I’m now learning firsthand how to take care of my home now being an official homeowner. It’s been in need of some major repainiting inside, so I’ve been learning how to paint.  Luckily, my mom’s dad was a painter, who taught me some basic skills.

My grandpa and I used to spend summers helping neighbors spiff up their homes.  I’d go with him to help him out.  We’d also go together to the paint stores to pick up supplies.  

I learned some key lessons from him.  The first one was always use quality paint.  The second was use good brushes and rollers.  The last lesson was to take care of your tools.

I learned those lessons over 20 years ago and somehow forgot them recently.  I had discovered that my toilet upstairs was leaking.  I figured it out when I tried painting the ceiling below it and the paint peeled.  I decided to fix the toilet myself instead of hiring someone. Well, that turned into a way bigger job than expected.

When I pulled off the toilet, I found the flooring all peeling up.  The paint on the walls were chipped and peeling too.  I also found the bathroom vanity falling apart and I decided to just redo the entire bathroom myself.  What was going to just be a toilet repair turned into a huge job.

I thought I’d start with the painting first before doing the floors and ripping up the toilet.  Forgetting the lessons learned, I bought a lesser quality paint and some generic brushes and cheap rollers.

I did a layer of paint that looked pretty nice.  Once it dried, I took a closer look and realized that it didn’t do a good job covering the white walls.  Darn I thought.  I got to paint it again!  

Well, I realized something after that.  The quality of the paint does make a difference as well as the tools needed.  What was I thinking?

I headed back to the neighborhood hardware store and got some quality paint and the brushes that were under lock and key.  Sure enough, when I used the better tools, I had a noticeable improvement.  

Me being the constant thinker realized that this is the same for farmers.  They want the good stuff.  If they go for the cheap stuff, it won’t have a good result.  Farmers choose the best seeds that have been tested and have the desired traits.  This helps to ensure a desired result.  Even gardeners pick up fresh seeds every season!  Even organic farmers have seed catalogs to select the best seed types available.

While the anti-GMO movement continues to unfold here in Hawaii as a fake “grassroots” campaign, the industry funded right to know continues to put political pressure at the federal level.  The developing world is watching what’s happening here and holds the potential tools from the small farmer.  In a world where the majority derives income from agriculture, we are quick to deny them access to improved seeds.  We don’t even allow them the chance to ensure food security to begin with.  It’s cruel to do this.  

In order for me to have the best result, I need access to the best tools and best inputs.  It saves a lot of time and the result is ensured.  The politics can’t be the deciding factor of access to good tools, the research and evidence must lead the way.  

Don’t let the rest of the world have a shoddy painted home.  Let them decide for themselves how to color their homes and support access to those good tools to do it.