Kevin Hayden – TruthisTreason.net

Source: Rodale Institute via Cryptogon

• Organic yields match conventional yields.
• Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought.
• Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system.
• Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient.
• Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases.
• Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional.

The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to regenerate itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy soil, since this is the foundation for present and future growth.

Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it comes to building, maintaining, and replenishing the health of the soil. For soil health alone, organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional. When one also considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health, it’s clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional practices are not.

As we face uncertain and extreme weather patterns, growing scarcity and expense of oil, lack of water, and a growing population, we will require farming systems that can adapt, withstand or even mitigate these problems while producing healthy, nourishing food....

Kevin Hayden – TruthisTreason.net

Source: Natural News

TruthisTreason.net – Kevin Hayden

Source: Natural News

This short animation depicts an armed FDA raid on a raw milk farmer who sells raw milk at the local farmer’s market. Today, the FDA and state agriculture officials are staging armed SWAT-style raids against farmers across the country, arresting innocent people, destroying their milk, stealing their cash and charging them with felony crimes.

See also:

Rawesome Foods and the Exceptional Lemmings, an Editorial About the Raw Food Police State

Animation scripted, produced and voiced by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger.
Courtesy of www.NaturalNews.com...

TruthisTreason.net – Kevin Hayden

Source: Intel Hub

The U.S. Department of Transportation, in an Agenda 21 style order, has moved to essentially ban a large part of family farms.

For hundreds of years family farms have been passed from generation to generation and it has been a way of life for younger family members to learn and work on their farms.

New rules being prepared in Washington could change that forever.

Apparently discussions are now under way to require farmers to have a commercial drivers license to operate farming equipment. This would require farm owners to hire expensive commercial drivers instead of using members of their family.

ABC 25 Waco

The time-honored initiation into working the family farm could one day be a thing of the past, with discussions underway in Washington to require operators of farm equipment to have a commercial driver’s license, or CDL.

Ned Meister’s work in agriculture began similarly at the age of ten.  Meeting with News Channel 25 Wednesday at the Texas Farm Bureau, Meister explained the critical role of family on the farm.

“The vast majority of our farms are family farms, operators of equipment are usually family members, and if [those changes] were to take place, that would eliminate some of the family participation in the farm operation.”

*******

Farmers also fear the prospect of replacing family help with expensive professional drivers, something that could end up costing everyone — if it doesn’t break the bank. 

“When you consider salaries and benefits and all the other things that go with hiring people that otherwise would have been doing by your family, well it’s just a more expensive proposal,” says Meister.

...

Kevin Hayden

TruthisTreason.net

What Exactly is a GMO?

Hayden’s Note: Most of the technology related information is outdated – from 2006-2007 – but still serves as a great foundation for understanding GMOs.  I published this over a year ago, but thought it was still prudent and informative.

A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic, hence they are also known as transgenic organisms. This process may be called either Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM); they are one and the same.

But haven’t growers been grafting trees, breeding animals, and hybridizing seeds for years?

Genetic engineering is completely different from traditional breeding and carries unique risks.

In traditional breeding it is possible to mate a pig with another pig to get a new variety, but is not possible to mate a pig with a potato or a mouse. Even when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding, the offspring are usually infertile—a horse, for example, can mate with a donkey, but the offspring (a mule) is sterile....

Kevin Hayden

TruthisTreason.net

What more can I say about gold and food inflation that every other finance, economic or statistical website hasn’t already? 

I know it’s exciting that gold is skyrocketing, but let’s keep in mind that the Euro is trading higher, as well.  By all means, acquire some precious metals for either bartering, investment or a simple store of wealth, but don’t get too caught up in the gold bugging that’s occuring everywhere.  Make long-term, sensible investments and diversify into tangibles, such as land, quality firearms, ammunition and even food.  I’m not promoting an “end of the world” scenario, but let’s look at food as an investment…

Wheat futures (for December delivery) have jumped well over 55% since July, along with just about every other commodity.

That WILL translate into higher food prices eventually (and very soon!).  Let’s say you spend, on average, $250/month at the grocery store.  Would a prudent investment not be to buy low?  Your $250 grocery bill will be $290 by the end of the year and will blow past $300-$325 by early next year if not more.  And that’s the “Positive, glass half full” outlook....

Source: Food Freedom

Senate Bill 510, the Most Dangerous Bill in the History of the US

Dec. 20th Update: The modified version of SB 510 passed the Senate late Monday night in a sneaky voice vote.  All Senators voted for it, Republicans and Democrats alike.  Not a single U.S. Senator - not even Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn – objected to its passage.  The bill now returns to the House of Representatives for a final vote as HR 2751.  This is absolute betrayal by our representatives and public officials.

Dec. 1st Update: The House of Representatives have challenged the passage of SB 510, stating that it includes tax provisions – violating a Constitutional provision requiring that tax provisions originate in the House.  It returns to the Senate for correction and drags out the lame-duck session.  It should be noted, for what it’s worth, a hot mic left on during the Senate vote Tuesday morning caught a senator complaining that the process of setting the agenda (what will be heard and debated, namely the Food Safety Act) during the lame-duck session is “rigged.”

Nov. 30th Update: The Food Tyranny Act has been passed by the Senate today.  The bill passed 73 to 25, with Sen....

Source: Associated Press

Wholesale prices rose more than expected last month as food prices surged by the most in 26 years.

The Labor Department said the Producer Price Index rose by 0.7 percent in March, compared to analysts’ forecasts of a 0.4 percent rise. A rise in gas prices also helped push up the index.

Still, there was little sign of budding inflation in the report, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, wholesale prices rose by 0.1 percent, matching analysts’ expectations.

Food prices jumped by 2.4 percent in March, the most since January 1984. Vegetable prices soared by more than 49 percent, the most in 15 years. A cold snap wiped out much of Florida’s tomato and other vegetable crops at the beginning of this year.

Gasoline prices rose 2.1 percent, the department said, the fifth rise in six months.

In the past year, wholesale prices are up 6 percent, with much of that increase driven by higher oil prices. But excluding food and energy costs, they have risen only 0.9 percent....

Source: Walletpop

Monsanto: The Evil Corporation in Your Refrigerator

When we consider the rogue’s gallery of devilish, over-sized, greedy and disproportionately powerful corporations, we generally come up with outfits like Microsoft, Bechtel, AIG, Halliburton, Goldman-Sachs, Exxon-Mobil and the United States Senate. Yet somehow, Monsanto, arguably the most devilish, over-sized, greedy and disproportionately powerful corporation in the world has been able to more or less skulk between the raindrops — only a household name in households where documentaries like Food Inc. are regarded as light Friday evening entertainment. My house, for example. But for the most part, if you were to ask an average American for their list of sinister corporations, Monsanto probably wouldn’t make the cut.

It should.

Founded by Missouri pharmacist John Francis Queeny in 1901, Monsanto is literally everywhere. Just about every non-organic food product available to consumers has some sort of connection with Monsanto.

Anyone who can read a label knows that corn, soy and cotton can be found in just about every American food product. Upwards of 90% of all corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from genetically engineered seeds, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs)....

Source: USA Today

via Cryptogon

Beef containing harmful pesticides, veterinary antibiotics and heavy metals is being sold to the public because federal agencies have failed to set limits for the contaminants or adequately test for them, a federal audit finds.

A program set up to test beef for chemical residues “is not accomplishing its mission of monitoring the food supply for … dangerous substances, which has resulted in meat with these substances being distributed in commerce,” says the audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.

The health effects on people who eat such meat are a “growing concern,” the audit adds.

The testing program for cattle is run by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which also tests meat for such pathogens as salmonella and certain dangerous strains of E. coli. But the residue program relies on assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency, which sets tolerance levels for human exposure to pesticides and other pollutants, and the Food and Drug Administration, which does the same for antibiotics and other medicines.

Limits have not been set by the EPA and FDA “for many potentially harmful substances, which can impair FSIS’ enforcement activities,” the audit found....

Source: Common Dreams

via BlackListed News

Sidestepping a stalled Senate confirmation vote, yesterday President Obama recess-appointed Islam Siddiqui to be chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the U.S. trade representative. Dr. Siddiqui’s nomination was held up in the Senate and was opposed by the Center for Biological Diversity and more than 80 other environmental, small-farm, and consumer groups. More than 90,000 concerned citizens contacted the White House and Senate to oppose the nomination. Siddiqui is a former pesticide lobbyist and is currently vice president of science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America, a biotech and pesticide trade group that lobbies to weaken environmental laws.

“Dr. Siddiqui’s confirmation is a step backward,” said Tierra Curry, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “His appointment ensures the perpetuation of pesticide- and fossil-fuel-intensive policies, which undermine global food security and imperil public health and wildlife.”

As undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Siddiqui oversaw the development of the first national organic labeling standards, which allowed sewage sludge-fertilized, genetically modified, and irradiated food to be labeled as organic before public outcry forced more stringent standards....

Source: Daily Futures U.S. Economy The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were down 14,000 last week to 442,000, less than expected. The U.S. Treasury sold $32 billion of 7-year T-notes at a median yield of 3.29% with a disappointing bid-to-cover ratio of 2.61. The June U.S. T-bonds closed down 26/32nds at 115.01/32nd, the lowest close in four weeks. Pimco's Bill Gross told Bloomberg Radio today that "bonds have seen their best days" (see article). He expects higher inflation to result from excessive government borrowing. Grains and Cotton - New Low Wheat The USDA said that, as of last week, 2009-2010 exports of: Corn improved from up 6% to up 7% from a year ago. Soybeans remained up 34% from a year ago. Wheat remained down 21% from a year ago. Cott

Source: Permaculture.com

Busting the Ethanol Myths

Myth #1: It Takes More Energy to ­Produce Ethanol than You Get from It!

Most ethanol research over the past 25 years has been on the topic of energy returned on energy invested (EROEI). Public discussion has been dominated by the American Petroleum Institute’s aggressive distribution of the work of Cornell professor David Pimentel and his numerous, deeply flawed studies. Pimentel stands virtually alone in portraying alcohol as having a negative EROEI—producing less energy than is used in its production.

In fact, it’s oil that has a negative EROEI. Because oil is both the raw material and the energy source for production of gasoline, it comes out to about 20% negative. That’s just common sense; some of the oil is itself used up in the process of refining and delivering it (from the Persian Gulf, a distance of 11,000 miles in tanker travel).

The most exhaustive study on ethanol’s EROEI, by Isaias de Carvalho Macedo, shows an alcohol energy return of more than eight units of output for every unit of input—and this study accounts for everything right down to smelting the ore to make the steel for tractors....

Sorry about the lack of Commodity News lately!  I've been slacking off! Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Commerce Department said that personal incomes were up .3% in December while consumer spending was up .2%. For all of 2009, personal incomes were down 1.4%, the biggest decline since 1938. The Institute of Supply Management's manufacturing index increased from 54.9 to 58.4, much stronger than expected. The March 2011 eurodollars were down .03 at 98.60. The U.S. Census Bureau said that construction spending was at an annual rate of $902.5 billion, down 1.2% from November's pace. For all of 2009, construction spending totaled $939.1 billion, down 12.4% on the year. Even so, March lumber closed up its $10 daily limit at $258.50, the highest in eight weeks. Grains and C

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were up 11,000 last week to 444,000, more than expected. The March 2001 eurodollars closed up .065 at 98.475. The U.S. Commerce Department said that retail sales were down .3% in December, weaker than expected. They also said that inventories were up .4% in November, more than expected. The U.S. Treasury sold $13 billion of 30-year T-bonds at a median yield of 4.61% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.68. The March U.S. T-bonds closed up 27/32nds at 116.25/32nds. Grains and Cotton The USDA said that, as of last week, 2009-2010 exports of: Corn remained up 5% from a year ago. Soybeans increased from up 38% to up 42% from a year ago. Wheat slipped from down 28% to down 29% from a year a

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy - China Tightens Reserve Requirements China surprised the markets today, announcing that they are raising the reserve requirements for their banks by .5% starting January 18th. It is seen as a move to restrain the economy. The March U.S. T-bonds jumped up 1.20/32nds to 116.26/32nds. Most commodities were lower on the day. The U.S. Census Bureau said that exports were up .9% to $138.2 billion in November while imports were up 2.6% to $174.6 billion. The result was net imports of $36.4 billion, more than expected. The U.S. Treasury sold $40 billion of 3-year T-notes at a median yield of 1.45% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.98. Grains and Cotton - USDA Reports The USDA's 2009-2010 U.S. ending stocks estimate of: Corn was increased from 1.

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Treasury sold $10 billion of 10-year TIPS today at a yield of 1.30% with a bid to cover ratio of 2.65. The March U.S. T-bonds were down 9/32nds at 115.06/32nds. Grains and Cotton The USDA said that last week's export inspections of: Corn totaled 20.6 million bushels, down 6% from a year ago. Soybeans totaled 41.0 million bushels, up 52% from a year ago. Wheat totaled 11.0 million bushels, down 46% from a year ago. March soybeans closed down 11.5 cents at $10.105. Tomorrow morning, the USDA is scheduled to release its estimate of winter wheat seedings along with its monthly supply and demand estimates. March wheat closed up 4 cents at $5.725, its highest close in five weeks. March cotton closed up 1.80 cents at 74.24,

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were up 1,000 last week to 434,000. The U.S. Labor Department will release its unemployment report tomorrow. The International Council of Shopping Centers said that same-store sales at 32 retailers were up 2.8% in December. Grains and Cotton The USDA said that, as of last week, U.S. 2009-2010 exports of: Corn improved from up 3% to up 5% from a year ago. Soybeans remained up 38% from a year ago. Wheat remained down 28% from a year ago. Cotton remained down 37% from a year ago. March cotton closed down .66 at 72.89, the lowest close in six weeks. March soybeans fell 33 cents to $10.26 with concerns that China's move to raise its interest rate slightly signaled a change that

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Commerce Department said that factory orders were up 1.1% in November, better than expected. The March 2011 eurodollars closed up .10 at 98.28. The National Association of Realtors said that pending home sales were down 16% in November, but still up 15.5% from a year ago. March lumber fell $2.40 to $228.10. The March U.S. T-bonds closed up 30/32nds at 116.01/32nds. Grains and Cotton Part of yesterday's big gain in wheat prices was due to concerns that the winter wheat crops in Nebraska and Kansas may suffer damage from being exposed to below-zero temperatures. Today, March wheat was down 4.75 cents to $5.53. According to Bloomberg news, the soybean harvest in Brazil has begun and expectations are high for a record crop (see artic

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Commerce Department said that retail sales were up 1.3% in November, much better than expected, and up 1.9% from a year ago. Sales in October were revised down, from a 1.4% gain to a 1.1% gain. The March 2011 eurodollars were down .055 at 98.41.   The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index increased from 67.4 to 73.4 in early December, stronger than expected. Grains and Cotton The flow of soybeans to China continues: The USDA said today that China bought another 232,000 tons of U.S. soybeans. January soybeans closed up 8 cents at $10.35. Livestock The U.S. Meat Export Federation said that beef exports were down 4% in October from a year ago. February cattle closed up 1.10 at 83.20 while extremely cold tempera

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were up 17,000 last week to 474,000. The March 2011 eurodollars were down .025 at 98.465. The U.S. Census Bureau said that exports were up 2.5% in October to $136.8 billion while imports were up .5% at $169.8 billion. The result was net imports of $32.9 billion, down from $35.7 billion in September. The U.S. Treasury sold $13.0 billion of 30-year T-bonds at a median yield of 4.42% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.45, a higher bond price than expected. The March U.S. T-bonds fell 28/32nds to 118.13/32nds. The U.S. Treasury posted a federal budget deficit of $120.3 billion for November, less than expected. Grains and Cotton The USDA's 2009-2010 U.S. ending stocks estimates of: Corn we

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The Mortgage Bankers Association said that its index of mortgage applications was up 8.5% last week to 665.6, the highest level in two months. The U.S. Census Bureau said that wholesale sales were up 1.2% in October while inventories were up .3%. The March 2011 eurodollars ended up .02 at 98.49. The U.S. Treasury sold $21 billion of 10-year T-notes at a median yield of 3.36% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.62. The March U.S. T-bonds closed down 12/32nds at 119.09/32nds. Grains and Cotton March corn ended down 1.5 cents at $3.835 ahead of tomorrow morning's supply and demand estimates from the USDA. Not all corn was harvested this year due to a wet fall in several states. The USDA said that China bought 110,000 tons of U.S. soybeans. J

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The March U.S. dollar index was down .16 at 75.81 in the aftermath of Friday's surprisingly positive unemployment report. The March 2011 eurodollars closed up .10 at 98.375, taking back part of Friday's big decline. Grains and Cotton The USDA said that last week's export inspections for: Corn totaled 25.92 million bushels, up 4% from a year ago. Soybeans totaled 58.3 million bushels, up 40% from a year ago. Wheat totaled 13.0 million bushels, down 2% from a year ago. January soybeans were up a dime at $10.53. Livestock February cattle were up just .10 at 83.30 with a major winter storm on its way through the Central Plains states. Coffee This weekend's commodity article in Barron's was titled, "Rally in Coffee Is Bre

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy - Jobless Rate Improved The U.S. Labor Department said that the unemployment rate improved from 10.2% to 10.0%, much better than expected. Non-farm payrolls were down 11,000, a much smaller decline than expected. The March 2011 eurodollars fell .195 to 98.275 as today's report weakened the argument to keep the federal funds rate near zero. In addition to November's good news, job losses for October were revised from -190,000 to -111,000. For September, job losses were revised from -219,000 to -139,000. The March U.S. dollar index jumped up 1.295 to 76.29, the highest close in a month. The U.S. Commerce Department said that factory orders were up .6% in October, better than expected. Overall, commodity markets were steady to lower after toda

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were down 5,000 last week at 457,000, less than expected and the lowest in nearly 15 months. The March 2011 eurodollars ended down .02 at 98.47. The Institute of Supply Management's index of services fell from 50.6 to 48.7 in November, weaker than expected and a sign of contraction. The Labor Department also said that non-farm productivity was up 4.0% in the third quarter from a year ago while unit labor costs were down 1.4%. Freddie Mac said that the rate on 30-year fixed mortgages fell from 4.78% to 4.71% last week, a new record low. According to CNBC, Bank of America will soon repay the $45 billion of TARP funds that it received from the U.S. government last year. The U.S. Treasury

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy ADP Employer Services said that there was a loss of 169,000 private jobs in November, down from a decline of 195,000 jobs in October. The U.S. Labor Department will release its unemployment report on Friday morning. The Federal Reserve's Beige Book said that "economic conditions have generally improved modestly since the last report" and noted that even "home sales and construction activity improved across much of the nation." The March 2011 eurodollars finished down .06 at 98.49. Grains and Cotton January soybeans closed down 25.5 cents at $10.34, blamed on profit-taking ahead of tomorrow's weekly export sales report. March wheat ended down 8 cents at $5.76 with no strength from corn or soybeans to hold prices up. Sugar March su

Source: DailyFutures  U.S. Economy The National Association of Realtors said that its index of pending home sales was up 3.7% in October to the highest level since March of 2006. From a year ago, the index is up 32%. January lumber hit new contract highs early, but ended down $4.20 at $242.00. The Institute of Supply Management's index of manufacturing fell from 55.7 to 53.6 in November, weaker than expected, but still a sign of expansion. The U.S. Census Bureau said that construction output was at an annual rate of $910.8 billion in October, up slightly from September's pace and down 1.6% from a year ago. The Johnson Redbook index of U.S. retail sales showed a gain of 5.2% in the first four weeks of November from a month ago. From a year ago, sales were up 2.6%. The Ma

[Hayden's Note: If you think the Obama Administration is going to do ANYthing to reign in Monsanto, you are living in an altered reality.]

Obama Chooses Monsanto Creature, Tom Vilsack, for Secretary of Agriculture

Obama Chooses Former Monsanto Lobbyist for Food Safety Post

Via: Washington Post:

For plants designed in a lab a little more than a decade ago, they’ve come a long way: Today, the vast majority of the nation’s two primary crops grow from seeds genetically altered according to Monsanto company patents.

Ninety-three percent of soybeans. Eighty percent of corn.

The seeds represent “probably the most revolutionary event in grain crops over the last 30 years,” said Geno Lowe, a Salisbury, Md., soybean farmer.

But for farmers such as Lowe, prices of the Monsanto-patented seeds have steadily increased, roughly doubling during the past decade, to about $50 for a 50-pound bag of soybean seed, according to seed dealers.

The revolution, and Monsanto’s dominant role in the nation’s agriculture, has not unfolded without complaint. Farmers have decried the price increases, and competitors say the company has ruthlessly stifled competition....

Source: DailyFutures Surprise From Dubai Yesterday, the government of Dubai surprised the markets when they asked creditors to suspend the debt re-payments of Dubai World, their large, state-run conglomerate, until May 30, 2010. The December U.S. dollar index ended up .155 at 75.04. It is not clear just how much debt is at risk. According to Reuters news, The Bank of America said that the the debt for Dubai World is estimated at $59 billion and Dubai's total debt is $88 billion. Today's article from the BBC explained that, while the United Arab Emirates (of which Dubai is a member) has oil revenues, Dubai does not, and the UAE has shown signs of limiting its aid to Dubai. U.S. Economy The news from Dubai dominated the markets early today. Will this create a new trend in th

Source: DailyFutures U.S. Economy - Jobless Claims Surprisingly Low, Dollar Drops Again The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were down 35,000 last week to 466,000, less than expected and the lowest in 14 months. The December 2010 eurodollars were down .035 at 98.83. The U.S. Commerce Department said that personal incomes were up .2% in October and consumer spending was up .7%, both more than expected. Also, durable goods orders were down .6% in October, but were revised higher in September, from +1.4% to +2.0%. The U.S. Census Bureau said that new home sales were at an annual rate of 430,000 in October, up 6.2% from September and much stronger than expected. From a year ago, new home sales were up 5.1%. January lumber ended up .20 at $235.00. The University of