As I sat down to work on this Blog, my mind went back to my childhood, my Maternal Grandfather always had a garden. It was a block away from the house, but we were eager to take the wagon and harvest the garden. My father was from Arkansas, and we would be dropped off to start our 3 weeks visit with his parents. every summer. The chickens ran around the yard, pecking at the scattered seed. The pigs in the pen snorted and devoured their slop. Cows for milking and an occasional slaughter roamed in the pasture. My favorite place was at the back of the vegetable patch where the watermelons lay soaking up the sun. There was nothing better than going to the watermelon patch, choosing one, lifting it, and letting it fall to the ground splitting apart. Sitting in the field watermelon juice dripping from my chin and spitting seeds. Yeah, that part!

I clearly remember the last 4th of July; I went to several grocery stores looking for a watermelon with seeds. As I contemplated driving to Amish country where I knew I could find one, a friend messaged me, the Giant Eagle store near me had seeded watermelons. I quickly turned around and headed there.

It is difficult to find fruits and vegetables grown as they should be, containing seeds. In the 1990s scientists developed methods to cross plant DNA between organisms, and crossbreeding. Genetic engineering companies, like Monsanto, marketed seed to farmers, convincing them this was a way to grow crops, that would persevere against insecticides and herbicides. These companies also failed to share with farmers the fact that these genetically modified seeds (GMO) cannot reproduce. Thus, the reason for no seeds, however, this also required the farmer to purchase new seeds every year. Farmers also applied herbicides like (Roundup) to their fields, and everything but the GMO crop was killed. Of course, we have discovered how these products affected man.

All types of foods and products are GMOs. The most common genetically modified crops are alfalfa, canola, corn, papaya, soy, sugar beets, zucchini, and yellow summer squash. Over 80% of processed foods in North American grocery stores contain genetically engineered ingredients.

GMOs have not been proven to be harmful they are designed to be healthier and cheaper to produce. Some advantages of GMO foods include added nutrients, fewer pesticides, and cheaper prices. Disadvantages can be allergic reactions or increased antibiotic resistance. For farmers, the concerns regarding GM crops are access to seed variety, rising seed costs, and an increased dependency on multinational seed companies.

So that is the long and the short of it. If you choose to live without GMOs in your life, shop for organic produce and meats. I had to go to Akron this morning, on my way home I stopped at the farm I frequent and bought some meat. It makes a difference when I can look out and see cattle roaming, chickens running around, and pigs in their pens. It takes me back to those summer days spent in Arkansas visiting my grandparents.

The choice is yours; I will continue to hunt down watermelon, grapes, and other fruits that should by nature have seeds.

Until next time

Peace, Love, and Blessings💖