the noxious tomato hornworm allowing lessened use of disagreeable pesticides."

The source is from 1999 so it is a bit outdated but I did enjoy the juxtaposition of 'noxious' bug versus merely 'disagreeable' chemical.

So I guess my mission is not complete.

[plantsnobin]

It does indeed seem humankind is beyond hope, doesn't it? Keep educating though, maybe your message will get through to 1 or 2.

[dogwoman]

If you had asked the woman if she is aware of heirloom seeds, maybe she would have snapped to the fact that there is a large gap between reality and what she thinks she knows.

Lorna

[nanojamb]

hope, persisitance and education will go along way: There are only a large handfull of commercially released GMO crops out there. Getting the science about these blunders out (for those who need that kind of thing) and demanding options (labeling) and talking to Moms at community groups, etc.... essential work.

[Alan]

I definetly agree that education is key on these issues. I honestly believe that part of the reason we don't see more folks on all the message boards related to gardening and don't see more folks interested in Self-Sustainable agriculture is because they are poorly educated on the subject, a lot of folks are starting to come around now though given the economic climate.