Food Revolution: Grow Food At Home
By Neenah Payne
“I cannot encourage you strongly enough to take control of the food that you’re eating. A great way to get started on your own is by sprouting. They may be small, but sprouts are packed with nutrition and best of all, they’re easy and inexpensive to grow.” Dr. Joseph Smith, Reinventing Our Food System, One Small Farm At a Time
The annual global March Against Monsanto takes place on Saturday, May 21. It was launched in 2013 after Big Food defeated the California Right To Know Proposition 37. In 2015, 400 cities in 50 countries participated in the march and, in France, the march was held in 20 cities.
However, the most important march against Monsanto takes place every day when people choose to buy and eat organic rather than GMO foods. Every dollar spent on food is a vote for the kind of world we want and is heard all the way up the food chain.
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GMO Foods / Disease Link
The 2014 research paper by Dr. Nancy Swanson “Genetically engineered crops, glyphosate and the deterioration of health in the United States of America“ shows the correlation between the escalation of 21 diseases and the use of glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide beginning in 1974.
In a video linked to in the article Monsanto’s Roundup Herbicide – The Ultimate Killing Machine, author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith interviews Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at MIT. Dr. Seneff says glyphosate is possibly “the most important factor in the development of multiple chronic diseases and conditions that have become prevalent in Westernized societies.”
Dr. Seneff has documented the connection between GMO foods and diseases that include but are not limited to autism, obesity, allergies, ALS, cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, infertility, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis, as well as gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
2016 Sea Change
In March, Congress voted against the DARK Act (Deny Americans the Right to Know) which was an attempt by Big Food to defeat state mandatory labeling of foods that have genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). The goal was to avoid the mandatory GMO labels required by the Vermont law which goes into effect on July 1.
Since the defeat of the DARK Act, General Mills, Mars, Kellogg’s, and ConAgra announced in March that they will label GMO foods nationwide since they cannot create labels for just one state. This grassroots movement led by tiny Vermont has the power to re-structure the national food system.
Jeffrey Smith, author of Genetic Roulette, says doctors report to his Institute For Responsible Technology that thousands of patients have recovered quickly from illnesses when they switch to organic foods. Dr. Terry Wahls was wheel-chaired bound with “incurable” Multiple Sclerosis in 2007. When she switched to organic foods, she was able to take an 18-mile bike ride in 2008 and go horseback riding in the Canadian Rockies in 2009. Her TEDx Talk in 2011 went viral and Dr. Wahls has documented her new organic paleo diet in two books.
Now, 64 countries label GMO foods and 38 have banned them. Some countries are going further. Putin announced in 2015 that Russia will be the leading supplier of organic foods. The articles Denmark is on its way to becoming an organic country and Why India’s first 100% organic state matters for the future of organic food show that the world is beginning to go organic. In addition, 78% of Americans are eating at least some organic foods.
Going organic because it dramatically lowers healthcare costs. People can be healthy rather than paying exorbitant fees to suppress symptoms. Of course, switching to organic also increases the quality of life, happiness, and productivity of individuals and nations.
Doctors Prescribe Organic Plant-Based Diet
Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food“. However, Wendell Berry points out: “People are fed by the Food Industry which pays no attention to health and are treated by the Health Industry which pays no attention to food”.
Dr. Dean Ornish says in his Summit video “Revolution in Medicine” that millions of Americans can feel better, be healthier, live longer, save money, and help the planet just by changing their diet. Dr. Ornish’s studies prove that good nutrition can prevent AND cure serious illnesses. After 16 years of studying Dr. Ornish’s work, Medicare now provides reimbursement for his program. Dr. Ornish recommends the film Escape Fire: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare which is available on Amazon for Instant View.
A growing number of doctors are integrating nutrition into their practice. Garth Davis, M.D., renowned bariatric surgeon, partnered with Memorial Hermann Medical Center and the Rawfully Organic Co-Op to open Houston’s first hospital-based organic produce stand. The project is an extension of Dr. Davis’ “Farmacy” program launched in 2012. “Along with a recommendation for regular exercise, I write all of my patients a prescription for more fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. Davis. A video with Dr. Davis is shown in the Organic section of my Urban Gardens Revolution site.
In his Seeds of Deception video, Jeffrey Smith, author of the DVD Genetic Roulette says that the American Academy of Environmental Medicine recommends that ALL doctors prescribe non-GMO diets for EVERYONE. The position paper of the AAEM on GMOs is at: https://www.aaemonline.org/gmo.php.
Grow Your Own Food
The video Why We Need a Food Revolution is by John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World. He points out that our tax dollars support foods bad for our heath. John says we need a Department of HomeGrown Security!
Growing your own food provides security, greater nutrition, saves money, and is lots of fun. In just a week, you can grow enough sprouts for one person for a week. In the Fountain of Youth video, Annette Larkins (who is 70, but looks 40) credits her youthful looks and vitality to her sprouts and urban garden.
Dr. Vandana Shiva says that the “Urban garden is the greatest revolution!“ Jules Dervaes, founder of the Urban Homestead, calls his 1/5 acre city garden on which he and his family grow 6,000 pounds of food each year “The Path to Freedom”.
Ron Finley, the “Gangsta Gardener” gave a TED Talk in 2013 that has been seen by more than 2.5 million people. Ron plants vegetable gardens in South Central Los Angeles in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs to offer an  alternative to fast food in a community where he says “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”
Ron influenced legislation to allow planting on Los Angeles freeways. Ron was one of the speakers at this year’s Food Revolution Summit which donated $500 to support his work. Imagine how it could transform the health of this country if people in other US cities follow Ron’s example. The Ron Finley: Gangsta Gardner page on my site shows that Ron’s work is featured in two films.
AeroGarden
The AeroGarden allows you to grow your own lettuces, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. effortlessly indoors all year. The AeroGarden comes with an Herb Seed Pod Kit. AeroGarden sells additional Seed Pod Kits including one for Heirloom Lettuces with 6 varieties, a Romaine Kit, Kale Kit, and Custom Kit that allows you to select from 14 lettuces. These kits provide 30 different types of lettuces – many of which you are unlikely to find in your grocery store, health food store, or even farmers’ markets.
The AeroGarden is easy to set up and use. The Control Panel turns the AeroGarden lights on and off in a 17 hour-cycle at the default times or at the times you select. It also reminds you when to add water and nutrients every couple of weeks. Most plants germinate within 7-14 days, are ready for harvesting in 4-6 weeks, and will keep producing continuous harvests for up to 6 months and longer. Indoor gardening can’t get any tastier or simpler!
The article Watch Venezuela, Because Food Shortages, Looting, and Economic Collapse Are Coming to America, Too sees the food shortages rocking Venezuela now as inevitable in the US. With an increasing number of analysts forecasting an economic crisis, learning now how to grow some of your own food is a good investment in your health and security. Even in the best of times, growing food is empowering. The Issues and Solutions Map on my site shows that plants and seeds connect you with the web of life and enlarge your world in many enjoyable ways.
Start growing some delicious, nutritious food today!
