How Monsanto, the developer of Roundup® convinced me to abandon the use of all pesticides on my orchard
I have been convinced that (Roundup®) specifically and all pesticides, in general, are a danger to human health as well as that of non-targeted fauna and flora. We should not believe Monsanto when they tell us their product Roundup is harmless. The truth is coming to light slowly but surely.
Entrance to my Spanish farm
The most dangerous issue about Roundup is that Monsanto markets Roundup Ready seeds to a very large percentage of farmers. These seeds are genetically modified to be able to withstand the toxicity of the herbiside. A repot by EarthOpenSource, provides eye opening information on why GMO foods are dangerous.
My Spanish Story
When I started on my finca (farm) in 1981, I had no idea about anything related to agriculture. My Spanish gardener, Miguel, told me that to get rid of the bad weeds, I should buy Roundup®. Monsanto produces this weed killer, and it is used worldwide.
Over the years, the use of Roundup is greatly reduced, or even forbidden in most European countries by now.
In the U.S. it is still used and now in the year 2018, the first court case against Monsanto was started. On part of my property, a piece of land approximately 1000 square meters with orange trees and cobblestones around the house and a big cobblestone patio Roundup was used.
The farmhouse is 180 years old and cobblestones look very nice when they are clean. Obviously not meant for running around in high-heels. Whenever I have a party outside, I remind my guests of the need to wear flat shoes.
Oranges hanging on the tree, image by Hans
Pesticides in my garden
So, to battle the weeds, I bought a big can of Roundup®, and using a sprayer, my gardener applied the product to the orange field and all the cobblestones. For sure, the weeds were starting to wither away within a few days.
About 3 weeks later, Miguel started to sweep the cobblestones in the patio with a big broom, and the dust was flying. The next day, I found some dead fish floating in the small concrete fish pond I built myself.
On the orange fields, the snails that had been creeping up the tree trunks had fallen off and were laying in a white circle around the tree. Within a couple of days, we found a dead hedgehog. He had been eating the poisoned snails thinking he would have a fantastic meal, but it cost him his life. I felt very sad and also extremely guilty.
Through my ignorance, I had caused the death of this hedgehog. I enjoy having them in my garden and have realized they are such useful animals eating harmful insects.
Hedgehog in the garden, image by TomaszProszek
Going Organic
These two incidents opened my eyes and made me understand that I would avoid any type of pesticide in the future, so I went green (organic). From that moment, all my produce from the farm is organic.
My friends who buy my oranges and with whom I have a coffee and socialize are happy to be able to use the total orange for making marmalade, knowing they are not sprayed.
Applying Pesticides
Glyphosate and other toxic ingredients
I just received an email from NaturalHealth365, telling me that Roundup’s main ingredient, glyphosate, is not the only poisonous chemical in the mixture. The article mentions that the “inert” ingredients are more toxic than just the glyphosate on its own.
Many of these additional ingredients, called adjuvants, are toxic in and of themselves, but their toxicity increased exponentially when glyphosate is added.
Wheat-Field, image by PeggyChoucair
The additives to weed killers can constitute as much as 95% of the total solution, however, Roundup® and the other ingredients have gone largely untested. With the advent of the Trump administration’s goal of reducing or eliminating the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, we, the public, have to step up and protect our health and that of future generations.
A very helpful book
Perhaps you are also thinking to go organic. It is a good idea to buy a book with extensive information on the know-how. Ann Larkin Hansen will tell you about how to get your organic certification.
You will find information on tending the land and care for animals, and much more. I can tell you that a home-grown tomato tastes way better than store-bought. This book will tell you how to run a successful and sustainable organic farm.
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Conclusion
Time has passed, and Monsanto lost its first court case. Many more will follow. Pesticides have been found in cereals and oat. This is what a lot of people and especially children eat for breakfast. Believe me, your health does not interest those big companies, they are interested in earning money and that is a fact.
I came across the following documentary. It is the heartbreaking story of Agent Orange. It is unbelievable that now, 4 generations later people are still suffering the consequences.
I have made a special page for you. It is a collection of things you might be interested in. Please have a look at Recommendations.
Source: NaturalHealth365 and My Life
Photo Source: Pixabay and Private
There are many things in our daily life of which we are not aware. One does not hear so much about this product, but you should be informed about it. You might like to read the following post.
Comments
Mike Lambert
Very informative article keep up the great work informing the public of possible health concerns and practices.
admin
Good afternoon Mike,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. One should spread the news so all people hear about it. Our health is at risk and the Fauna and Flora also.
Regards, Taetske
Richard
Hi Taetske,
Living in Germany,there is an enormous drive for Bio products that are grown without the harmful hormones, pesticides or chemicals. Yes we do pay a premium for them but the effect of our long term health are at play here.
I am very happy to live in a country that takes this sort of thing very seriously and I am glad that there is a growing awareness of this topic worldwide.
Rich
Taetske
Good Morning Rich,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Also in Spain one is becoming more conscious of the dangers of pesticides and the sale of Bioproducts is going up. I think we are a little bit better off than in the U.S. as often the foods have less harmful ingredients than what is on the market in America. Still, there is ample room for improvement in most countries worldwide.
Regards, Taetske
Priya
Thank you for all the information. I had heard about Roundup being “poisonous” but through your post I have really understood , how dangerous this product is! I was going to use Roundup for my back garden to kill the weeds but now I will not be using it ! By the way, the oranges look really lovely!
Taetske
Good afternoon Priya,
Please do not use this product in your garden. Children, pets, butterflies and bees, and all the lovely little lives of creation will suffer. The photo is not of my oranges and I do not know if I can put a photo on my reply but I will try.
Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
p.s. sorry, it was not possible to download a photo here. If that is ok with you I will send it to your email.
Ngonidzashe Manzwangani
We have been using Roundup from 2000, we only use it in our maize and banana fields for grass control as we have a very big farm. I never have spared a minute to track back so to see how much damage was caused to the ecosystem. After reading your article, thus when I recalled seeing two small dead birds in our maize fields last December. It was definitely because of the Round up I am very sure now.
Roundup is being used by thousands of farmers in in my country Zimbabwe, but I don’t think they are aware of its danger to other living organism. Thank you so much for mentioning the use of organic farming, I will have to inform my Father about this, definitely, he will love it
Taetske
Good afternoon Ngonidzashe,
Thank you for your comment on my website. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
The fact that many people still do not know about the dangers of Roundup is very serious. I have written more posts on this particular issue and I will forward the link to one of them. There you can read about the dark and awful history of the company Monsanto, what they have done and still are doing is a crime.
I hope you will stop using this product as it is dangerous for Flora and Fauna and also for humans.
Regards, Taetske
https://healthyantiagingalternatives.com/monsanto-litigation-the-truth-will-prevail
Kehinde Segun
Nice post. I always love your educating posts, Taetske. Your articles always inform me of possible public health concern and practice. On several occasions, I’ve heard about how bad and poisonous Roundup is but reading your post has really confirmed every single bad belief about it. Just keep up your good job
Taetske
Good afternoon Kehinde,
Nice to see you again. Thank you for your comment. I am happy you find useful information when you read my posts. Keep Roundup out of your life, your health will thank you.
Regards, Taetske
Kenechi
Actually not every product that is claimed to be good is good. Some are not what the manufacturers claim that the products are. I admire the way you tried out the product and confirmed that they are not genuine and then writing your own honest review about the products. I may check it out
Taetske
Good afternoon Kenechi,
Thank you for leaving a comment. Nice to see you again.
I made this awful experience with Roundup in 1981 and sadly millions of liters have been used to spray crops worldwide since then. Keep away from Roundup and do not eat things on which this product has been sprayed.
Regards, Taetske
Evie
Thank you so much for your info. I use roundup all the time and it’s quite scary how they allow products that can really do some damage to nature and people on store shelves. I don’t have a farm, but I do like to keep the weeds down on my property. Until I can find a better alternative, as of today, I’m going to pull my weeds by hand. Again thank you so much for letting us know about the danger of Roundup.
Taetske
Good afternoon Evie,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF.
I know it is a bore to have to pull out weeds but it is very good for keeping one’s waistline. Have a look on the internet as there are “green” alternatives to Roundup.
Regards, Taetske
Aweda Olakunle
Thank you for sharing all the information. I had heard about Roundup being “poisonous” but through your post, I have really understood, Roundup is being used by thousands of farmers in my country Nigeria but I don’t think they know the danger caused to living organisms. Enlightenment and sensitization should be done so as to prevent the dangers to the environment.
Taetske
Good afternoon Aweda,
The more I investigate for my 2 websites the more horrible things come to light. We, humans, cause so much damage to our environment which after all is our habitat. One has to be informed about what is happening in our world.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Dapoach
WOW!! This is the first time ever am being informed about pesticides being dangerous to human health. Am glad I came across this post which has really changed my ideology of pesticides. It is really pathetic to know that pesticides have been found in oats and cereals. Thanks for telling me about Roundup, I will not use it in my garden again since I have already known its harmful effects.
Taetske
Good afternoon Dapoach,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
We should stay away from Roundup and from all those harmful chemicals. People are becoming aware of these dangers to their health.
Regards, Taetske
Olalekan
This is a sad story to read though ending on a happy note. Well I don’t know about roundup pesticides. I feel sorry for the loss of your farm produce at first especially the snails that were poisoned as a result of the roundup used. I am just worried with the oats and other food cereals which these chemicals are found in them. They may really be a threat to the health of children. Please has anyone raise a red flag on this so as to ban some food items?
Taetske
Good afternoon Olalekan,
People are becoming more aware of these dangers in their food but still, not enough I am afraid. I learned my lesson in 1981 and have never ever used anything dangerous on my farm since then. In Europe, they are more conscious about this but in the U.S. people often are fed these dangerous foods.
When you take Mc Donald, their french fries are made in a more healthy way in Europe but not in the U.S.
Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Topazdude
Interesting stuff to read. Keep it up. I got to know that Roundup products are dangerous to the farm and to people through this informative article. I was actually planning to suggest it to a friend of mine, but I can’t do that anymore. Information is power. I will also inform as many as possible about this, to get them safe. Even prior to this time, I learned that pesticides also pose some threat to the microorganisms in the soil, instead of artificial process, why not go green i.e organic method.
Taetske
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
I fully agree with you that going green is better for people and also our environment. Organic food holds more nutrients and therefore is much better for our health.
Regards, Taetske
Wealthfather
Great content and insightful information.Thanks for this concise and thorough review.
This is a great and simple to follow guide on Roundup health risk. You laid it all out clearly and showed examples that helped emphasize your various points. This guide will be very useful for people like me.
I have heard about Roundup but I have never used it myself luckily. Thanks for sharing.
Taetske
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your comment. Nice to see you again.
Good to hear you are informed of the dangers of using Roundup. It really is an awful product which is used worldwide and for far too many years. Monsanto has already lost its first court case and many more will follow. It is time that all people know about this
Regards, Taetske.
Aboribo
Hello, thanks for sharing this insightful and informative piece. I think your website is really interesting.It is filled with useful content. It is indeed a fact that our health does not interest those big companies, they are only interested in earning money. I enjoyed your post, I will definitely visit some other time.
Taetske
Good Morning Nelly,
Thank you for your visit and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
The food you eat will affect your health in a big way, so think before you eat. The more natural you eat the better, that is for sure.
Regards, Taetske
John
I am glad to hear about your Roundup warnings and story.
Once I heard of the risks to it about 7 years ago, I stopped using it completely in my garden in Australia.
I haven’t followed the Roundup and Monsanto story since so it was fascinating to read your experiences and also understand the risks better. Quite tragic to see the death of your animals on your property. More and more it makes me value organic produce and even the little bit of gardening I do at home, I ensure it is organic.
That’s a real worry that they are finding traces of pesticides in cereals and oats. Children and the rest of us eat this stuff most days.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights and your recommendations too.
Taetske
Good Morning John,
Thank you for your visit and for leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Some time ago Bayer bought Monsanto and now they are sorry they did. The court cases are piling up and the financial damage to this company is huge. Serves them well as Monsanto was one of the chemical companies that invented this disgusting product Agent Orange used in the Vietnam war. Even nowadays the population is suffering because of the effects of being sprayed so long ago.
Good to hear you stopped using Roundup. Sadly, it is still used big scale worldwide.
Regards, Taetske
hillarydandy
Thanks for sharing this information. It was indeed really helpful and of course I am sorry to hear about your garden. Measures have to be taken to ban roundup because glyphosphate can kill important insects like bees, butterflies and ladybird. This could have adverse effects on the ecosystem and not to mention its effects on humans.
Taetske
Good Morning Hillary,
On both my websites I have written about the danger of pesticides/herbicides. These products are eliminating insects, small wildlife, and birds. It has a bad effect on human health as well, so one wonders why we are doing this.
Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Regards, Taetske
Antonio
Hi Taetske
I have never really used weedkillers in the garden, as they are indeterminant in what they kill. They will kill plants that you want to get rid off and those you do not. With weeds it is all about to keep pulling the weeds out; weeds like bindweed, couch grass and the nightmare horse-tail can be dealt by pulling the weed out for a new of years. It will take ages but it will be eventually controlled.
In term of pesticides, there is a lot of organic ones coming on the market, some are based on garlic and they do work quite well. A myth that goes around is that organic principles mean not using chemicals. This is not true but instead relying on natural products such as comfrey and nettles for fertilizers, garlic and neem oil for pests and fungal diseases. You can go organic and still have a beautiful garden.
Thanks
Antonio
Taetske
Good Morning Antonio,
Nice to see you again and thank you for your comment.
Mother Nature provides for our needs, but sadly men think they can improve on nature.
Here on the farm we only pull weeds when it gets in the ways. Michael who takes care of the vegetable garden sometime gets angry with the snails. Then he will take a little bucket, collect them and give them to the chickens as an extra treat. The calcium is helpful for making strong eggshells.
My garden is a happy mixture of things. I like to keep it natural and maximum twice a year will do some cutting here and there when needed.
Regards, Taetske
Baki
I hope that this article will open people’s eyes. Pesticides, are killing us slowly, although they are selling like “not dangerous for human health”.
I for example, whenever I find out that something is grown with pesticides, I refuse to buy it. I will pay double, and triple if needed, just to buy something that is grown organic.
Taetske
Good Morning Blagoj,
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Eat organic and when you have the possibility grow your own food. You can even grow tomatoes in big flower pots on a balcony. Man-made food, processed with lots of bad fats, sugar, and additives have made the population sick. Eating close to nature will make them healthy again.
Regards, Taetske
Sylvia
Hi Taetske,
Thank you for this information on Roundup, I certainly knew already that it is bad but reading about your own experience it certainly paints another picture.
For years my husband and I are growing our own tomatoes and this year I have added green and red peppers and two varieties of green salad.
In the past we had good years for growing and also not so good years due to weather patters. However, we never used any chemicals/ industrial fertilizers.
Keep you posted how things will turnout this year. 🙂
Namaste
Sylvia
Taetske
Good Morning Sylvia,
Thank you for leaving a comment on my post.
The vegetables and fruits one can grow oneself certainly have a much better flavor than store bought.
Roundup is an awful product and Monsanto is an awful company. They were one of the group of chemical companies that invented the product Agent Orange which was used in the Vietnam war. American veterans but especially the population of Vietnam still suffer the consequences.
Regards, Taetske
Linda Frankson
Thank you very much, Taetske, for this most critical information. I write about pesticides fungicides, petrol chemicals, Pharmaceutical drugs, all harmful products that are in our soaps, shampoos, facial products, ex-ex.
I take note that you also do, I recommend others that come to this site to have a look at all the information that you have on your websites they are most helpful to our environment. Keep up the great work in informing others. It is a work of very high—value to those that visit your websites.
Linda.
Taetske
Good Morning Linda,
Thank you for your visit and for your comment. It is really appreciated.
I am happy to have this sad experience in my life. It sometimes needs a shock to open your eyes and realize what you are doing wrong. The garden has become a little paradise where small life can live at peace. I experience the joy to see what is happening in my garden.
Regards, Taetske