Navigating the GMO Landscape: The Impact on Food and Farming

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February 10, 2024

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Note: (At Triple E Farm, you may have noticed that we've officially transitioned to corn and soy-free chicken feed for our laying hens. This decision wasn't made lightly, but one of the primary reasons behind it is our commitment to steering clear of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite our efforts to source GMO-free feed, the ubiquity of GMOs in today's agricultural landscape has led us to reevaluate our approach.

While we're not pointing fingers at non-GMO feed sources, the truth is, GMO contamination is a big worry in the industry. Let me break it down for you below.)

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In today's modern agricultural paradigm, the prevalence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) poses significant challenges and raises critical questions about the safety of our food supply and the sustainability of farming practices. Crops like corn and soy, genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides, now dominate global agriculture, with far-reaching implications for human health, environmental integrity, and food security.

The Widespread Adoption of GMO Crops

GMO varieties of corn and soy have proliferated across vast expanses of farmland worldwide. Engineered to withstand pests and herbicides, these crops have revolutionized modern agriculture but have also sparked concerns about their long-term impacts on ecosystems and human health. The widespread adoption of GMO crops has led to increased herbicide usage, contributing to environmental degradation and posing risks to biodiversity.

The Challenge of GMOs in Animal Feed

One lesser-known aspect of the GMO debate lies in animal feed, where GMO corn and soy are often standard ingredients. Even if consumers seek out eggs labeled as non-GMO or organic, there's a lurking risk that the chickens producing those eggs were fed GMO feed due to…

Cross-Pollination and Contamination Concerns

The complexity of the GMO issue extends beyond agricultural fields. Corn, for instance, is an open-pollinated crop, allowing its pollen to travel significant distances and potentially contaminating non-GMO or organic crops. Similarly, soybeans can cross-pollinate as well, complicating efforts to maintain GMO-free crops. These challenges highlight the difficulty in segregating GMO and non-GMO crops in a world where nature defies the boundaries we impose.

Triple E Farm's Commitment to Transparency

At Triple E Farm, we recognize the importance of transparency and trust in our food system. While we cannot single-handedly change the agricultural landscape, we can make conscientious choices about the ingredients we feed our chickens and the products we offer our customers. By opting for a corn and soy-free diet for our hens, we provide consumers with a healthier and more natural alternative while prioritizing the well-being of our animals.

Join Us in Supporting Sustainable Agriculture

Together, we can fuel a food system built on transparency, sustainability, and respect for nature. By choosing to source your food from farms like ours that prioritize GMO-free practices and ethical animal husbandry, consumers can play a vital role in shaping a healthier and more resilient food future—one egg at a time!

Shop Corn & Soy Free Eggs Here!

Regenerative can mean something different to every farm. Here are our 5 principles.

In our neck of West Virginia, we're the only farm that claims to be regenerative. Why are we the only regenerative farm in a 50 mile radius? Well, my first thought is that the life of a farmer isn't easy. My second thought is that farmers simply aren't paid like they used to be. Most people nowadays view farming as a side gig instead of a career. They want it to be easy, and trucking in outside fertilizer and spraying and overgrazing sure are easy... at least in the short term. Not me and my brother Phil. We want to take it back to the olden days when you could support your family 100% through farming. To make a living with farming, you 100% need your land and animals to be healthy and productive. Since I want to work with nature (instead of against it), this means regenerative farming. Although we're the only ones in our area, we're thankfully not alone in the movement overall. Allen Willians from Understanding Ag and the Soil Health Academy says that they're consulting on 35 million acres in the US and 55 million acres globally. Wow! There’s more and more interest and more and more land being converted every year. Wow and thank goodness!! But any movement sometimes comes with an unfortunate downside. In the natural food world, the term "regenerative" has sadly become somewhat overused (dare I say greenwashed). So, to make what Triple E does super clear for you, I'm going to outline what regenerative means to us right now. Here are Triple E's 5 principles of regenerative farming: ----- Principle #1: We practice adaptive, rotational grazing. Rotational grazing means that your animals move to fresh, new pasture often. It's kinda like it used to be when herds of bison or deer moved from area to area. After the animals are done eating down a pasture, we allow the land ample time to regrow. We let our pasture rest 40 days at minimum. When the animals move on, the new manure on top naturally fertilizes the land. The roots to spread and naturally til the soil (without mechanical tilling). The microbiology in the soil does its thing. And the plants take and fix back nutrients into the soil. We don't overgraze. We have about 20 cows to an acre. We use moveable fences to move the cows at minimum 1x per day (this also keeps the cows fuller - every time you move a cow they eat more). We practice adaptive grazing, which means we don't operate on a strict and set schedule. If grass it growing, they need less pasture. If it’s a drought, then they need a bigger space to graze. In the spring, they need less space because of the fresh growth. If the weather is in our favor, we sometimes move the cows 2-3x per day! Principle #2: We keep cows outside, even in the winter. This can be a contested issue when it comes to animal welfare. Some people think it's too cold and cows need winter jackets. But, in my experience, cows don't feel cold until it's below 20F. So why not have the cows out in the fresh air an sunshine all year? That's what we do. They typically have access to indoors, but they rarely use it. In the warmer months, they're eating lots of fresh pasture. In the colder months or drought, we give them dry pasture (AKA hay). With pigs, we do the same thing. But birds are a different story. They won't like it if it's too cold. So, we don't grow broilers in the colder months. And the laying hens are given inside space in the winter. Principle #3: We don't use sprays. No crazy chemicals here! That's right. We don't spray anything on our pastures... even certified organic ones. So no worry about chemicals on our land! We do have our soil tested every so often. If the ratios of minerals are off, we'll have a special blend mixed for where it's needed. This is far from synthetic fertilizers many farms spread everywhere every year. They're simply ground rocks spread strategically and only where it's needed. This helps us get the soil where it needs to be for better growth immediately. As the years of regenerative farming go on, less and less minerals are needed, since nature is naturally balancing itself. Principle #4: We let nature do its thing. Nature loves to be in balance. If humans were to disappear, nature would overtake everything, just like in those post-apocalyptic movies with vines growing on skyscrapers. We follow nature's lead. Nature always tries to cover bare soil. A lot of people try to tear up the land and seed specific plants in. But is that necessary? Nature will let many things grow back. We almost always keep the soil covered and rarely til, only when absolutely necessary or for a specific purpose. Nature always try to stay in balance. For example, if a field is deficient in calcium, you'll likely see more Canadian thistle growing. This is because it pulls calcium and makes it more available in the soil. Or, another example is that pigweed appears when there's a nitrogen imbalance, because it helps balance the nitrogen levels. We respect nature a lot. Principle #5: Diversity is everything to us. We focus on the farm as a whole, not on individual little problems. We encourage many plants and insects and animals to thrive in our pastures. For example, a weed is a plant that you don't want growing somewhere. To us, we don't have really any weeds. Because, as described in the previous principle, every plant has a purpose, whether for the soil or as a food or as a breeding area for beneficial insects. As another example, when a farm uses a pesticide, they’re targeting a very specific pest. But for every one of those "pesky" plants, there’s 1700 beneficial insects that thrive with and around it. And we need those insects for the health of everything else. We choose to focus on increasing beneficial insects instead of killing the handful of potentially harmful ones. We choose to focus on resilience, not destruction. ----- To sum it up, regenerative farming means that we're naturally improving everything year after year. The soil improves --> the plants get healthier and bigger --> the animals get healthier and grow better and fertilize better --> the food becomes more nutrient-dense for you. It's all an amazing natural cycle of health. When we farm naturally, we grow wellness. And want to know one more amazing fact? When you eat regeneratively-farmed, nutrient-dense food, you actually want to eat less. That's because your body is getting more nourishment from each bite when compared to conventional food. No empty calories. Wow! Thank you so so much for your support with our regenerative vision! We sure wouldn't be able to keep going without you eating the food we grow.

Coming Soon: Raw Dairy Pet Food!

Get ready to wag those tails and purr with delight because we're introducing something truly special - 100% Grass-Fed Raw Dairy Pet Food! What makes our raw dairy pet food stand out?...

Coming Soon - Low PUFA Pork, Corn, and Soy Free!

At Triple E Farm, we're thrilled to announce an upcoming addition to our product lineup: Low PUFA Pork that's both corn and soy-free! You might be wondering, what's all the fuss about? Well, let us fill you in on why we've made this switch and why it matters for you. Why the Switch to Corn and Soy-Free?...

Navigating the GMO Landscape: The Impact on Food and Farming

The Widespread Adoption of GMO Crops

The Challenge of GMOs in Animal Feed

Triple E Farm's Commitment to Transparency

Join Us in Supporting Sustainable Agriculture

More from the blog

Regenerative can mean something different to every farm. Here are our 5 principles.

Coming Soon: Raw Dairy Pet Food!

Coming Soon - Low PUFA Pork, Corn, and Soy Free!

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