[NatureNS] Sunflower seeds

Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:26:53 -0400
From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
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Lois Codling wrote:

>   Bear in mind that the sunflower fields had just been sprayed the day 
> before the dead hawks were found, and the birds had eaten the dying 
> locusts.  This really doesn't say anything about the long-term effects 
> of the pesticide on the sunflower seed which we feed our wild birds.  
> (Don't get me wrong - I don't like pesticides!)
>
> Lois Codling

Hi All,                Feb 24, 2008
    One should remember that without pesticides more food would go to 
the locusts, or other crop pests, and less to humans, birds and other 
pets. Offhand I would rate the positive/negative ratio of pesticides 
(when used as directed) at about 1000:1.

    About 60 years ago, farm help earned $0.25 an hour and eggs were 
$0.75 a dozen; poor by modern standards but undreamed of wealth compared 
to the dirty thirties. The past may seem pleasant when visiting a Ye 
Olde Farme but going hungry is no barrel of laughs.

    Even with the exceptional productivity of modern agriculture, world 
grain stocks are down to ~50 days of consumption (the lowest since the 
1970s), the price of durum wheat in the US has increased 7-fold over the 
past 2 years and spring wheat is nearly $15/bushel. So as long-term 
supply contracts expire we may expect food prices to increase.

Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville

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