Let’s get down and dirty on the farms
I have to admit to something - a small secret. I spent nearly twenty years of my life living surrounded by dairy herds. Those were the days we went shopping in the nearby town. But this was “proper” farming back them - a practice going back centuries. Today, it’s called organic farming but the principles are the same. It is, by any standards, a peaceful life which I now miss in this urban setting. Except, there’s one thing I don’t miss. There were no main drains or sewers in our area so everyone collected their waste in tanks. The grateful farmers would come round on a regular basis, collect the contents of the tank and then spray it on the fields. Alerted to this, other US states and those in Canada have begun testing, and the levels in milk are surprisingly high. The stresses of modern living have been driving the growth in the consumption of antidepressants and other drugs for controlling anxiety. This means the drugs are now in the rivers and the underground water used for irrigation. They are also sprayed directly on to field as fertilizer. Valium has the highest concentration. When the cows contentedly ruminate on the problem, it enters their milk and then reappears on our tables. Well, apart from taking a valium to stop worrying about the problem (or should that be, simply drinking more milk), there’s almost nothing that can be done about it. So, all I can ask is that we all use fewer pills. I like my milk and prefer it free from valium. And the same goes for the yoghurt, butter, cheese and anything else made from the milk of animals. And don’t forget to wash fresh produce thoroughly before using it!
