Anti-Monsanto - issues

[NaturesPace]

This thread is for anyone worried about giving their livestock any Monsanto products.

I recently was looking for some straw for bedding and found everyone around me was using herbicides on their straw. I can only figure that means they are growing Monsanto grains. If I were to use that straw as bedding for our goats and chickens, then I wouldn't be able to compost it and use it on my garden. The herbicides would kill or stunt most garden plants I want to grow next spring.

Are other concerned about these issues? What do you do to avoid Monsanto (genenticly modified seed) when feeding or bedding your live stock?

I'm very new to owning goats, but hope to avoid GMOs at all costs.

Heidi

 

[BrownSheep]

Personally GMOs don't bother me ( too many Ag classes). Herbacides could be an issue but most are sprayed in the spring. Given the amount the about of rain/ irrigation that passes over it by harvest I wouldn't be concered about using it for compost. I would honestly be more worried about the weeds that will be in the non-sprayed straw.

You are going to be hard pressed to find any professional farmer who doesn't use herbacide. There may be some hobby farmers or organic people( expect to pay way more)

 

[Year of the Rooster]

In addition, bear in mind this: all chemical compounds have what is called a Half-Life, which is the amount of time for half of the compound to decompose. Everything decomposes at some point. I highly doubt the herbicides will last through the compost process all winter and stunt any growth in the spring.

 

[NaturesPace]

I love to hear what everyone thinks, but I posted this in the organic section. I hope to hear for other who are "trying" to keep organic and how they are dealing with this issue

I want keep as much non-organic and GMO items off our property.

This might be a special group of goat keepers. Of course, I love to hear what others are doing too.
I welcome anyone's input.

 

[BrownSheep]

Oops! I totally missed that it was in this section!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Here you can get organic alfalfa, and since my goats only eat the leaves and not much of the stems we can then rake up the stems and put them in the barn for bedding.

 

[KelsiNS]

I dont have goats yet-but i refuse to feed my chickens GMO food. Or my fogs and cats.

Or my family.

It is harder to find non GMO but it can be done! If you are in a position to do so, perhaps you can order heirloom cover crop seeds to plant specifically for that

Best of luck with your critters (and maybe someday we'll have run Monsanto out of the cpuntry and wont need to ask this kind of question anymore!)

 

[Harbisgirl]

Non-hay Feed for the animals is easy to find - it costs more but I don't mind. I have been trying to find non-gmo straw for mulch in my garden as well . I keep hearing more and more stories about 'killer compost', either from treated straw or from treated hay that has passed through the animal and the contaminated manure killing gardens. People can pretend that the herbicides aren't a problem but personally I don't believe it. But I don't have a choice, unfortunately. Organic hay simply is not available anywhere locally so its not an option and I do use horse manure from a neighbor for compost. I do what I can with what is available. My garden is as organic as possible - organic soil and I only plant heirloom varieties. Someday I'll have my own cow/horse and feed them organicaly and then I"ll have organic manure.

 

[nmred]

Or my fogs and cats.

How interesting!! Could you post pictures of your "fogs?" I have no idea what one looks like! (Sorry! I couldn't resist!)

 

[SkyWarrior]

How interesting!! Could you post pictures of your "fogs?" I have no idea what one looks like! (Sorry! I couldn't resist!)

I was going to say the same thing!