The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

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The Danger of Dirt (And Nature)

July 27, 2012

The beautiful thing about this time of the year is undoubtedly the fresh produce available, especially from farmer’s markets and roadside stands. What could be better than buying local, fresh produce right from the farmer that grew it?

Of course, that makes people at the FDA and other government agencies a little nervous. If it isn’t packaged, who knows what terrors may be lurking in the food! Such is the sentiment from this news station, which decided to highlight the dangers of buying produce at open air markets. Reportedly, this danger comes from researchers:

Purdue experts also noted that conditions at farmers markets pose unique food safety risks since products are sold outdoors where they’re exposed to dirt, insects and other potential contaminants.

Look, I don’t mean to be Captain Obvious here (although sometimes that and a little common sense is exactly what we need), but aren’t we missing a pretty obvious point?

Produce is grown outside…in the dirt…and exposed to insects and other “contaminants.” I understand we need to be more careful with meat and farm products that can spoil, but I’m not sure where this concern about being outside with dirt comes from.

The idea that dirt is dirty is found throughout the FDA’s recommendations for melons, too. We know melon rinds can be difficult to clean once contaminated, but the FDA goes far enough to suggest melon-soil contact should be minimized. In a moment of enlightenment, the recommendations let us know: “Melons frequently directly contact soil during growth and development.”

No joke.

The FDA also wants farmers to evaluate the soil in the fields and find ways to minimize the soil from getting wet where the plants are growing.

Look, we’ve been growing produce in the ground for quite a long time (since we’ve been growing food, probably). While some suggestions for reducing potential sources of contamination are helpful and common sense, this hysteria about food safety is getting out of control. At what point do we just start growing our food in science labs?

Eliminating dirt and considering it a “contaminant” is ridiculous. It is also completely out of touch with how food is actually grown on our family farms. And, normally, we don’t have massive outbreaks of food borne illnesses simply because we grow our food in the dirt. If that was case, human beings would not have lasted until this point.

Besides, do we really want to envision a future where it is considered “dangerous” for our food to be grown naturally?

Just in case you are concerned, the news station has a list of other safety concerns and how to avoid them. My favorite is making sure the person at the farm market is “neat and clean.” Please, don’t go pick that produce from the dirt and then try to sell it with dirt on your clothes! It’s better to pretend there was no dirt involved at all.

No wonder people from the city have no idea how food is grown.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: FDA, federal government, food safety, fruit, FSMA, regulations

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

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Oh, man. These lyrics are hitting me in all the feels right now."When they pave all the dirt roads and John Deeres are dinosaursWhen the last back forty gets old and young boys don't open doorsWhen you can't hunt a white tail and keep what you reel inWell, I hope I'm in Heaven by thenOh, I don't wanna go today, but I don't wanna liveDown here at a place that thinks that that place don't existIf there comes a day this country's somewhere country don't fit inHell, I hope I'm in Heaven by then.""Heaven By Then," Brantley Gilbert & Blake Shelton

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thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
Whoops! Looks like I missed #NationalAgricultureDa Whoops! Looks like I missed #NationalAgricultureDay.

We're on a family vacation in Florida this week. We hit SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom. My highlight was spending some much-needed time with my favorite people. Headed home to Michigan soon. We're all hoping to bring back some warmer temperatures! ๐Ÿคž

 I hope you're having a good week! ๐Ÿ’œ
I bet I'm not the only one with extra coffee on th I bet I'm not the only one with extra coffee on this Monday morning. Just remember: farmers don't like Daylight Savings Time either! ๐Ÿ˜‰

#agriculture #usagriculture #farmers #usfarmers #farming #farmfamilies #sustainableag #sustainableagriculture #sustainable #sustainability #farmerscare #homegrown #localagriculture #knowyourfarmer #shoplocal #madeintheusa #madeintheus #americanagriculture
Do you know why farmers choose to grow bioengineer Do you know why farmers choose to grow bioengineered crops?

#agriculture #usagriculture #farmers #usfarmers #farming #farmfamilies #sustainableag #sustainableagriculture #sustainable #sustainability #farmerscare #homegrown #localagriculture #knowyourfarmer #shoplocal #madeintheusa #madeintheus #americanagriculture #be #bioengineered
Oh, man. These lyrics are hitting me in all the fe Oh, man. These lyrics are hitting me in all the feels right now.

"When they pave all the dirt roads and John Deeres are dinosaurs

When the last back forty gets sold and young boys don't open doors

When you can't hunt a white tail and keep what you reel in

Well, I hope I'm in Heaven by then

Oh, I don't wanna go today, but I don't wanna live

Down here at a place that thinks that that place don't exist

If there comes a day this country's somewhere country don't fit in

Hell, I hope I'm in Heaven by then."

"Heaven By Then," Brantley Gilbert & Blake Shelton

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