There is a correlation between the blood disease I have (Amyloidosis) and the use of agricultural chemicals (including agent orange) as well as radiation.
I believe I know when I was exposed, be it with radiation or agricultural chemicals. There are really three times that could qualify. As an archeologist I was crop dusted once by a plane that never saw us. Not long after that I collected and saved on my window sill a large unusually heavy shell from archeological survey work on White Sands Missile Range. It has since been made public that depleted uranium shells were tested on White Sands. I also was careless with a chemical I got from my neighbor to kill a tree stump in my front yard. Who knows, and certainly others with this disease may or may not have stories to tell.
Regardless, it is clear that the use of agricultural chemicals are dangerous to the long term health of our planet and ourselves. They don't build soil capacity, or sustainability. Instead they add to the profits of the chemical corporations who make them. The true long term impact on people and the planet goes unmeasured.
Although not all agricultural chemicals are harmful, many agricultural chemicals remove the ability of the land to build soil and naturally regulate soil processes. We need to work with the land and its natural processes to bring the bounty possible.
I feel that I heal the land and myself when I work my tiny garden, or add terracing to reduce the erosion. When I nurture the land I am doing something greater than you would think. I am the steward of a tiny piece of the planet, a tiny bit of sand hill in New Mexico. I feel that when I nurture this little bit, even if just picking up trash that blows in, I am contributing to something greater than myself. That contribution is healing.
Interestingly, here in my county, Freecycle email lists (freecycle.org and Yahoo Groups) are being used to exchange plant starts, compost, manure, straw and other items to aid in our efforts. According to the freecycle.org website: "...there are 4,332 groups with 4,867,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer".
Tomorrow I'm getting goat poop and straw for my tiny organic garden. There will be no agricultural chemicals here.
I added these links to the links area on the right, but wanted them with this story too:
Pesticides and Health
NRDC's Safe Ways to Control Pests Around Your Home
NRDC's Detox Our Homes database
NRDC's Dangerous Chemicals in the Home
NRDC's Pet Products May Harm Both Pets and Humans
NCAP's Factsheets: Alternative Pest and Weed Control
