On Fri, 2 Jun 2000 11:27:56 -0400, Liz Pike wrote:
>Sal, I am organic, and I agree with many of your points. What I object to
>is the inflexible attitude many of my fellow organic growers have towards
>those who are NOT organic. I was out with a farmer today--a conventional
>farmer with 40 years experience. Did I rip into him for standing next to a
>huge tractor with a belly full of Round-Up?? NO--I listened while he
>proudly showed me he'd quit planting to the edges to allow for more
>wildlife. I walked with him to fields he'd taken out of production, and
>planted with red clover. All in the name of doing his job better. Who
>knows, maybe next year he'll cut back on the Round-Up. The more he learns,
>the more he'll change. But not through intolerance.
>
>Get out, meet some farmers, put faces on all those labels we've created for
>our profession. Then take a look. You'll see your neighbors, you'll see
>yourself. People doing their best with the knowledge they have. We can
>only start from where we are. And for that I applaud them.
Liz, you are *so* right about that.
You seem to realise --- as too few do --- that we are better off by
twice if 80% of all farmers (by acreage) reduce their pesticide use by
just 25%, compared to having 10% eliminate pesticides completely. The
Averys and their ilk miss this point just as badly as the Church Of
Organic Lifestyle (COOL).
The Nozzleheads and COOL dissipate their energy attacking each other,
while there's plenty of work out there that could constitute a common
cause ... if only the extremes would let their egos settle down long
enough to pay attention to what's really going on.
Bart
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