Friday, October 14, 2016

Musings: From There to Here

As anti-GMO activists engage in the theatrical charade of the “Monsanto tribunal” — a kangaroo court intended to try the company for "human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and ecocide" — a voice from Hawaii is among those being raised in opposition.

Joni Kamiya, who writes the Hawaii's Farmer's Daughter blog based on her family's experience growing transgenic papaya, is one of four speakers giving farmers a voice in defense of agricultural technology. The others are Ganesh Nanote, who grows Bt cotton in India, Olly Harrison, a cereals farmer in the United Kingdom, and Dr. Willi Kremer-Schilling, who raises sugar beets and oilseed rape in Germany.

Way to go, Joni! As noted by the Risk-Monger, which organized the farmers' voices event:

The Monsanto Tribunal is a fake trial organized and funded by the Organic Consumers Association (who donated 200,000 USD to pay the speaking fees for organic industry lobbyists like Vandana Shiva). The point of their expensive stunt is to increase the rage against agri-technology and undermine the public trust in conventional farming.

Other funding came from Dr. Bronner's, Mercola and donations from the sheeple.
Meanwhile, as yet another reminder of how outside groups are influencing the Hawaii anti-GMO campaign — and local elections — high-end outdoor clothing maker Patagonia posted this on its Facebook page, with a link that goes straight to full on propaganda by the Hawaii Center for Food Safety:
But when the comments started blasting the so-called “research,” the video was hidden from Patagonia's Facebook home page. Patagonia is one of the earliest and more generous funders of the anti-GMO movement, including CFS.

Despite gathering more money than any other Kauai County Council candidate, the campaign of anti-GMO politician Gary Hooser appears to be floundering. As a result, he's appealing to his core base, in hopes they'll actually show up and vote:
As one observer noted:

Hmm…he needs serious medical help…he thinks he is GOD – appearing to Moses to bring the people to the Promise Land! AND, having an event in a Church??? Isn’t that an ethics/campaign violation?

It seems the messianic complex is often at work with the anti-GMO forces:
The Environmental Defense Fund has a good piece on the many misperceptions about "big ag," which tend to ignore the diverse ways that agriculture is changing — including "big ag's" move toward sustainability. The author writes:

Change won’t occur overnight. But it will never occur if we stay entrenched in political ideologies.

That's certainly something to keep in mind during this bitter presidential election.

In closing, I wanted to draw attention to medical marijuana, and efforts to organize and professionalize this burgeoning industry. The first-ever Hawaii Medical Marijuana Training and Certification Conference is set for next Thursday in Honolulu, offering to give people a chance to learn about the business and network with others.

It seems that at least some of the dispensaries, including Green Aloha on Kauai, intend to be union shops, with their workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The training session is sponsored by the UFCW and Clover Leaf University. Those who are interested can register here.

52 comments:

  1. Unionized small pot shops? Give me a break! This is a prime example of how government control, spelled SOCIALISM, screws up even a good thing. This lame halfway government endeavor towards legal recreational pot will do nothing to kill the underground pot market. The only way to get pot away from the drug dealers and cartels is to undercut, or at least equal their pricing. but that's not how government thinks. Government thinks, "How can we get for tax money to spend and provide union jobs so we'll look good and get re-elected?" Pot shops are all about politics and have nothing to do with medicinal pot use.

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  2. Gary is now linked by the burning bush to Moses. Or maybe it's some kind of hippie burning some funky bush party. Too funny!

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  3. @7:55
    Its not a perfect solution but its a step in the right direction. Hopefully, they will legalize pot for recreational use and keep the regulations on those businesses to a minimum. Hopefully, we can legalize all drugs at some point.

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  4. Burning Bush?
    So is he saying he has crabs?

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  5. Unionize the pot shops.

    Those lucky stoners will have a job for life!

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  6. 7:55

    Unions do not mean Socialism.

    In any case, are you a Libertarian (Gary Johnson is/was a president of a pot business) that wants to do away with Social Security and Medicare? Do you recognize that Alaska, one of the reddest states in the Union, distributes proceeds from the oil pumped out of Prudoe Bay to each of its citizens? Finally, considering the advances made in technology that are going to result in many, maybe most jobs disappearing, I would recommend you read up on Universal Basic Income which will subsidize every citizen. In other words, when machines do all the jobs (please consider that taxi drivers -- in fact, all drivers -- will be replaced by self-driving vehicles), what is left for people to do?

    It is not helpful to throw around words as some sort of a curse when the truth is quite different.

    FWIW: I haven't a clue what those people will do. However, I am sure I don't want to see them being homeless on the streets of Lihue.

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  7. 10:31 "Do you recognize that Alaska, one of the reddest states in the Union, distributes proceeds from the oil pumped out of Prudoe Bay to each of its citizens?"

    First it is spelled "Prudhoe" Bay and secondly the Permanent Fund was established in 1976 under Gov Jay Hammond and although Hammond was a Republican Alaska was far from "one of the reddest states in the union" back then. In fact it was deep blue and in 1975 the Alaska Legislature voted for the decriminalize marijuana. If a person was in possession of one ounce or less in public, or in possession of any amount in the privacy of one's own home, he or she could not be fined more than $100. In 1982 the Alaska Legislature decided to let users keep a little more cash in their pockets, and got rid of the $100 fine. In November of 1990 the voter initiative passed, making it illegal to even have or smoke pot in one's own home. If caught with less than eight ounces, a person could spend 90 days in a jail cell and get slapped with $1,000 fine. Personal recreational marijuana use and possession became legal in Alaska on February 24, 2015.

    Alaska turned bright red due to the influx of Okies and Texas oil workers who flocked to Alaska during the pipeline and never left.

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  8. Burning Bush, really? Oh i get it, he's been enlightened by God through his message coming from the burning bush. I thought he was referring to Burning Man. Which Hoosier is not also, more like a man going up in flames. But it's fitting, he sponges off of others and that is what the free spirits do at Burning Man. But just like the desert, he will run out of fuel and his flame will go out just like Bynum. Who? Bynum you know, the guy who throws pencils and tantrums. What ever happened to him? Oh yeah he's living off of the settlement he got from the citizens of Kauai. Oh well.......

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  9. The equation which is always in balance is socialism = fucked up. The more socialism you have, the more fucked up it will be. And yes, "John Kauai" Medicare is fucked up paying out millions of of dollars each year in false claims made worse by Obamacare which penalizes the elderly by reducing medical services and increasing deductibles. Then there's Social Security which was based on a false premise and is going bankrupt. Hell, all the money we taxpayers have paid into it for decades has been borrowed out and no longer exists. SS simply holds gov IOU's which will never be paid. Yes, Socialism is the least efficient, most costly and ineffective financial system ever devised...short of full-on Communism. It punishes the productive and rewards the indolent like Andy Parx. So why work if the gov will give you other peoples money?
    PS - "John Kauai" with your robots....you watch too many scifi movies. And No, I did not say that unions = socialism. YOU said that. I was talking about gov interference screwing up something that could have been good. Don't be so touchy. The State gov is forcing the pot shops to be unionized. Heck, it's the unions that supply all the stoner workers.

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  10. 11:51 i remember back in the early 70s that gov. george ariyoshi decriminalized weed, i think it was like a small fine for less than an oz away from home and you could grow like 3 plants. i think he also made car insurance mandatory and back then it was $10,the same price for hmsa coverage. but then again, a gal. of gas was .50 ,six pak beer 2.50 , and no traffic

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  11. What does Patagonia have to gain by funding opposition to GMOs?

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  12. Blasphemy:

    1 a : the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God
    b : the act of claiming the attributes of deity

    2 : irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable

    According to the narrative, at the burning bush Moses was given supernatural powers, in order to help Moses persuade the Egyptians and Israelites of his commission; these included the ability to turn his staff into a snake, the ability to make his hand (temporarily) become leprous, and the ability to turn water into blood.

    REALLY GARY? BURNING BUSH? ARE YOU REALLY GOING THERE? THIS IS AN INSULT TO EVERY GOD FEARING PERSON. I GUESS IT IS TRUE THAT IN DESPERATION, ONE WILL DO ANYTHING. YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THIS. AND ONE THING IS FOR SURE.....YOU SURE AS HELL AIN'T NO MOSES. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.

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  13. "Burning Bush" is the name of the band featured at Hoosers Reggae for Reelection concert/rally. Joan conveniently left that part out.

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  14. Please do not falsely accuse me of intentional omissions.

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  15. Gary is trying to Be Randolph Hearst or Donald Trump....Land Developer, Publisher, Politician.......now Gary is adding another credential....Religious Seer.
    Great Gawd Almighty............let's have a new Council sans Da Hoos, JoAnn (the antiHousing Queen) and and Mason (the anti-Housing, anti-Ag, anti- Road dude)
    Of course Gary's venom against PMRF, Housing, Roads and Ag is well known.
    His twist (now lets not think Chubby Checker or visualize Da Hoos "Twisting") into being a spiritual icon is a new thing. Bow down to the Burning Bush (unless that is the name of the Rock Band at his next gathering)

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  16. This is blasphemy: you cannot tell me that KPD had drug dogs for 20 years and only now drug houses have been a problem on Kauai.

    Tackling drug houses

    County receives $130,100 grant to establish a drug abatement unit

    The Garden Island | Posted 9 hours ago

    LIHUE — The County of Kauai Office of the Prosecuting Attorney was selected to receive a $130,100 grant to establish a Drug Nuisance Abatement Unit.

    rk669: The Kauai PD,now has Drug Sniffing Dogs,get with the Program!

    Saturday 10/15/2016 5:55am



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  17. @ 7:48AM - seems like Gary conveniently left out "Fundraiser featuring Reggae Band - Burning Bush". Plus why hold it in a church vs. outside on a lawn under a tent? a political fundraiser in a church seems odd. Does this mean the priest or pastor is endorsing Gary? What about those in the congregation that do not support Gary? Maybe Donald Trump should do a fundraiser in a mosque.

    Either way, i'm NOT voting for Gary and hope he conveniently comes in #8 or lower.

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  18. Church of the Pacific is a church but also a music venue and the event will probably be outside under a tent.

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  19. Patagonia is buying land in Kilauea and will show Joan and her chem buddies how to make money in ag organically without blasting it with poison. It will involve a native staple food that has long been forgotten and traded for SPAM and other GMO junk food.

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  20. I like most Spam The teriyaki sucks though.

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  21. Actually- if you actually read the promo flyer for the Regae for Reelection featuring the band Burning Bush you will see that it is free and not a fundraiser.

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  22. 3:16 -- where did you hear the rumor that Patagonia is buying land in Kilauea?

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  23. 3:16 said "Patagonia is buying land in Kilauea and will show Joan and her chem buddies how to make money in ag organically without blasting it with poison. It will involve a native staple food that has long been forgotten and traded for SPAM and other GMO junk food."
    My grandmother, the last person in my family fluent in the Hawaiian language and customs made sure this moopuna was familiar with Hawaiian food from infancy. I don't know what "long forgotten" staple 3:16 is writing about, but I suspect 3:16 is another bullshitting anti-GMO coast haole who knows far more about Patagonia than Hawaiian staples. It's probably just more sanctimonious flackery emanating from the Haole Realtor Dark Hole of of the 14th District where critical thinking is swallowed up in a vortex of crapspeak and moneygrubbing.

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    1. You do realize @6:49 that the Chem Companies are way more "money grubbing" than any haole in Hawaii. Your grandma seemed wise, would she support GMO and the currrent big ag practices that are taking place in Hawaii?

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  24. @3:16 First, it's no secret that one can make money growing some things organically. That's never been in dispute. The question is whether that's an effective way to feed the billions. Second, organic farmers do use pesticides. Third, GMOs that provide insect resistance actually have worked to significantly reduce the use of pesticides. Fourth, it's hard to imagine that Patagonia, a clothing manufacturer, has the chops to teach anyone about ag. But it's good they've got deep pockets if they're trying to buy ag land in Kilauea. Fifth, what 6:49 said.

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  25. Mainlanders trying to make Kauai like the mainland by selling stupid to stupid county employee.

    How the heck does Joann put a big box bill to ban necessities and then turn around and try to make Kauai look like Oahu, Maui or some downtown mainland area?

    Rice at was this way less than a decade ago and now they want to change it back again but add paint for bike lane, trees in the middle of the street and bushes in parking spaces. What is the county is smoking? No need medical marijuana dispensaries because the county get the goods.

    And these good for nothing Kauai fishing Dept thieves that's always shopping at the grocery store wants to dip into the piggy bank again.

    Council to discuss TIGER Grant projects, budget
    0
    Jenna Carpenter - The Garden Island | Posted 10 hours ago

    LIHUE — Proposed modifications to the TIGER Grant projects and measures amending the county’s operating budget will be discussed Wednesday during the Kauai County Council meeting.


    The county received a $13 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Grant, last October, which will be used to revitalize the Lihue Town Core.

    Projects included in the project included the addition of pedestrian and bike lanes on Rice Street, a shared-use path from the Lihue Civic Center to the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Hoolako Street.

    The administration also proposed road improvements to roads like Rice, Hoolako Hoala and Eiwa streets.

    Recently, the administration drew up Resolution No. 2016-57, which proposed modifications to the projects, including:

    w Adding center two-way left turn lanes on Rice and Hoolako streets

    w Establishing left turn only lanes on Rice and Hoolako streets

    w Establishing marked pedestrian crosswalks across Rice, Puaole, Kalena, Hoala and Malama and Hoolako streets

    w Creating bicycle lanes on Rice and Hoolako streets

    w Adding bus stops on Rice Street.

    The resolution also seeks to limit parking between Haleko Road and Hardy Street to two hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and adding twice as many parking spaces.

    On Oct. 13, the Public Works/Parks and Recreation Committee unanimously voted to recommend approval of the changes, and the council is expected to pass those changes Wednesday.

    But the county has not yet approved of the TIGER Grant projects as a whole, and construction cannot occur until they get the final vote. If all goes to plan, construction is expected to start by 2018.

    Also on Wednesday, the council will discuss several measures that will make changes to the July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017, Fiscal Year budget.

    Two of the bills seek to transfer funds from the operating budget to the Kauai Fire Department so it can purchase new equipment.

    Bill No. 2639 asks that $151,000 be transferred to KFD for the purchase of 50 automated external defibrillators. Bill No. 2640 seeks to transfer $390,000 to KFD to purchase 60 self-contained breathing apparatuses. Both bills are up for first reading.

    A bill that seeks to appropriate $43,473 from the operating budget to be used extra security at events like the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, Haena to Hanalei Run, Kauai Farm Bureau Fair and others.

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  26. "And these good for nothing Kauai fishing Dept thieves that's always shopping at the grocery store wants to dip into the piggy bank again."

    Next time you need help, dial 9-1-1 and see who shows up first.

    The Kauai fireman are the best, and if they eat well between emergencies and training then good for them.

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    1. The BEST haha on what standards?

      Getting away with stealing county gas and using it to go fishing and giving the fish to their friends and family in the county dept's was a racket that county criminal employees did their BEST to get away with.

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  27. Best way to feed billions is to inspire billions to grow food- not to depend upon foreign corporations, many of whom profit immensely off of pesticides and herbicides and other kinds of poisons. Best way is to revitalize traditional and cultural methods of seed saving and agriculture that are proven to work well, and other methods not driven by profit. "Feed billions" is a propaganda term straight out of the mouths of these corporations, which value profit first over all else. If everyone in Hawaiʻi planted one breadfruit tree (1.4 million trees), then we would be well on our way to feeding ourselves.

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    1. You forgot that they then create drugs (drug/Chem/bio companies) to help slow down your death or create other complications so they can get every single cent from you and your insurance company.

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  28. 4:09
    We have several of those Breadfruit trees.

    Do you have a recipe that makes that "fruit" palatable?
    I've tried everything!

    Maybe this blog could start an unofficial poll.

    Anyone here who has eaten Breadfruit and really liked it? Please speak up!

    FWIW: I haven't noticed that they (the Breadfruit) are that much more productive than the Papaya.

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  29. @4:09

    What if I don't like breadfruit? What if we all raised a cow or pig to eat, but noooooo you would bitch about that eventhough they have been around as long as breadfruit.

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  30. Not everybody likes breadfruit, 4:09 PM.
    Not everyone has room to grow breadfruit.
    Not everyone in Hawaii has the climate to grow breadfruit (me, unfortunately).
    Not even breadfruit can supply us with all of our nutritional needs.

    I am so sick of hearing about the evil corporations who value profit. Of course they do.
    Do you even work? Do you earn money? Don't YOU value profit? Because if you don't, I'd like to know how you make a living. I'm old and tired and want to quit having to make a profit to support myself and my kids.

    Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and stop patronizing the profit-motivated corporations that sell you all your stuff. Or do you not live in a house made from construction materials and appliances sold by a corporation and transported here by another corporation, use corporate-supplied fuel to power your electricity and car, drive a car made by a corporation, use corporation-made cellular and other phones, use the internet from a computer made by a corporation, travel using corporate-owned airlines and rental car companies, and yes, eat food likely grown and processed by a corporation and sold at retail by a corporation.

    Life is not simple. Nothing is black and white. Stop demonizing and generalizing. And give me a breadfruit.

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  31. " If everyone in Hawaiʻi planted one breadfruit tree (1.4 million trees), then we would be well on our way to feeding ourselves."

    Great idea - if you want to live on breadfruit.

    And real farmers buy seed because because seed saving is labor intensive with unpredictable results.

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  32. breadfruit == mandated gruel of the envirofacists...

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  33. Breadfruit is delicious made right, put a green not yellow so it will be firm not soft breadfruit in a large pot of water, boil and lower the heat and let cook for about 30-40 minutes, cool, peel skin off, take out the center. Then proceed to make different things .

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  34. Fuck you Joan!!! Only print the comments that fit your agenda. Make it look like nobody agrees with the other side. Go fuck yourself cunt

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  35. You think I should be printing more comments like that? No.

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  36. The ONLY way I'll eat breadfruit (we have a tree) is in chips like potato chips. One can get them in Hanapepe at Taro Ko Factory. They also make taro chips. Delicious!

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  37. 6:28 AM - Spoken like a true immature Anti. Your words only reflect your own lack of class and ability to communicate as an adult.

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  38. I sure as heck wouldn't print comments like 6:28 AM's if I took the time and effort to write my own blog.

    Who in his right mind would bother reading someone else's blog and commenting like that?

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  39. Breadfruit sliced thin and deep fried makes for great chips. And boiled to be used like potato salad. Ulu is one of the original canoe plants.

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  40. Yes, everybody is sick of hearing about "evil" corporations. It is the fault of the corporations themselves. Some have good reps, others bad. You reap what you sow. Hold corporations to high standards and refuse to support practices which are unethical or corrupt.

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  41. Real farmers prefer saving seed when possible over buying seed. Companies discourage seed saving because they want farmers to purchase their seeds. Traditional societies understand the value of protecting the diversity of seeds which have been developed over centuries. Here is a good article about Mexico and the threat traditional farmers there experience from international transgenic seed corporations: https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4725-hands-off-our-maize-resistance-to-gmos-in-mexico

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  42. Your reference to "real farmers" indicates you have no idea what you're talking about and just regurgitating anti-GMO talking points, such as those contained in your link.

    Some "real farmers" save seed. Other "real farmers" prefer to buy it. They typically buy it because it is less labor intensive than saving seed, and also because it may offer increased yields and other desirable traits, such as drought tolerance.

    But even GMO seeds can be saved by farmers, as we are seeing right now in Bangladesh. Farmers there are saving seeds from the Bt brinjal, which offers pest resistance, and sharing the seeds with their neighbors.

    http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/farmer-perspectives-bt-brinjal-bangladesh

    There is no one size fits all in this discussion.

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  43. Joan, My use of "real farmers" was in response to an earlier post claiming real farmers purchase seed (10:46PM- "And real farmers buy seed because because...."). I then posted that real farmers save seeds. Donʻt get your knickers all in a knot. Farmers may use different methods, but they are all farmers. Why do you berate me but not 10:46. We are both speaking about real farmers. And both kind of farmers are real, arenʻt they? Auwe.

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  44. My objection, actually, was to your grossly generalized claim that "real farmers prefer saving seed."

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  45. Joan, Then why do you not object to the generalized claim made by 10:46 also? You actually should not object at all, because some "real farmers" save seed and other "real farmers" buy seed. Both statements are true. The real question is, if you are going to object, why you only object to one and not the other?

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  46. No, the real question is why are you being intentionally obtuse? You used the word PREFER. The other commenter did not.

    And that's the end of this discussion.

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  47. Ripe breadfruit cut a hole in the top put in some butter top off with brown sugar bake until cooked. The smell of butter brown sugar and ripe breadfruit i think i'll add vanilla next time

    Steam green breadfruit ( better if not too green but not starting to ripen) until soft cut into chunks add chopped onions mayonnaise bit of mustard or wasabi, salt black pepper to taste.

    Same steamed breadfruit mash then add eggs green onions canned corned beef fry

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  48. Mahalo to all for the yummy breadfruit recipes!

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  49. Thank goodness we've come far enough to where we don't have to eat breadfruit to survive. It's merely an option. The canoe people had fewer food options.

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