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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:27:48 -0500
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Hello All,
From page 7 of the June Missouri Sierran newsletter:
"While the market for organic foods is increasing , organic farms are being
threatened by contamination from GE crops. Organic and other non-GE farmers
have had to go to court to protect their farms from contamination."
(Bob Harrison comment: Its almost laughable that when these types of
lawsuits were filled in Canada that the Canada courts reversed the issue and
finned the organic grower for STEALING GMO. )
"Three such cases involve rice,alfalfa and sugar beets. Rice farmers in
Arkansas won a $48 MILLION settlement against Bayer Corp. Alfalfa farmers 
won
a temporary moratorium on the planting of Monsanto's GE seeds , and is
considering a permanent injunction."
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/feb09/battle-against-gm-sugar-beets.php

Also on the same page:
"Even the GE farmers are finding the expected economics "benefits" of GE
seeds to be elusive due to the spread of herbicide -resistant weeds, and the
fact that prices of GE seeds have sky-rocketed , while their maximum yields
have not increased"

Bob Harrison comment:
" In areas of widespread Roundup use for field "burn-off" a pattern is
setting up. I took a large farmer for a ride last week to show my
hypothesis. What I am seeing *today* ( as we are in our second wet season
and the rivers are flooding or near flood stage) is the roundup is running
from the fields and eliminating the clovers (white Dutch, yellow and white
sweet ) from all the low areas. The situation is very obvious. I pointed out
that in some areas the only clover left this year is the foot next to the
rod where the runoff can't reach and on hill tops.  After miles of my 
pointing out the issue
the farmer agreed with my hypothesis."
I was asked to look into why Iowa had the worst honey crop since record
keeping last year. 40 pound per hive last year when a few decades ago the
Stanley brothers reported up to 300 pound per hive crops.
Part of the problem is due to farmers planting beans & corn year after year
and not leaving a green manure crop every three years ( thanks to Roundup
and fertilizer). However beekeepers still had the strips along the fields
for the bees and native insects.
I do not see a way for beekeepers to stop the problem and only report my
hypothesis. The farmer felt really bad after seeing the loss of bee forage.
Many farmers simply go with what the chemical companies say and do not
question.
On the lighter side:
At the restaurant I go to in which all the farmers frequent I am not really
considered a farmer but a beekeeper. Farmer is on my tax return, I have a
USDA farm number and under the new rating system considered a medium size
farm. My point is that at times they start pointing out I am not really a
farmer but a beekeeper.
THEN is when I start with my dumb farmer jokes and farmers daughter jokes.
Some try not to laugh but they are funny and finally they say its time for
me to leave and go find a group of beekeepers to have coffee with!

bob

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