In the ever-growing debate about genetically modified seeds and the crops that come from them, misinformation too often distorts the facts.
Many anti-GMO activists talk about and perpetuate the myth that “Big Ag” companies are somehow forcing or pressuring farmers to use GM seeds, whether they want to or not. Organic farmer and blogger Jennie Schmidt recently posted a blog entry about this myth and her first-hand experience with GM seeds:
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As a family farm, we grow both GMO…and non-GMO crops and choose our seed produced from a variety of different seed companies, buying directly from our neighbors, which frankly, is the whole point of the fabric of rural America. We support one another.
So far, we have received about a dozen seed catalogs, and I don’t mean Burpee-type gardening catalogs. I mean commercial seed for farmers. Some are large seed companies, others are small regional seed companies. None of them “impose” their seeds on us. We have 100% freedom of choice. My husband and brother in law make those choices based on our own farm’s performance records, recommendations by our seed dealers, data provided by companies who do research plots on our farm and in our region, and conversations with farmer friends. No corporation influences these choices. No pressure is applied from any company to secure our business. Absolutely no one “imposes” seed on our family farm. We have hundreds of seed choices in each of our crops- corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, tomatoes, hay, and green beans. We have 100% control over what gets purchased and planted.
Read the full, original post: The Myth About Seed Choice
