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Old 17-05-2007, 05:03 PM posted to rec.gardens
raycruzer raycruzer is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 92
Default Roundup or Weed B gone or...?

On May 16, 4:08 pm, Giovanni Bonaventura
wrote:
On 16 May 2007 10:06:39 -0700, raycruzer wrote:





On May 15, 11:49 am, z wrote:
On Apr 27, 9:30 am, Lar wrote:


JoeSpareBedroom wrote:


No chemical has ever or will ever be tested for safety in humans. Hire a


If you mean humans used as pesticide "test animals" sure they have.


That's why we haven't stopped illegal alien migrant farm workers from
coming in.


Farming is an industry like coal mining or diamond mining that is
economically based on the exploitation of labor like beasts of
burden. New methods and chemicals may reduce labor, but also expose
workers to higher risks. New mechanical tools may also reduce labor
and health risks, but sometimes the benefit is questionable. An
interesting controversy has been recently exposed over the use of a
bedweeder tractor or flat bed weeder where workers pull weeds while
laying down on cots. This story from a Spanish newspaper is discussed
on ergonica.com/hand_weeder_science.htm. But that's another story...


Be kind to workers who handle your food and they will also be kind to
you.


You characterize farming as "based on the exploitation of labor like
beasts of burden." That ignores the many, many farming areas that
have been totally mechanized. Corn, wheat and grain farming use no
"beasts of burden" human or otherwise.

You site one example in Spain and use it to condemn an entire
industry.

Shame on you.

John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Your concern over farms with no labor at all is clearly not relevant
to the issue.

A better defense would be to name a farm or group of farms that treat
workers well or pay them above minimum wages for extremely dangerous
and arduous duty? I'm sure there are some out there. Somewhere?
Perhaps a few family owned farms? I don't know about organic farmers
as an industry since they claim in California that they are immune
from health regulations that restrict hand weeding.

Perhaps people don't care about the workers because they're immigrants
with questionable legal status.

The example I sited was a Spanish language newspaper called La Opinion
in Los Angeles, California, USA. The story was in Lamont, California,
USA in March 2007. The title of the article in La Opinion is "El
Valle Central: pobreza que duele."

Sorry to digress.

-----
At peace with weeds...