Are organic plants being eliminated for the common grower?

             Went to the reliable garden store, Village Green, locally based in Rockford, Ill., to buy some organic plants today. No such luck. there weren't any. Only seed packages. Were they sold out? No. Never had any. Went to Menard's, Home Depot and another local greenhouse. Nothing. One greenhouse operation reported people were having trouble finding organic products to support growing their own.

            I found this to be disheartening. Down right disturbing.

            I have been an organic grower for years. Sometimes from seed, sometimes from plants. It's important that organic growing begins with organic seed. Yes, it takes organic soil, the proper organic nutrients and clean water. Water is where people often fail. It's hard to deliver water free of pollutants, free of volatile organic chemicals, heavy metals, prescription drugs, herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, e-coli and other nasty microbes and viruses.

            The water I use in gardening comes from a whole-house water filtration system that preserves calcium and magnesium. Using purified water is using water without any useful nutrients that plants thrive on. I also use a mix of organic compost, coffee grounds, organic egg shells and other organic compost material when planting. I even went so far to build a large garden box this year to better control the soil. I never use lawn mulch that has been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.

            But what about the plants we start out with to plant? I realize that it takes a lot to get the USDA Certified Organic stamp on a product. I know it takes a long time to certify the soil used. I also know that in Illinois, as well as other states, the GMO-based farms dominate the land and every time farmland goes on sale here that is organic, a GMO-based farmer is quick to buy it. The land is disappearing, as so are the plants it seems.

            This is also a portend of the future of organic meat. No land, no grazing room for cows, chickens, turkeys and pigs.

            I have visited many organic farms, both vegetable growers and producers of organic meats. I always hesitate to tell people where I get my organic meat because I know there isn't much of it around Illinois and Wisconsin to meet the need. When more people are wanting to buy and less of it to be had, prices will soar.

            Now the GMO machine is taking plants away. Why bother to legislate GMO food when there is no alternative in the store?

            What's are the alternatives? We could moves to Europe, Mexico, Australia. Organics are a way of life in those places. The United States is controlled by big agri-business and powerful lobby groups. The alternatives here are disappearing.

            There is only one way out if you want to live in America. Grow your own, learn how to preserve your foods in glass and stock up on organic seed.