TPM Editor’s Blog

Got Chemicals?

The commercial fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide industry is not so happy about Michelle Obama’s organic White House garden — and took the trouble to write her a letter about it:

“Fresh foods grown conventionally are wholesome and flavorful yet more economical,” the Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) wrote the first lady last month a few days after she and fifth-graders from a local elementary school planted the White House Kitchen Garden.

“CropLife” and “MACA” — neither of those things sound wholesome or flavorful. But since they mentioned it, I think I’ll make a special trip to the farmers’ market tomorrow morning.

Late Update: TPM Reader BW does me one better:

How weird is it that “conventional” farming is the sort that involves synthetic chemicals, massive amounts of water and petroleum, and technology only available in the last 100 years.
David Kurtz

David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.

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