A friend of mine (Sage) worked on a 'Natural Farm' for a year. She has left it for various reasons and wrote an article about it for me to publish.
This is her information about how GMO seeds and round up were used on a Natural farm and how they get away with it and still charge the Organic prices.
For those who want to understand the Truth and What to ask about and look for, when you are searching for true non-GMO food including meat.
Edit to add - An article about Heinz and their 'all natural' products that are made with GMO corn.
Here is truth, Sage has asked me to get out to the public
There is a distinction between organic and natural farms. That is one of certification. The organic farmer goes through a process of years of record keeping and submitting to the certification boards overseeing the organic foods. The natural farmer is not certified but does utilize organic farming processes in producing our food. The true natural and organic farmer is on the front lines in the war for our food and deserve all of our support. No, what I'm speaking of here is the modern-day carpetbaggers..... those farmers that don't really care about the outcome or which side ultimately wins out, just so long as they profit from it.
I worked on a so-called 'natural farm' for a year and got an insiders look at the manipulations and lies of these 'natural' farmers. Corn season is just around the corner and there will be waves of folks pouring in to various farms anxiously looking for 'non-GMO' corn. It is then that they are informed of the sad news that due to cross pollination, there is very little non-GMO corn left in this country - and those are small pockets or areas. The particular farm that I worked on had a neat trick for that question.....
So, this particular farm grew their own feed corn (BT corn - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeW5yUSqdhY) which surrounded a smaller area of human consumption corn, which was started with non-GMO corn seeds. That is the corn that this 'natural' farmer spoke of whenever they were questioned about the GMO/non-GMO issue. They would admit that there was very little non-GMO corn left in this country but always stated that they did not use GMO products and that they started their crops with non-GMO seeds. They don't mention that they use RoundUp on all of their fields. They neglect to mention that they absolutely know that the BT feed corn is cross-pollinating with the non-GMO corn, for obvious reasons.
That's bad enough, but then there's the issue of the BT and RoundUp corn being fed to the livestock, which people are paying top dollar for because they're being told that it's non-GMO meat. A good number of the folks seeking this product are under doctors orders or have health issues that require they only consume grain-free meat or non-GMO meat. Here's the trick this particular farmer came up with to snag this type of consumer.... feed the BT corn to their chickens but tell the consumer only that they grow their own feed corn, neglecting to mention that it is not the same as the 'non-GMO' corn they grow for the human consumption market. They also claim that their beef is totally grass-fed and finished with 'shelvage' which is grown on their farm. This could include grasses or grains. The farmer claims it is the grass-type of shelvage that their cows and lamb are finished with. Partly true, once again. Here's the angle on that one: they would feed the cows and sheep the corn that the chickens would leave in their feeders and also the bedding from the chicken roosts. First off, that's disgusting because of the prodigious amounts of fecal matter from the chickens that is being fed to the cows and sheep. But even worse is that the GMO's are going through the chickens to their eggs and into the beef, chicken and lamb that is being sold as non-GMO to the unsuspecting public at the same prices that the true natural and organic farmer must charge to cover their much higher costs of production. The fake 'natural' farmer that is able to produce many acres of GMO products so easily and inexpensively thanks to Monsanto, charges the same as those that must work much harder and spend much more to produce a safe food product for the consumer.
The farm I worked for was touted as a 'working farm' and encouraged school tours, etc. The tours were free but it was strongly encouraged to purchase a 'farm prepared' meal as part of the 'experience' - at $15.00 a head for lunch.
I assisted with a luncheon that was being prepared for a school group. The lady farmer had prepared a delicious lunch of various soups and casseroles using mainly ingredients directly from her farm. Before lunch was served, the farmer came in from the fields and gave a brief lecture on organic farming and then had to hurry off to spread some more RoundUp on his fields. Then the lady farmer went into the importance of producing and consuming only 'clean' foods. This is a very emotional subject for her as I watch from the sidelines.... the voice catches, the mouth droops, the chin quivers, the hand clutches to the heart - but, wait, where's the tears???!!!! Oh, they're just crocodile tears for the benefit of the poor unsuspecting children that are about to consume all of that BT corn and RoundUp.
Here's my suggestions about how to find a true natural or organic farmer to get legitimately clean foods: educate yourself and ask the right questions. When you go to the farm, look around and observe the fields and livestock. If there is nary a weed to be found in the fields, ask the farmer how many people work those fields. If it's a very few, then you must ask yourself how they're keeping the weeds from overtaking their fields. The farm I worked for was very proud of the fact that the farmer mainly worked all of those acres by himself, which was impossible without the wonders of RoundUp and BT products being applied. Ask where they get their feed from and whether any of it is treated with RoundUp or Monsanto products. Ask if they feed any corn or grain at any time to any of their livestock. Pin them down. Watch them closely as you ask these questions.... there are always 'tells' that indicate they are lying or avoiding the truth. Follow your instincts as you ask these questions. There are many good and dedicated natural farmers out there so keep looking until you find one that you feel is honest and then give them your total support because they need it. They work long and hard hours to produce their food and must charge higher prices to do so. The fake 'natural' farmer takes the easy route but still charges as if they're putting in the time and labor to produce a so-called 'clean' food product and they count on the fact that the average consumer is concerned about their food sources but have very little actual knowledge about the issue. Educate yourselves. Ask questions. Don't be afraid. You deserve nutritious and clean food.