Podcast – What Do Farmers Think of GMOs and Pesticides? with The Farm Babe Michelle Miller
Description: Between the latest online fads and the crazy media headlines, it’s easier than ever to get confused about your health. If you want to make better decisions about your health today so you can feel better and live longer, you’ve come to the right place.
Are you worried about pesticides on your produce? Do you want to eat healthy but can’t always afford to buy organic? Do you worry that the chemicals that farmers use are compromising your health? I want to help you understand the real danger of pesticides and GMOs from the perspective of someone who has been on both sides of the argument. My guest today was previously opposed to pesticides and GMOs, but after increasing her understanding of farming practices by becoming one herself, has become an advocate for GMO practices and works to inform consumers about the truth behind pesticides.
I’m joined today by Michelle Miller, also known as The Farm Babe, a keynote speaker, online influencer and farmer who raises sheep, beef cattle and grows over 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans in Northeast Iowa. Michelle herself is a mythbuster that works to connect consumers and farmers. She explains her own journey from myth-believer to mythbuster and explains in clear and simple terms the truth about the practices of both conventional and organic farmers, the pesticides and practices they both use, and what these facts mean for the health and safety of consumers.
Key Takeaways:
[1:08] Today’s topic is the truth about GMOs and pesticides.
[2:24] Michelle explains the reasons she ate non-GMO and organic foods in the first place and the experiences that started to shift her understanding.
[7:41] The amount of herbicides sprayed on a GMO field per year is equivalent to two beer cans — Michelle explains how different that looks from the chemicals farmers were using in the 1960s.
[9:08] A comparison of the relative toxicity of glyphosate — also known as RoundUp — compared to the table salt in your kitchen.
[11:22] The importance of eating more fruits and vegetables will always outweigh the net effects of pesticides, and a look at what non-GMO labels have to gain by selling to consumer fears.
[13:44] What precautions do farmers take to ensure pesticides don’t harm butterflies and bees? And how can everyone benefit from keeping an open mind to all science and medicine?
[20:00] Dr. C shares his farming background, the life experiences that led him to naturopathy, and his desire to keep all people as informed as possible.
[25:33] Is it possible that you’re not feeling well because you ate GMOs? Consider your diet, exercise and sleep habits before you draw any conclusions about GMOs.
[27:32] Consumers need to choose to not be intellectually lazy when seeking to understand their health problems — “Dr. Google” is not going to give you the full picture of what exactly is going on.
[30:03] Which pesticides are actually dangerous, and in what amounts? Even organic and home-gardened food does not provide pesticide-free options.
[33:14] An overview of sustainability, using science for agriculture and the difference between attempting to produce purely organic produce now from 100 years ago.
[35:20] Does it really make sense for farmers to destroy their soil and crops with harmful pesticides? Michelle explains the risks farmers aren’t willing to take when using pesticides.
[38:11] Do you have a topic you’d like me to cover? Contact me on Facebook or Instagram using #medicalmyths.
To learn more:
Ten Thousand New Reasons Not to Fear Pesticides
Tweetables:
“95 percent of farmers grow GMO crops because it allows them to use less chemicals, less pesticides, no more insecticides, less tillage, and less fuel.” — Michelle Miller
“Plenty of organic farmers still use pesticides. If organic farmers are using pesticides and GMOs aren’t that bad, then what else might we be wrong about?” — Michelle Miller
“Farmers were using eight or ten different chemicals back in the 1960s and now we’re down to one or two in a much smaller, safer dose. That’s really something to celebrate.” — Michelle Miller
“Unless you’re eating 200,000 strawberries in one sitting, the levels of pesticide on your produce is not going to harm you.” — Michelle Miller
