How to convince DH not to plant GMO corn...???

[sparkles2307]

DH raises "round up ready" corn and sometimes RUR soybeans as our main cash crop. I asked him why he uses a GMO seed when it basically the spawn of Satan and he said "Can't afford to plant non gmo." so..... is there a non-GMO field corn that he can grow for the same cost and get the same yield?

 

[vfem]

In no way with you get the same 'possible' yield. But look into some good hybrids... there are a lot out there with resistances that are worth the money and you can still get a good yield. GMO is no guarantee, and neither is a hybrid.

What is he growing it for? Feed? Human consumption? Would he feel better switching crows this year? Maybe something that will let the land rest?

 

[sparkles2307]

We have 100 acres and he splits it into thirds and rotates which third he grows each crop on every year. 1/3 is wheat or beans 1/3 is corn and 1/3 is hay. The corn we sell to the elevator, IDK who they sell it to....feed companies or grocery. We keep some of the corn for our livestock.... basically I just put 2 and 2 together this week and realized that all the lovely home-grown feed I give my chickens is 50/50 GMO corn and some oats we get from the neighbor. Um, not happy.

DH is the most impatient person I know. He will not do research into a high yield hybrid. Where should I look?

 

[vfem]

We have 100 acres and he splits it into thirds and rotates which third he grows each crop on every year. 1/3 is wheat or beans 1/3 is corn and 1/3 is hay. The corn we sell to the elevator, IDK who they sell it to....feed companies or grocery. We keep some of the corn for our livestock.... basically I just put 2 and 2 together this week and realized that all the lovely home-grown feed I give my chickens is 50/50 GMO corn and some oats we get from the neighbor. Um, not happy.

DH is the most impatient person I know. He will not do research into a high yield hybrid. Where should I look?

Sounds like a lot of the farmers now... impatient and will take the promise of 'yield' over anything else.

I know in Iowa the only option to sell off to the elevator near Davenport is for feed only. Purina buys quite a bit to use for their pet feeds. (Read the back of dogfood lately... gag!)

Has he thought about sunflowers?

Or this, he only has one outlet to sell in the area?

Plus, if its only 1/3... if I were you, I would discuss it with your husband in detail, see who's buying and how much work you want to put into it. Some people can't be swayed either way and you may lose this battle. I ideals of 'choice' in this government rarely exist anymore

 

[sparkles2307]

We grow flowers from time to time but (trust me I know from working in a sunflower elevator) they are so disease ridden and mess up the soil if you plant them on the same plot twice in a row...

Yeah DH is a money-minded individual and if I can't show him the money he wont come to my idillyc side fo the fence.

I was just hoping there might be a non-gmo variety of corn that I could sway him with. I gag at the thought of paying to feed my chickens all winter...

 

[vfem]

We grow flowers from time to time but (trust me I know from working in a sunflower elevator) they are so disease ridden and mess up the soil if you plant them on the same plot twice in a row...

Yeah DH is a money-minded individual and if I can't show him the money he wont come to my idillyc side fo the fence.

I was just hoping there might be a non-gmo variety of corn that I could sway him with. I gag at the thought of paying to feed my chickens all winter...

Truth is you live in an area where GMO is like the god among fields. Its hard to make your husband chance another route when everyone else is doing it. I wish you luck, but I am picky about my corn... and will only be growing heirloom popcorn this year.

 

[hoodat]

The problem is that once you get on the GMO/roundup ready merry go round it's hard to get off. A few years of that and the soil is so degraded it won't grow anything without chemical fertilizer and chemical weed and pest control.
It takes several years of organic farming before the soil comes back to life and that's several low income years before things come back into balance and you get back into the profit margin. There is also the ag skills factor. It takes no skill to be a Monsanto farmer, just money for the chemicals even though it produces an inferior crop. If you run into problems Monsanto sends someone out with a list of the things you need to buy from them to keep the crop going.

 

[sparkles2307]

So really to get my ideal I have to move him to a small farm far away from here where he cant have such a big herd of cattle to have to feed... oi

 

[seedcorn]

To answer your question (I'll ignore the GMO remarks), yes there are companies that produce the same genetics that are in GMO products in non-GMO products. If you are interested, PM me and I'll tell you some companies that do offer them.

For your info. GMO's do not make yield but rather protect yield from insects and allow your husband to use glysophates to clean up fields with late developing weeds. Glysophates used correctly are used in much less quantity than tradional chemicals plus don't have the half life of tradional chemicals. He can't afford to allow weeds to take away his yield and can't hand weed acres of crops. So don't be too hard on him.

 

[wifezilla]

Do you have an area where you can do a small experimental plot? I am thinking a 3 sisters type garden. As for the cross pollination issue, you can time it so your plot ripens before or after his regular crop. It isn't a 100% guarantee you wont get some crossing, but it does improve your odds.

Info on 3 sister's gardening...
http://blog.seedsavers.org/post/Garden-Planning-II.aspx