In the late 90s, many farmers went all in on biotech crops…
But as crop prices falter, and some Americans express wariness about GMOs, farmers are increasingly interested in non-biotech crops.
Jack Bruns, a farmer in …North Dakota, is among them. About 10 years ago, he decided to grow some non-biotech soybeans. His motivation was simple: “To make more money!” he said.
But … Controlling weeds is more challenging. Bruns uses plenty of synthetic chemicals (this isn’t organic agriculture), but … he has to be more careful about the timing of his applications so that he doesn’t harm his crop.
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Bruns also has to be vigilant about keeping GMOs at a safe distance. He still grows some biotech corn and soybeans, so they’re around on his farm. He has to use a hose attached to an air compressor to blast any genetically modified corn kernels or soybeans from …[the] crannies of his equipment…
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Bruns stops short of advocating for more non-biotech crops. He has no problem eating … genetically modified ingredients. So his interest in the matter is financial, not ideological.
But he said some farmers don’t even see the financial incentives as worth it, given all the extra work non-biotech soybeans entail.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Jack and the non-GMO beanstalk
