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Agriculture has become more about big profits than good nutrition. And the chemicals used in producing our food are downright scary.

Of course crop farmers need to fertilize and use products to keep insects from destroying the crops. But I'd like to see "green" products used in place of chemical pesticides, and I'd like to see farmers using methods such as crop rotation, fertilization with animal waste (not human, please!) and recycling/composting methods to rebuild healthy soil.

We know that sewer treatment sludge is being spread on fields for fertilizer - and then we read about the water from those treatment plants being tainted with everything from industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Of course those same toxins are in the sludge.

I for one would rather pay more for my vegetables than eat poison. That's a good case for buying "organic," but we can't even trust that completely. The rules surrounding use of the words "organic," and "natural" are very loose.

Using chemical pesticides isn't really necessary. Home gardeners are now able to use pesticides made from plants - and they do work. Large scale farmers could use the same products and charge a bit more for the produce.

And then there's the meat supply. In an effort to spend less time getting a calf from weaning to your table, beef producers use dangerous growth hormone injections, along with antibiotics and hunger-inducing substances.

In my opinion, this is a contributor to three of America's serious problems:

1. Obesity
2. Premature puberty
3. Chronic illness

The substances fed to animals that makes them over-eat remains in the meat, and causes the same reaction in the humans who ingest that meat. Thus, while eating more, Americans are growing hungrier. And since they're hungrier, they're indulging their hunger and becoming fatter.

The growth hormones present an even more serious problem: premature puberty. Studies are now showing that children as young as 7 years old are entering puberty. This is unhealthy from a mental health standpoint, because it presents young children with adult problems and emotions. Thus school work suffers, boys become more aggressive, teen pregnancies increase, and the incidence of teen suicide escalates.

In addition, studies now show that these children are faced with infertility problems later in life. That's a big price to pay for cheaper beef.

Illness is the last result. Our bodies were not designed to be bombarded by the variety of chemicals that now comes to us in our food, so our filtering organs become over-taxed and chronic illness becomes the norm.

Agriculture is not going to change unless Americans become more concerned with the quality of their food than its cost. As long as the masses cry out for 99 cent hamburger and 69 cent broccoli, industrial farmers will continue to use these life-threatening practices.

I'm glad I live where I can grow a garden and buy farm-raised beef from a trusted source.

Learn more about this author, Marte Cliff.
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