In keeping with the quote at the end of this note, and meaning no
disrespect, what is NOT organic about bird food, whether raised on a
farm free of chemical fertilizers or one that used chemical
fertilizers"? And how does one "feed organically" versus "feed
conventionally"? From my experience, conventional feeding methods
have worked quire well for millennia, organically speaking. Thanks
for the note about the study - Jim in MT

At 01:01 PM 5/21/2010, tweeters-request at mailman2.u.washington.edu wrote:
>An interesting study by Newcastle university in the UK found that birds at
>British feeders preferred conventional over organic bird seed.
>
>"Protein is an essential nutrient in the diet of all birds and mammals and
>getting enough of it -- especially in winter -- can be hard.
>
>"We showed that when given free choice, wild birds opt for the conventional
>food over the organic, and the most likely explanation is its higher protein
>content.
>
>"This study is only looking at one aspect of the organic food debate -- it
>does not take into account the long-term health implications of using
>chemical fertilisers and pesticides, or the often negative environmental
>impact of conventional farming; for example, other work has shown that
>pesticides can strongly reduce availability of seeds for birds.
>
>"But it does raise questions about the nutritional benefits of organic food
>and what consumers are being led to believe."
>
>More here:
>
>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100518230515.htm
>
>Michael Price
>Vancouver BC Canada
>loblollyboy at gmail.com
>
>Every answer deepens the mystery.
> - E.O. Wilson