A reader of TMG was thoughtful enough to send me a link to a Washington Post article telling about the donation Scotts/MiracleGro companies made to one of the political canidates.
At the end of his email he said, “This will make me even less likely to buy their products.”
As you probably already know from previous posts, I go on record as never being likely to knowingly buy their products no matter who they do or don’t support. And what they do would not influence my vote in a political election either.
Here’s Why:
When Scotts or Monsanto publically announces they are giving to one party — rest assured that when the wind changes directions and they smell opportunity with the other party (which they will)— they’ll change direction with the wind.
Political Party “lines” don’t bother them
For one thing, it’s very well documented that Monsanto is never stopped by political party lines. They have infiltrated government at all levels and it has not mattered in the least what party was in control. (Scotts and Monsanto walk hand in hand. In case you don’t already know, Scotts is Monsanto’s exclusive agent for the international marketing and distribution of Roundup.)
Keeping Up with What’s Going On
I’ve never cared much for politics although our country is in such a dire situation right now that I do try to keep abreast of what is “really” going on. Main stream media is so biased that you can’t believe anything they say —- and some advocates of the other side can be just as biased the other way.
Fortunately there are some men and women of excellence and integrity who report the news and report the truth. So if you’re paying attention it’s possible to get the truth about those running our government and to know what they do and don’t stand for.
Playing the Cards We’ve been Dealt
As far as political parties go — I don’t feel either one is what it once was —- or should be. Since I have to choose one or the other I will choose based on the philosophy and political concepts that are behind that party. I don’t see where we have another choice since we can only play the hand we’re dealt —- and that’s either Democrat or Republican.
So I have to choose the one whose philosophy is as close as I can get to what I strongly believe in which is: freedom, liberty, government staying out of my business, government not having the right to tell me what to buy, a government that encourages people to support themselves rather than live on handouts, and a climate that favors men and women who are willing to risk everything they have to try to create a business and therefore employ others, create jobs, and in short — help our country to thrive.
The Political Party Won’t Make a Difference in Certain Matters
Unfortunately, no matter what party gets in, the serious problems that face us — especially when it comes to Monsanto, GMOs, chemicals, the poisoning of our people through big agri-business food, etc. will in all probability not be addressed. More than likely — things in those areas will continue to get worse.
“—those who call evil good and good evil—“
Many in the media, in our government, and folks in general are not attuned to what’s going on with those issues. Anyone who does address them is many times considered a kook. And Monsanto and their cohorts (like Scott’s Miracle Grow) have all the money they need to promote and brainwash the great majority of the people into thinking that GMOs, harmful chemicals, and all the rest of it —- are really ok.
As has been said — if a lie is told often enough and long enough, people start to believe it as the truth. And that is exactly what has happened — except for the few people who are managing to keep up with what’s going on.
What Could Bring About a Change?
The only thing I can see changing all that is the educating of the masses about what giants like Monsanto and Scotts are doing. And even then — once they know — they’ll have to do something.
(It would be a big step if our leaders were really knowledgeable in these matters rather than just going along with whatever Monsanto says.)
A small step in the right direction would be to not support Monsanto, Scotts, or others like them. I know it’s not likely to happen — but just think if people did know and were willing to take that step! Wow! Monsanto and Scotts would get the message in hurry.
I choose not to support Monsanto or Scotts. And I know — although I’m in the minority —- I’m not alone. There are others doing the same thing.
More things about Scott’s Miracle Grow Company that might help you if you are trying to decide whether or not to buy their products:
The Obvious
- Scott’s Miracle Grow is not approved for use in organic gardens.
- In addition — using inorganic fertilizers over time will build up salts in the soil and decrease available nutrients.
Their Organic Products – The Not so Obvious
As you probably know, Miracle Grow has a line of organic products. I find that almost a joke, considering Monsanto’s Round-up (distributed and marketed by Scotts) has probably single handily done more to pollute our country (and the earth for that matter) than any product ever used. (More about this in a future post.)
- Their organic line has wetting agents. Most wetting agents are detergents. Many are known to cause cancer.
- Their Miracle Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil has biosolids in it. Biosolids is the word the industry chose to conceal the true identity of sludge. (That’s poop and worse.) Sludge is BIG BUSINESS since there is so much that has to be disposed of and it just keeps on coming.
When you consider the poor quality of food that passes through the vast majority of people, the tons of antibiotics and medications that also pass and/or are flushed down the drain, —– not to mention the viruses, chemicals, bacteria, and parasites — that end up in sludge — it’s hard to believe that the industry is convincing conventional farmers that it’s good to raise food in it. AND now they are lobbying to try to get the organic industry to accept it! If Miracle Gro Oganic Choice Garden Soil is any indication —- they already have.
I would not want food or fertilizer or anything else that is polluted with even a small amount of this noxious stew.
This disregard for public health dominates in the chemical AND agricultural market. You need to do your research in almost everything you buy if at all possible. You can’t put your faith in the EPA and USDA regulations.
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Scotts Miracle Gro Company Knowingly Sold Poisoned Bird Seed.
One of the things that to my knowledge never made a blip in the mainstream media was Scott’s Miracle Grow Company selling poisoned bird seed from 2005 through 2008. Two pesticides were added to the seed to protect it during storage. One was clearly marked as extremely deadly to birds. (That same chemical has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder the has killed bees all over the world.)
Court records showed that Scott’s own scientist warned them of the risk in 2007 and Scotts continued to sell the deadly product until March 2008. They sold a total of 73 million units of poisoned bird seed.
And it gets worse — they even falsified pesticide registration documents to give the illusion that both products were permitted in bird seed! And as one article put it, Scotts “fabricated correspondence and agency documents … in an effort to deceive the EPA into believing it had registered these products but lost its files.”!!! (Exclamation marks are mine.)
They pleaded guilty and were fined a laughably small $4.5 million. “Laughably small” when you consider that they take in almost $3 billion in world sales each year. I read somewhere the CEO James Hagedorn’s annual pay package is about the same as the fine.
From what I’ve read this is not the only time that Scott’s tried to deceive the public as well as the EPA with false documentation. (If you want to read more here’s a link.)
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Scotts plan for the future — Pushing more GMOs and Roundup of course!
With the USDA (who is strongly supportive of the biotech industry anyway) admitting that they’re not set up to regulate GMOs — the biotech industry is left to regulate itself. (Boy oh Boy! Talk about something from a horror movie!)
Not surprisingly Scott’s Miracle-Gro is said to be moving full speed ahead on introducing a genetically modified Kentucky bluegrass into the marketplace this year. Of course, you realize that they recommend spraying RoundUp across the lawn to eliminate the weeds.
That will do lots to devastate even more soil (yes, Round Up is harmful to soil! I’ll post on it sooner or later.) and contaminate rivers and streams. It will also result in the mass genetic contamination of other types of grasses. Need I add, that once that is done there is no going back.
Final Thoughts
I hope I’ve given you enough information to consider. If not, there’s plenty more information out there on the activities and harm that the bad guys are doing.
I know I’m only one person, but I plan to do my part no matter how small. Collectively we can be stronger and really make a difference. I don’t think the politicians in either party are going to do it for us.
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Additional Reading:
Scott’s Miracle-Gro sold bird seed contaminated with toxic poisons — June 22 ,2012
Branded products containing sewage sludge
You say biosolids, I say sludge THIS IS A MUST READ. Gives the real “poop” on biosolids. (Sorry I couldn’t resist that.)
Welcome to the Age of GMO Industry Self-Regulation
The Monsanto RIder: Are Biotech Companies About to Gain Immunity from Federal Law?
www.responsibletechnology.org – A good site to read more and find more articles about the dangers of genetically modified foods and the harm they cause to your body. There is more and more evidence of harm from GMOs.
GMO alert: top 10 genetically modified foods to avoid eating — ( another example of Monsanto in our government when Obama appointed Michael Taylor — a used to be vice president for Monsanto – as senior advisor for the FDA! As I told you — they have both parties in their pockets — so don’t be fooled.)
Retailers Ordered to Pull Illegal Miracel Gro Pesticides
This link will give you lots of very good and informative articles about roundup. Be aware that the page is filled with ads by Google and one of the ads is a video ad by none other than RoundUp telling how great it is!
This link gives you more articles about genetically modified news.
Scotts Miracle Gro – the bird-killing company (this article was written before Scott’s pleaded guilty)
Class Claims Mircle-Gro Sold Toxic Bird Feed (this article was written before Scott’s pleaded guilty)
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Related TMG Posts:
GMO – GE Food/ GM Food – What are They and Why They’re Dangerous/ How you Can Protect Yourself
Maria Rodales Open Letter to Obama
Monsanto – Don’t Entrust Your Life to Them
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Organic gardening is easy, effective, efficient —- and it’s a lot healthier.
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All content including photos is copyright by TendingMyGarden.com. All Rights Reserved.
OMG! Never knew this. I have a huge box of Miracle Grow right now sitting in my kitchen that I mix up and spray my seedlings and plants. Again OMG! I’ve used the stuff for years and never knew it. Bought my last box though and not only that I am sending your newsletter to everyone on my e-mail list and asking them to pass it along on theirs. Thanks again for the info.
I commend your efforts to get the word out on Scott and Monsanto, Theresa. It is such an important issue.
Carol
Amen!
I sure do appreciate your letting me know this Patricia. It really made me feel that the time and effort I put in on this post was well worth it.
Miracle Grow is a “household word” for many and they don’t realize who or what they are supporting by buying it. I hope lots of people will get the message — as you did.
I noticed that you recently subscribed to TMG. Welcome! Can you let me know how you found my site?
Thanks again for commenting.
Theresa
Thanks Carol. It is indeed an important issue.
By the way, did you find out what that plant was? It looked so much like a variety of Rue to me. Would love to know if you find out.
Thanks for commenting.
Theresa
Thanks Bearfoot Mama!
Theresa, Wow! This is news to me, too. What do you recommend to use in place of Round-up and Miracle Grow? We have a wild morning glory that is just under our foundation, running all over my shrubs and now has grown through the wall into our garage. We were getting ready to “shoot” it with Round Up. Also, are you familiar with Milorganite? What is your opinion of this natural fertilizer? Love your site!! Donna Cay from Georgia
Welcome to TMG Donna! I noticed you are a new subscriber. When next you communicate would you please let me know how you found my site. That would be very helpful to me.
Your questions are probably the same that many people would have. So I am very pleased that you took the time to ask them here. I already plan a future post on Round-up (I’m not sure when) and I probably should do a post on how to get rid of weeds naturally.
In meantime I will try to help you in brief.
First of all, you may not know it — but I’m an organic gardener. I have never used Round-up or Miracle Grow. AND — more importantly — I have never felt the need to even think about using them. And of course they are not acceptable for use in an organic garden.
At this point in time you are probably not an organic gardener and are so use to using Round-up and Miracle Grow that they are very much a part of your life. I hope you will be encouraged when I tell you they are not needed in someone’s life —- but in order to get to that point it takes some mental adjustment. How quickly you get to that point will depend on how much you want to get there and how committed you are to not using chemicals.
Regarding Miracle Grow or any synthetic fertilizer: Synthetic fertilizers overtime deplete the soil and can leave it pretty much biologically dead. The way to get away from those is to improve your soil. A healthy soil that is rich in organic matter will not need fertilizer and will be alive with soil life that will work for you and with you in your garden.
If you want to give your houseplants or vegetable seedlings a boost — use fish emulsion or seaweed spray instead of Miracle Grow. Seaweed sprays (like Kelp or Sea Rich Foliar Spray) are a little less stinky than fish emulsion. Both will work just fine. You can probably get them at garden centers or you can order online. Gardens Alive!
Garden’s Alive carries Sea Rich Foliar Spray and also Kelp Spray.
Regarding Round-up — Whenever possible the best thing to do is to pull up the weeds and not allow them to seed. These will get rid of many future weeds. In the garden — properly preparing the soil and then mulching will help more than you can imagine. For those times that you really feel you need a spray — keeping in mind that taking the weeds out is ALWAYS much more effective than any spray — you might try Avenger Weed Killer from Aribico-Organics.com. It is a natural citrus oil based non-selective organic herbicide.
I’ll address other alternatives in a post as soon as I can — at least before next spring.
Milorganite fertilizer is from biosolids (treated sewage sludge). They’ve been around since 1926. As a home gardener I guess it depends on how much risk you want to take. I for one remain concerned about possible contaminants which are not tested. There are many pharmaceuticals and toxic chemicals present in sludges. Milorganite is not allowed for use in certified organic agricultural production.
About your wild morning glory that is just under your foundation. If you can — pull it up by the root when the soil is moist. If you can’t do that — try cutting if off as close to the root as you can. Keep it cut off and don’t allow it to grow. When you let it grow — it seeds and then you have more problem.
Hope this helps Donna! Nice to have you as a reader.
Theresa
Theresa, I never knew about the birdseed. This saddens me.
Yes, it is seed! Sadder still that it was done by a company whose bottom line is ONLY money — not concern for anyone or anything else.
You can also use black plastic or cardboard to smother weeds like the morning glory. I really love Theresa’s philosophy of gardening, which seems to me to be…no outside additives other than straw for mulch! Healthy soil grows healthy plants! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the input Scott. You’ve just about got me down pat. Although — I wouldn’t hesitate to use manure if I could find some that I was sure was free from residual herbicides. Also — back when I could get a truck load of wood mulch for $20 — I did! And it was great. Also pine needles I love but don’t have as much access to them anymore.
Enjoyed hearing from you!
Theresa
Back in the day, due to the type of container gardening I practiced, I almost never used artificial fertilizers, but then received some vines I thought might benefit from a dose of Miracle Grow someone had given to me that I hadn’t ever gotten around to using.
I watered the vines with it early in the evening and a passing storm, which came by later on that night while I was sleeping, had such a heavy rain it swamped my gutters and flooded the pots with the Miracle Grow in them. The water from the flooding pots cascaded down onto everything below and nearby, including two fish bowls holding my pet bettas.
One fish bowl was very close and got a good drenching, and this betta was dead when I discovered what had happened. The other fish bowl was farther away and got a lesser amount, so the fish was still alive but obviously sick and in distress. I did change the water, but the fish still died. I have tended to avoid the use of Miracle Grow ever since.
Thank you for such and informative article! I will be sharing it with as many people as I can!
Grace
Grace — Thank you so much for sharing this with me and with TMG readers! I’m sure it will help many.
Theresa
I agree with everything about your article. I feel the same way about our country and living organically. My mother was an organic gardener back in the 60’s and I’ve never used Miracle Grow etc. Thank you for bringing these important topics to everyone’s attention.
Kay