I spoke to a farmer today, he says mice won't eat BT corn

I was speaking to a farmer today at work. We were discussing this article I had read about mice and BT corn. Study Finds GM Corn Disturbs Immune System of Mice

He then told me that he had a pallet stack of corn in his barn and that it has mixed sacks of BT corn and non GMO varieties. He loaded the pallet onto his pickup and had brought it out to plant that day. As he would load one sack at a time into the seed spreader he noted that when he would load a sack of the GMO corn it would have only one small hole in the sack but that the corn was not eaten.

When he would get to a sack of non GMO corn in the pallet stack it would be full of holes and have obvious signs of eating and deification in the sack. This went on for the entire pallet load until it was clear that the mice would not eat the genetic modified seed.

He also told me that they had planted the corn in different rows and that when he took corn straw from the genetic modified corn rows his cows would not eat it for fodder but when he took corn straw from the non GMO corn rows they would have no problem using it for fodder.

As a farmer he is moving away from these GM organisms. His son wants to take over the farm from his dad but was not interest in either GM organisms or chemical farming. Over the next few years until he gets the conversion done he is basically making very little money since the cost of production of the organic produce is higher than the non GMO crops. This is mostly from added manpower he said. The long term cost would be far lower for the organic agriculture but the transition is very expensive.

I was thinking after we spoke that if there was a system set up that would help fund farmers to do the 3 year transition to organic farming we might see more of these farmers switch. Nature rejects these frankenfoods no matter what the company lobbyist say that has become clear. Perhaps a transitional agricultural branding of farms that are making the switch would do the trick. I do not know the answer but it is clear that if animals will not eat this stuff unless they have no other choice but starvation perhaps we should all thing of heeding mother nature as well.

Interesting.

Unfortunately though TPTB have invested too much money into GM foods to simply start converting to Organic farming.

They see it as a way of making vasts sums of money without any real research being undertaken, so we do not know the full consequences of GM foods long term. Although if this is true, then it speaks volumes. They should try it out on rats, if they do not eat the B T corn, then seriously, leave well alone!!!

reply to post by Cobaltic1978


It is the farmers that are the ones that are seeing the problems and not in long term use but short time season by season use. If you put down a pile of GMO food for an animal next to a pile of non GMO food the animal by instinct will pick the non GMO food 10 out of 10 times basically. They know by instinct what we should be able to figure out as well.

TPTB can not make nature accept this genetically modified swill and since nature rejects it I think that if we as consumers can find a way to help them switch they would do it since they see nature every day and know that nature does not accept this nonsense. The cost is high to switch so we need to have some kind of transition labeling for foods so that we can use our dollars to help them make the switch. That is my one idea anyway perhaps someone else will have a better one.

reply to post by wayouttheredude


Totally appreciate what you are saying and agree fully. If these animals are rejecting it, they are rejecting it for a reason. We all know that in the wild, animals do not reject food without good reason.

My main concern is that if TPTB start licencesing farming, then we as a people might not have much choice, but to be forced to consume GM foods. I hope this will not be the case, but signs are beginning to appear that it could be well on the horizon.

The more people invest in Organic farming the better for the sector and maybe the better for all of us.

reply to post by Cobaltic1978


I see you are from the UK. I do not know how things are done there but here in the US many states already have licensing requirements to farm and require inspections. It takes 3 years to transition to organic farming minimum and the cost is fairly steep. I think if there could be some type of labeling that said that the product came from a farm in transition to organics they could offer them at a higher price than the chemical farm variety but not quite as high as those prices that certified organic produce can get on the market.

I currently pay more for organics and grow some of my own foods. I would be willing to pay a price somewhere between the premium price that I pay for organic produce. I bet others would as well.

I'm surprised there is not more activity on this thread. I surely hope it gets greater attention.

I fume that GMO does not have to be labeled as such. It is illness-inducing and of lower nutrition, to boot. Why it is an answer has everything to do with control - control the food and you control the people.

reply to post by Amaterasu


Isn't it a shame that the little critters seem smarter than the humans when it concerns the quality or lack there of with our food supply?

GMO foods stink
The animals can smell it, but we can't.

Or it tastes funny to them, I don't know.

I often wonder how much of the canned corn that I eat as a part of my supper is GM?
I don't know and I wish I did.

Shouldn't I as a consumer be able to make a proper choice?
Choice for us mere mortals is probably not a part ot their equation$

reply to post by Toadmund


I have often wondered that myself. Do the critters smell it or taste it and it is not right. Given the fact of the size of the nose on those little varmints I figure they can smell the toxins.

It is good to see some simple experiments proving the harmful effects of GM coming to light. There are others out in the scientific literature, but are generally hushed up. Monsanto is part of the Eugenics program to limit the human population is is backed by some very big dollars. Just the like problems with asbestos, industry knew it was bad for humans but just focused on the dollars without accounting the full effects. It took 30 years in America for enough scientific evidence and political will to stop asbestos, then it moved to Australia and kept up production for another 30 - 40 years. Production of asbestos is probably still going on is some third world nation where access to good information is hampered.

Industry does not care about your health, it cares about its bonuses. It will lie, cheat, steal, bribe, corrupt and kill just for these numbers. GM in its current operation is bad, very, very bad.

I can't eat corn anymore. I always get a terrible migraine that lasts for days.

I used to love "taco night" - now I can't even pick up a couple at the drive-thru for lunch because if I eat the corn taco shell, I get sick.

This Bt toxin that is produced in the actual corn seed is intended as a pesticide which kills insects that eat the corn. My question is - HOW THE HECK IS IT SAFE FOR PEOPLE THEN?

reply to post by kwakakev


I should add here that this farmer that did told me this story is being treated for cancer. The clinic I work at has had several farmers over the last few years being treated for various cancers. They all pretty much attribute their cancer to the chemicals they use to produce their crops. They want to change over to organic farming but it is costly and that 3 year transition is very hard for those that are already dealing with debts.

OK this is an easy one>>> The corn farmers plant has either a pesticide coating or a very bad tasting coating SO CRITTERS DON'T EAT IT BEFORE IT GROWS!! Thats the truth and I can prove it but not going to bother because I'm at work

reply to post by mikellmikell


I understand your point but how does that jive with the fact that his cows will eat corn straw from non gmo in preference for the straw from gmo corn. I can understand if the corn has pesticide coating on it that the mice might eat the types that did not. That does not explain the cows not wanting to eat the mature straw after it is grown.

reply to post by wayouttheredude


The links between Monsanto and the banks are strong. The system is engineered to keep them in this GMO loop, the food chain as well. If they want to go organic then they will have to sell up their property and move to a lower acreage. The numbers are not in their favour for a reason. They will have to do their homework and calculations, there is a way out but there will be changes that they will have to make.

reply to post by kwakakev


What this farmer told me is that it takes them 3 years of farming the land using organic methods in order to qualify as organic in labeling. I might have heard wrong but that it what he said as I remember it.

Another problem here is that the wind will blow GM seeds over to non-gmo and organic farms, mixing the two. And I wouldn't put it past a Monsanto thug to do a drive by on a farm and throw GM seeds out his car window.This is a whole new reason to have a mouse in your pocket.

Squirrels, possums and skunks won't either (squirrels are also rodents, though), but pigeons will. My dogs are tortilla crazy. I got some masa time before last and they spit them out. I switched brands (that was Quaker)
Is it just me or does anyone else think that GM corn smells a little like sandalwood incense?

reply to post by Chi-and-Me

I discussed this with the farmer today after his treatment. We are in agreement that the worst one is this new GM-Alfalfa. He is concerned that the cows will not eat it unless they are starving. This will also make it hard to have organic milk and meats that are not GMO contaminated for this very reason.