What a year—first, too much rain, then no rain, and now, when it is time to get the last crops out, too much rain again. This sort of scenario occurred over most of the U.S. this year. Crops like corn varied from 17-150 bushels within 5 miles of one another in Missouri.

Weather is always going to be one of the biggest risk factors in agriculture—you cannot change it or control it. You can do things that help make your farm weatherproof. Keep the water that falls on your farm on your farm. Increase the water holding capacity of your soil by increasing your soil's organic matter. The more water your soil holds, the more water is available to your crops during prolonged droughts.

Be diversified in your crop and livestock program. To be diversified and fully employed on the farm, you need both crops and livestock on your farm. Regardless of the technology available, the principles of good farming never change. Grazing land tends to hold more water than row crop land. Sunflowers thrive on hot, dry weather. Tomatoes like heat, too—up to a point—then they drop their blossoms and start over on a new crop of tomatoes. How about some ideas from the readers on how you weatherproof your farms: mulch, organic matter, etc.?

We recently received an e-mail from the Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration in Mexico. Contamination by genetically modified (GM) maize in Mexido is much worse than feared. Contamination has been found in 33 communities from nine (Mexican) states.

Analyses show contamination with the GM variety Starlink, prohibited for human consumption in the U.S. Some plants show the presence of two or three different GM types—all patented by transnational biotechnology corporations.

Mexican indigenous and farming communities demand a halt to GM corn imports, continuation of the moratorium on cultivating GM maize, and rejection of the Bill on Biosafety currently before the Mexican Congress—which would legalize genetic contamination.

Field crop contamination is just the tip of the iceberg, however. The list of GM vegetables includes carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, peppers, peas, onions, and melons. I do not believe any of these are commercially available yet, but they are definitely working on it.

These international companies are willing to ignore the basic problems with GM crops. GM products can be toxic to human health; they can produce unheard-of allergies; and no labeling makes this impossible to track. Crossing genes of different species can cause many risks that may not be known before it is too late. Super weeds and super bugs are another problem with GM crops.

Splicing genes into a plant are often linked to an antibiotic resistance marker gene. When consumed, they may increase antibiotic resistance marker gene. When consumed, they may increase antibiotic resistance. We already have some antibiotic resistance, why make it worse?

Genetic erosion or contamination from GM crops can be spread by wind, insects, or rain, and will ruin any non-GM crops—organic, open-pollinated, or conventional. Is it fair to give this pollution power to any corporation?

Keep your OP seeds pure, and buy and trade only with those that are like-minded.