Someone splain me something about genetically-modified wheat

[Mike]

How can any company obtain and own a "Patent" on a living organism?

One day this will have huge ramifications on people/animals who are cured or treated by or through "Genetic Modification".

Will the "patent" owner of the procedure have total control of those people's or animals reproduction rights & royalties just as they do seed today?

We're opening a huge can of worms for the future..........

"Since 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has argued that genetically manipulated embryos are a 'biological product,' and therefore subject to regulation, just like medical devices and drugs," wrote Shannon Brownlee for the Washington Monthly. "FDA sent warning letters to six fertility centers threatening 'enforcement action,' and asserting its regulatory power over 'therapy involving the transfer of genetic material by means other than the union of [sperm and egg]'."


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040348_GM_babies_FDA_human_genome.html#ixzz2VdRJ01S5

 

[katrina]

I don't hate Walmart, but I don't shop there if I can help it...JFYI. The last four years I"ve had college kids to feed three times a day and snacks, whitch I loved, but feeding them took alot of groceries. Over $1,000 a month, and I'm a scratch cook, even my bread. But I could drive from ten miles from the NE/SD boarder to Pierre to shop at Walmart for my groceries, and save more than shopping at our local grocery store. Took my receits and bought the same thing and brand.
This year I went up to buy for my family and now that Walmart has closed up most of the grocery stores, the big one... prices have gone up and now it's not feesable for me..

Sorry to highjack the thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

 

[mrj]

Katrina, I'm one of those 'scratch' cooks too. The local store has the basics, but I can, and do drive 30 miles to the more complete local grocery stores, or 65 to Pierre, but occasionally shop in Rapid City which is two hours away because I have to time shopping trips with business, medical, or family (grandkids events) reasons to travel. I find my spending is not much different, nor are overall prices that much different because those special items like nice fresh fruits, even some exotic ones, and some meats we don't raise are so tempting.

Being a site rather dedicated to ag producers, we do need to keep in mind that according to Farm Bureau, food prices haven't really jumped like other sectors of things we need, remaining below 10% of income, on average. Granted that may be higher for some with lower incomes, and is ONLY for the food, not the other temptations in those clever stores!

Granted, my 'crew' to feed is not here every day, but maybe that is overruled by the fact it is often very short notice, or an extra plate or three added to the two of us I expected for a meal. I do feel guilty that there aren't always cookies or bars on hand for the grandsons who check in here frequently.......or even mow my yard for me.

Need to step up with that, but I'm sure having fun watching all the birds and admiring all the new green leaves (our trees along the creeks were so late we feared diseases had taken a toll, but they sure have come up to par the past two weeks) and we already have considerably more grass on the pastures than all of last year produced.

Re. Monsanto, I just can't see it or other such as inherently evil. They do some good works, and seem to be overall beneficial, IMO! Granted, others have other opinions, but the 'bogeymen' of this world do come and go.
If people generations ago were correct in their fears, we would all be serfs to one of the big corporations of that era, wouldn't we?

Anyway, I fear EPA and other government agencies run by real zealots with an agenda to turn back the clock, at best, far more than I fear corporations inventing new consumer products for farmers, and other things apparently needed by businesses.

mrj

 

[mrj]

Just remembered that the grocery store which did close in Pierre was an Economart. Don't know of it's ownership, whether local or not, but it was 'the new kid on the block' for a while.

Previous ones, and first one I recall as a child going to Pierre on VERY rare occasions, was a Red Owl store, which lasted several years. There also was one called Walk Up And Save, which was up several steps from the street. I don't remember shopping in there tho, so maybe that was earlier. For several years, there has been a large one, locally owned, I believe, Dakota Mart, with two floors, which I think may have changed owners, and I believe it has branches in a couple of communities in the west end of the state. There is a good locally owned one in Ft. Pierre, just across the river from Pierre, and it has a branch, sort of a warehouse type store, originally, maybe still is, in Pierre. K-Mart, in the mall, has quite a grocery line, or did last time I was there a couple of years ago.

The Red Owl store and the Walk Up were gone LONG before Walmart came to town. It seems maybe Economart may have been the only casualty after Walmart moved in. I shop the Dakotamart occasionally, as well as Walmart, and didn't notice difference in prices, but it has also been a couple of years since I was in Dakotamart, due to the fact it didn't have motorized shopping carts and I have needed to use those being unable to tolerate the pain of walking with an ankle needing replacement, which I plan to do soon.

Pierre does have the advantage of a very large, and quite populous trade area, and lots of government employees, so probably has more to offer shoppers than many places with under 15,000 population.

mrj

 

[tenbach79]

Wasn't the wheat he planted white wheat and not hard red? Thought I seen that in one article.