Living on a farm, you have control over what you raise. If you raise cows you can make the decision to let them grow on their own without stuffing them full of hormones. You can choose not to inject your cattle with unnecessary antibiotics and use alternative methods to insure the health of the herd.

Living on a farm, chances are you do not get city water. Sure, you have to make sure that you sunk your well far away from the leech field for your septic tank but that is usually doable. When it isnt, you use a cistern to catch rainwater or truck water in from a local well that is far enough away from the leech field. Not being on city water means that you do not have to concern yourself with whether or not the local ladies on birth control pills are contaminating your drinking water with unused estrogen that is flushed from their bodies in their urine.

Why is that extra estrogen business important? Well, I have noticed over the past 30 years more people seem to have difficulty reproducing. Some recent studies indicate that the average male sperm count has decreased over that same time span. The government says that smoking accounts for a 23% decrease in sperm density. Smoking isnt new and the rate of smokers has been decreasing. That doesnt seem to account for the change. The processing in water treatment plants does not break down estrogen. Recent studies indicate that it maybe being passed on in potable water. It turns out that several pesticides also behave like estrogen in the body. All of this could be a bad sign for those responsible for producing semen. (Personally, I wouldnt really count on bottled water as a solution.)

Living on a farm, you can decide whether to use soap pepper spray and natural predators to control pests instead of pesticides that will contaminate your crops and run off into your ground water. You can also decide to use heirloom seeds instead of genetically engineered seeds. Those are the seeds that they make resistant to things that can create a percentage of crop loss. Still, if you are prudent, there is no real loss because even that which is not fit for consumption, on a farm, still has a useful purpose.

In the United States most people do not live on farms. They go to the grocery store and purchase their dairy, grain, produce and meat products. They are at the mercy of growers whose goal is to attain maximum productive output with profitability as the fundamental goal. They are responsible to shareholders who apparently dont eat the stuff. If only they cared that they were ultimately maiming and killing their customers, this discussion might be unnecessary.

Despair not! There are organic growers. They do not use artificial pesticides. They let their livestock run around and build strong immune systems by having strong bodies and healthy lifestyles up until they get whacked in the head. (Sorry, I know some vegans, I had to throw that in there or thered be trouble.) Organic growers are not the norm. When compared to corporate growers, their production costs are higher. Its a supply and demand thing.

In short, (I know its a little late for that.) It isnt easy to make the decision to consume organic foods. It reduces your disposable income much faster than average food stuffs will. You have to make the decision that corporate growers wont; that your quality of life, your health is more important than growing a cheap three breasted chicken that is mature 2 days after hatching. You can do it. Youre worth it.