Really Good News

I'm not willing to interrupt my bike riding for just any sort of news to put on this blog but this is important. The herbicide 2,4 D has been named as one of the 75 most important inventions of modern time and, after an extensive 17 year review, has been re-registered for use throughout the world.

Discovered in 1943 2,4D is easily the most important aid to food production in the world. In the 17 year review over 700 studies were conducted to assess environmental and toxicological impact and the old timer passed with flying colors. New pesticides only require 150 studies so the old boy did pretty good.

The fact that all of this was real science hasn't impressed the likes of environmental groups who vow death to the product but, as far as the scientific community can figure, the stuff is safe.

So there you have it, 15 more years of use of a very effective and very safe aid to food production. There's still some who figure you can grow all the food you need without fertilizer and pest control products but they are neither producers or retailers of food. Nor are they hungry or short of money.

I hope you take the time to give a tip o the cap to good old 2,4D.

Just to show you I'm not totally sold out to the dark side of food production via chemicals I will cite an interesting use for dandelions. A cattle producer who writes for us said he considers dandelions to be the best news ever in his field. While many producers use good old 2,4D to eradicate them he uses cows, claiming there's more protein in a dandelion than in a lot of grass nearby. The cows love the big leaves and this guy's opinion is that you should let them grow until they are big then turn the cows in on them. You get good salad for the cows and control the weedy nature of the plant at the same time. And it's organic, so that has to be a 5 star advantage to the beef somehow.

We should all pay attention. Let your dandelions grow to about a foot tall, until the leaves are big. Then harvest them for organic salads you can enjoy every day. Dig the roots up, dry them and use them as a coffee substitute. I have done both, believe it or not. I have also killed many with good old 2,4D. Either way works.

Pa