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31 Comments

  1. I have been a farmer for 46 years and have never heard of spraying glyphosate on wheat to increase yeild. I have sprayed a lot of wheat to kill it with glyphosate. Also it would have to produce 10 bushels more to be cost effective. It may be something new but I have yet to see it.I really don’t see this as a common practice. At least not in the Texas Oklahoma phanhandle

    1. @Bill
      Let me first qualify that I am not a large scale farmer. My source of information though is a wheat farmer in the Texas panhandle area. The increase of yield, as he explained it to me, is not about weeds, but about harvest. Apparently, most farmers belong to a Co-op and the co-op owns the harvest equipment. When it is harvest time, you get a call that the equipment will be harvesting your field on a specific date at a specific time as they rotate through all of the members of the co-op. Ready or not, your crop will be harvested on that date/time or you won’t have access to the co-op equipment. It’s about scheduling equipment that most farmers can’t afford by themselves.
      Wheat yield can be maximized by not harvesting too early where much stays on the plant, or harvesting too late where much drops to the ground. Those farmers who know when their field will be harvested use the glyphosate to kill the wheat so that it will be ready to harvest exactly when the machines are scheduled to harvest. So it’s not about weed control, rather it’s about harvest timing.

  2. I am a long time reader, first time poster here. I am also a full time commercial farmer and cattle rancher. I have commercially raised every crop you mentioned with the exceptions of tobacco and sugar beets. I think you need to educate yourself some more on this subject, because much of the information you wrote about the uses of glyphosate in farming is untrue. For starters, glyphosate would not be sprayed on wheat, barley, or sorghum. These are glyphosate susceptible grasses, and spraying them with glyphosate would kill the crop, not increase yields as you state. There are strict controls on glyphosate resistant GMOs of wheat, due to its primary use as human food. For anyone that is concerned about glyphosate in corn and soybeans, I would say time is on your side because more and more weeds every year develop glyphosate resistance on their own, which is causing it to be used less and less in my area. It’s just a matter of time (and probably sooner rather than later) before it becomes uneconomical for farmers and obsolete. This new mainstream anti-glyphosate trend reminds me a lot of the anti-gluten trend. (Everyone and their sister seemed to develop an allergy to gluten as they jumped on the bandwagon, even though they had eaten wheat for decades with no ill effects.) It’s sad as someone that makes their living as a farmer to see anti-farming information campaigns like these, but pro-farming lobbies don’t have the financial wherewithal to fight back with facts against the mainstream media outlets. Support your farmers, they feed you.

  3. Thank you for this article! Fortunately for me, I grew up in a time before the massive input of chemicals on food items, but in the last 30 years it has become so wide spread it is difficult to escape it.
    I knew about the chemicals and have been trying to grow natural foods in the garden for the family. Unfortunately, I have not been able to grow enough for both family and for animal feed. I do use non-GMO feed for the animals, but now I am not sure if that is clean enough. I had investigated Azure previously, but the high cost prevented me from purchasing except for occasionally. Your article has prompted me to grow more and rework my budget!

  4. Interesting claims. As with all such reports, there are studies that show none of these claims are correct, or at best are highly skewed.

    Not that I am any advocate of Monsanto or glyphosate, other than it helps keep the price of commodities affordable. Speaking from a personal perspective, as the author of this article has, I’ve had extensive exposure to glyphosate over my lifetime and cannot associate any adverse impacts. However, I can definitely attest to some adverse impacts as a result of pulling weeds out of gardens and flower beds for extended periods. I prefer the glyphosate.

    Certified organic isn’t any guarantee what you’re eating is any healthier, safer or grown/raised in a decent environment. It only means the owner processed the government paperwork and met the government criteria (paid the associated fees) to receive a stamp. Certification testing is far from thorough or complete to be able to ensure what you’re putting in your mouth is any healthier than foods that are not certified.

    We were told DDT was bad for us and the environment too. Studies showed how it was affecting birds, fish, etc. So they banned it’s use here in the states. Well guess what, they still use DDT in Central America. Why? Because it is by far the most effective way of controlling malaria and has been for the past 70+ years. Of course, since DDT is still banned stateside, that must mean the massive increase in migratory waterfowl since it was banned proves it was bad. Well, where do you think all those waterfowl go in the winter? If DDT was so bad for them, how is it they have prospered so well despite continuous exposure to it?

    Maybe the thing we think is making us sick isn’t the thing that actually is? Just saying. There are a few hundred million people in this world that will be happy to eat all the “contaminated” grain we would refuse, just so they can stay alive another day, week, month, etc.

    The reason chemicals continue to be used in agriculture has entirely to do with simple economics. It will remain that way until something better and cheaper comes along.

  5. This is something that needed to be addressed, along with the BPA in canned foods. I am not that old, but almost everyone I know has major health issues and cancer–this is not normal, folks. I am going to implement the suggestions given here, along with transitioning to glass instead of cans. If anyone has more ideas on how to prep with healthy foods, I’d love to hear them! After all, how can we call ourselves survivors if we are slowly poisoning ourselves with tainted food?

    1. And yet people are living longer and healthier lives. Hmmm! Do you suppose that we didn’t know as much years ago when people died younger and in greater numbers. It is simply untrue that people are less healthy today. What is true is more illnesses are treatable today and more information is available today and that can easily be confused to imply that more people are ill.

  6. Glyphosate has also been identified as the most recent contaminant found in vaccines. The vaccines are “grown” in media of porcine origin. (Think Petrie dishes.) The pigs are primarily fed a diet of GMO soy or GMO corn. The glyphosate ends up in the pork and then in the vaccine medium.

    NOW, think back to when so many children had peanut allergies. This was kept very quiet, so many people are unaware that peanut oil was used in vaccines. When the vaccines were injected to stimulate the immune system, the immune system also identified peanuts as a problem / an invader. Thereafter that individual would likely have a reaction each time peanuts were encountered.

    SO! If glyphosate is now present to some degree in vaccines, what kind of reactions might we possibly see when individuals come into contact with glyphosate afterwards? Think about that. Glyphosate has been identified in all sorts of products nowadays. Everything from Oreos to corn chips. I concur with the author. Eat and store organic foods.

    Good luck.

  7. I was surprised by the title. Although I don’t want to consume this my first thought on the title was this is going to be about ergot poisoning. It’s a mold that can contaminate rye and barley which can lead to death. Either from the effects of the poisoning it causes or being burned at the stake as a witch! Folks should also be aware of this and I recommend reading up on it if you might be contemplating growing rye or barley.

  8. I’ve never seen Glyphosphate applied as a spray for corn crops. It is typically applied by a wick applicator that brushes the weeds and rubs a bit onto them when the corn is barely up, but the weeds are tall. DDT went by the wayside as a result of a book titled “Silent Spring” that caused a panic that resulted in the DDT ban. The book alleged that the thinning of bird egg shells was caused by DDT. Dupont tested DDT and found no link between thinning shells and DDT. The book read like an “Ancient Alien Theory” book. The reason for the thinning was never found, but suspected that low levels of calcium (available in food) in the area, and an explosion in the bird population may have caused birds to lay thin-shelled eggs. The chicken populations that were fed on DDT sprayed seed crops showed no thinning of eggshells, but they receive calcium supplementation. There was no good reason to ban BPA. It just caught fire with the public, first in Europe, and now here. As a result, canning lids are not to be trusted for sealing after one year. Good for Tattler, and their silicone rubber seals. France banned un-coated aluminum cookware, and now the EU has banned it. So far, no demonstrable connection to Alzheimer’s. Be careful what you wish for, and be extra diligent before you pick up a torch to march for a ban on anything.

    1. roundup is sprayed over the top (post emergence) on many corn types ( field corn, sweet corn etc.) hence the name roundup ready. we have had rr beans and corn since the early 1990s. most sweet corn now produced is not only rr but is also bt corn which I think is a big a problem as roundup. posted by a farmer with 52 years of practice

    2. I have to say any testing done by Dupont would be suspect. It seems their testing would lend itself towards a vast bias.

      As long as I can afford certified organic I will go that way. And I will continue to garden and grow heirloom as long as I can. No harm in that. But there “could” be harm in eating GM0 food or food sprayed with a lasting poison. The jury is still out on this one.

  9. My wife is the nutritionist in our family. We’ve gone mostly gluten and dairy free for a number of reasons.

    People joke, “Why have people been eating gluten for thousands of years and only recently does everyone have a problem with it?” There’s SOMETHING going on whether you believe it’s Roundup or something else. The laws are different in Europe; they don’t have the organic or gluten-free options because people don’t seem to have any issues with the “regular” food.

    Personal opinion supported by both clinical and anecdotal evidence: American food laws are far too lax in favor of the producers and to the nutritional and health detriment of the consumers. That’s the price we pay for cheap food.

  10. I don’t doubt the sincerity of the authors belief that a certain chemical has caused problems. I just can’t find any science based evidence in his reference list to support that.

    Dr. Stephanie Seneff is made mention of in 4 out of 9 references. She apparently is a Senior Research Scientist at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory where she has authored 170 research papers in her field. This is commendable. But she has no credentials in any nutritional or related field and has become “interested” in nutrition in only the last 6 or 7 years.

    I am a layman who likes to read good nutrition books and articles but I make a general judgment on an opinion based upon credentials in the field discussed plus published peer-reviewed articles in top scientific journals. I know where to go to get them and have done so when I’ve been interested in a particular subject.

    Dr. Mercola,(not a research scientist), merely gives free reign to Stephanie’s broad based claims and a Dr. Peter Osborne has a gluten-free newsletter website and there was no way to check his credentials. He seems to be on the gluten free bandwagon.

    The only scientific article appears to be in the Interdisciplinary Toxicology published in the country of Slovakia.

    There may very well be problems of a particular chemical on our food crops and therefore upon us but it can’t be determined from the authors submitted article unfortunately.

  11. benjammin and RB,
    Rachael Carson was one of the first enviro whackos. She wrote “Silent Spring” about the “dangers” of DDT, with “research” and “feewings”. But all her research was lies, and her feewings were meant to tug on the hippie liberal heartstrings with no basis in fact at all.
    When DDT was first being researched, test subjects, including people, were doused in the powder, and even ATE it, all to no ill effects.
    Due to her lies, DDT was banned pretty much worldwide, including Africa, where with the start of the use of DDT, they were beginning to make headway against the malaria mosquito. That all ground to a halt, and millions of Africans have subsequently died because of her lies.
    May she burn in hell for eternity.

    1. A Villain We Need A Villain! Hurry everyone grab your pitchforks and form a lunch mob hurry!
      Deplorable B Woodman:
      As someone who unfortunately spent all his youth in kommunist kalifornia I remember the DDT scare brought on by Rachel Carson, invigorate freak of the first realm.
      RB: Your right about all ban’s on things in the EU, but, remember we’re dealing with socialist fascist central, were they insist on controlling everything we think.
      However this article should be taken with a grain of salt (no pun intended) we should apply some good old fashioned common sense on what might have to eat in the future. Outstanding debate ya’ll.

  12. As a retired Ag Inspetcor, corn, alfalfa and many other crops are sprayed with RoundUp while actively growing. What you are looking for are labeled RoundUp Ready. I also did Organic Certification. Please keep in mind that certification is a marketing ploy and does not assure you that the food is any healthier for you. Just that it meets certain agreeded on standards that can and do change. If you care to check, go to the USDA web page and look up the NOP standards. There is a great big list of chemicals that are allowed to be used in the production or growing of crops.

    https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c0f8d0062ea4f713dd5d6d055e3d1b8d&mc=true&node=sg7.3.205.g.sg0&rgn=div7

  13. I live in Iowa, the middle of corn and soybean country. Round up is sprayed on Roundup resistant corn and beans (GMO). This is all mainly about no till farming, my neighbor hasn’t turned over his soil in 15 years or more. Plant your GMO , spray with Round up and the weeds are gone, no cultivating required.
    Non GMO corn and beans are grown as well and bring a premium when sold. Pre emergence weed killers are used in this case and there still is no soil cultivation. All about time. Grain farmers in this area work two weeks in the spring and about three weeks in the fall.
    I’ve been sick since 2003, acid reflux, IBS, and chronic inflammation of my joints and connective tissue. Anxiety and panic attacks as well. I have to make a serious effort to go gluten free and see if I get better. I have suspected for the past year or so this is a Roundup/gluten issue. We’ll see…I sure do like bread and beer though! Going to be a tough diet change. I believe Roundup is actually unavoidable and has pretty well contaminated the entire food chain other than what I grow myself.
    I’d go on about no-till VS old style plowing but I’ve gone on far enough already. All I can say is my soil is far better than what it was due to folding under all the green matter and manure from the previous year.

    1. You might want to check out the Weston Price Foundation on-line. They talk about healthy diets and most importantly how to prepare your foods so they are maximally healthy. For instance, fermented foods will maintain a healthy digestive track. There are discussions on properly preparing grains such as sprouting them and/or true old fashioned slow process sourdough methods. These methods minimize the anti-nutrients found in grains.

    2. Roundup disintegrates naturally after a couple of weeks. By products may exist but not Glyphosphate. It’s also not technically a poison as it doesn’t kill the plant but rather doesn’t allow the targeted plant to adsorb a certain enzyme.
      Recent conclusive research indicates there is no evidence of harm to farm workers much less the general public.
      Per Emergence Herbicide is nothing more than corn gluten meal.
      This article is an example of a little knowledge combined with a prejudice to give a misleading conclusion. In other words fake news.

  14. Many of our our politicians are corrupt and will tell the American people any lie if lobbyists give them money to be re-elected. I wouldn’t trust the government to tell me the truth about much of anything, but especially chemicals, drugs, or food when they can’t even be truthful to their own families. They exposed our soldiers in Vietnam to terrible chemicals and denied them medical care when they returned. I’d rather be error on the side of less chemicals and be safe rather than sorry.

    1. You are most likely referring to agent orange. Extensive scientific studies found no harmful effects from exposure to agent orange. But the government decided to treat any veteran with any health problems that they thought were the result of exposure to agent orange anyway.

      1. Not so; that is a government line. Not everyone was “treated”. I have family members who “seen” at WRAH and told they were fine. Two died within 5 years from agent orange and “other” chemicals I don’t know how to spell (medical death reports) and three more were 100% disabled and on oxygen until they died in their early 60s. Two of these men were SF and 2 were Rangers.

        1. I have 20 years in the military and I’m 74 now and a lot of my friends have died. I myself have cancer and on a first name basis with 4 different oncologists. But none of this proves that agent orange caused it. The scientists/doctors did indeed look for the evidence that would support this theory and it just isn’t there. People die. People die before their time. it is very difficult to grow old and see your friends and relatives die and experience illness your own self. But the evidence just doesn’t support the conclusion that agent orange is killing or causing illnesses. It is a mass hysteria thing that feeds on itself as everyone repeats the claims.

  15. Glyphosate has become the most heavily used agricultural chemical in the world with roughly 10 million tons sprayed onto fields around the world since it became available in 1974. As a result, glyphosate residues contaminates nearly everything. For example, recent testing found 1 ppm of glyphosate in quaker oats.

    http://www.newsweek.com/glyphosate-now-most-used-agricultural-chemical-ever-422419

    (1 ppm is the same as 1000 ppb)
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-gillam/tests-show-monsanto-weed_b_12950444.html

    EPA also raised permissible glyphosate contamination levels in some foods:

    “The new regulation raises glyphosate levels in oilseed crops, which include sesame, flax, and soybean, from 20 parts per million (ppm), to 40 ppm. It also raises the allowable glyphosate contamination level for sweet potatoes and carrots from 0.2 ppm to 3 ppm for sweet potatoes and 5ppm for carrots, that’s 15 and 25 times the previous levels.”

    http://www.gmoinside.org/epa-raises-levels-of-glyphosate-residue-allowed-in-food/

  16. Grain heavy diets are anti-starvation diets, not optimal health diets. Remember, that current food pyramid came into being during the great depression when refrigeration and fresh food transport food transport across long distances (especially produce) was uncommon, if not unheard of.
    For optimal health, Chris Kresser is one of the best experts on the subject.
    Importantly, most folks are mineral deficient and also lacking in certain vitamins. And if you’re not eating skin, cartilage, organs, and other low-end animal parts, you also need to be taking collagen.

  17. I believe in the old saying ” where there’s smoke there’s fire” . So consumers found health issues with something the food companies were doing and took fault with it . The companies did research ,found no evidence , but decided to remove that process anyways ?

    Bless their little hearts. ( insert sarcasm )

    C,mon ! Anyone who’s been part of the government or large corporation knows they are constantly cleaning up their mess. Wouldn’t trust their research on the food we eat by a long stretch.

    These are self-serving entities by nature and will do anything to protect themselves. And if that means lying to people and letting them die then so be it.

    The only difference between the 1970s ( DDT ) and present day with “Roundup” is better paid and more corrupt lobbyists and politicians.

    It is wise to always question our overlords. May we always have the right to do so.

    Prayers for the sick and suffering of these evil people.

    P.S. overpopulation and shipping food to large cities / third world countries only creates a artificial environment and expands the problem. It’s no wonder these large corporations would want to expand food production ( and their bottom line ), but that’s another story

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