Chris Judd warns “big changes coming”

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Chris Judd spoke about changing farming practices in the Pontiac at a presentation held at the Shawville Seniors’ Centre on April 19.

Nikki Buechler

SHAWVILLE – Chris Judd spoke at the Shawville Seniors’ Centre on April 19 about farming practices. The lecture, presented by the Pontiac Archives, was a glimpse into early farming techniques, present innovations and future systems.

“Things happened so gradually and we barely noticed any change over the decades. Big changes in the last 50 years, but the next ten will bring even more”.

Judd talked about farming with horses and the gradual move towards tractors. He spoke about hunting, food preservation, and some of the modern advances in crop sciences. He expressed frustration and disappointment with the advent of genetically modified crops.

“They’re designing plants that aren’t more resistant to pests, only herbicides – so we can spray more chemicals on our crops, and the industry can maintain control over farmers who used to save their seed to plant the following year. Now all of that is over, and they’re lying to us about how carcinogenic their products are”.

“It’s really sad the way biotech corporations have changed things. Our traditional farming practices have been eroded, and we’re no longer passing down our knowledge. Instead, these days, they want you to come into a classroom to learn farming – so they can teach you how to use genetically modified seeds and chemicals, however the most efficient farms aren’t the ones embracing the latest innovations – we’re seeing some of the newer methods aren’t great for long-term soil health either.”­­