Sorry, I got this email chain on my cell phone, and thought it was from a different mailing list. (One for amateur fruit growers, and one that is much more prone to getting scares about various chemicals.)
Ginda Fisher apple consumer On Apr 28, 2014, at 8:08 AM, Ginda Fisher wrote: > Can anyone summarize what this chemical is, why and how it is used, and what > the risks might be to farmers and consumers from its use? I feel like I > walked into the middle of a conversation. > > Thanks, > -- > Typed with Swype. Who knows what I meant to say? > > On April 28, 2014 4:03:51 AM EDT, "Con.Traas" <con.tr...@ul.ie> wrote: > Hello Evan and everybody, > > > > > Coming from my perspective, where we are now having to cope without DPA for > storing Bramley (culinary) apples, I must say that is it proving tricky, but > we are managing, through use of 1-MCP combined with more complex (and > expensive and risky) storage regimes. So I would say it is technically > possible to keep apples without DPA or ethoxyquin, which we also can’t use, > but ironically it mitigates against the smaller grower, and in favour of the > larger ones (big ag?) who can afford the higher tech gear. > > > > > It is ironic that scaring people about pesticide residues on fresh foods > (especially fruits) actually causes people to eat more processed foods (as > though their ingredients do not also get pesticide treatments), as the > studies linking better health with fruit consumption are studies conducted > with conventionally grown fruits with their pesticide residues (if they are > not residue free). In other words, the benefits of eating fruits and > vegetables are there in black and white, even if those fruits and vegetables > have residues. It is far less healthy to switch to a candy bar from an apple, > even if that apple has some residue (so long as that is below permitted > levels). However, this is not a message we can send out, so we are left > grappling when emails like this from EWG are circulated. > > > > > The joke of what EWG seems to be doing is producing a dirty dozen or clean > fifteen list is that those lists say nothing at all about the risk of a > pesticide residue on the particular apple in your fruit-bowl. You could be > eating a residue-free fruit from among the “dirty dozen”, or one covered in > pesticide from among the “clean fifteen”. > > > > > Despite the differences in regulations between Europe and the US (and I > favour in general the less permissive, more cautious European standards, > despite having to work within their restrictions), our agriculture here is > constantly increasing in scale, and resembles more and more what would be our > stereotyped image of US industrial agriculture. That is because the > regulations have more in common than what separates them, and farming is > becoming more and more like a business, and less like a passion. > > > > > I am personally not a fan of industrial agriculture, although I employ mostly > similar methods. However, motivation is a key factor, and for me, the > motivation is not profit maximisation. For the industrial model is about > profit before all else, and that is not a suitable way for the World to > produce its food. > > > > > However, as long as Joe public takes the attitude that 7% of their disposable > income is what they will spend on food (that is the Irish %), then > agriculture will continue to become more industrial, as for me that is not a > percentage that can support the production of produce and foods that > consumers might feel more comfortable buying, and might be able to have more > confidence in. > > > > > So, instead of sending 45 bucks to Ken Cook, I would suggest that Joe public > either sends it to a principled (and hopefully small-scale) farmer someplace > near them, or better still, buys a few fruit trees or invests in a few > packets of seeds, and grows their own pesticide-free produce. > > > > > Con Traas > > > European (Irish) Apple Grower > > > T: @theapplefarmer > > > > > From: apple-crop-boun...@virtualorchard.net > [mailto:apple-crop-boun...@virtualorchard.net] On Behalf Of Evan B. Milburn > Sent: 28 April 2014 02:32 > To: Apple-Crop > Subject: Re: [apple-crop] apples and chemicals > > > > This was sent to me from a friend of mine by the name of George. It was > send to him from one of his co-workers. > > > Evan Milburn > > > www.milburnorchards.com > > > > > > > Hey Evan what’s this all about? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > apple-crop mailing list > apple-crop@virtualorchard.net > http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop
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