06-09-2012, 09:10 PM
Dear Fellow Rogue Valley Farmer,
A situation has come to my attention that potentially threatens our livelihood and the future of every organic and conventional farmer in the Rogue Valley. Our small corner of the world has been discovered by Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness corporation. Their representative told me they are growing genetically-engineered sugar beets for seed in plots up and down the valley, on both sides of the 5 freeway, from Ashland to Grants Pass. I don’t think it’s right for Syngenta to come here to grow their GMO seeds when growing them is outlawed in their own country of Switzerland!
Genetically-engineered organisms, sometimes called genetically- modified organisms (GMOs), are living things that have been artificially modified so that they contain genes from different species, and end up with something that would not occur in nature.
Earlier this year when we wanted to lease an additional field for our organic vegetable and seed operation, I discovered that a field on Normal Avenue in Ashland was to be planted with Syngenta’s GMO sugar beets. Our farm saves seeds as we select for robust local varieties, and we have a contract for certified organic chard seed this year. Needless to say, we did not rent that field!
However, the locations of all the other Syngenta fields are not
public information. Pollen drift happens; even Syngenta does not dispute that. So far it has been up to them to keep a buffer of at least four miles from other producers of beet and chard seed (per USDA- APHIS, under regulated GMO crop rules). But there is no list kept of who is saving seed in our valley! Are you? Do you know if a GMO plot is near your farm?
When GMO pollen contaminates organic crops, those crops are, by definition, no longer organic. This issue is also important for non- organic farmers. GMOs have been shown to sicken animals and humans, and there is a growing backlash against GMOs worldwide. At first, farmers believed Monsanto’s assurances that only farmers who bought GMO seed would have GMO crops. This, however, has been proven to be false. GMO contamination of conventional American corn and soybeans has been steadily on the rise, with no economically viable plan for stopping it. Any farmer who now buys conventional or organic seeds on the open market is vulnerable to being sued by Monsanto for patent infringement if they plant it, unknowingly breaching plant seed patents. In short, co-existence with GMOs is not feasible.
With the backlash against GMOs continuing to grow, more consumers are demanding non-GMO products. You can search online for “GMO Kashi” to see a recent example of this.
Furthermore, GMO Roundup Ready plants have invaded other farmers’ fields and become weeds. For instance, if Roundup Ready sugar beets showed up in your field of carrots, Roundup wouldn’t kill the invading GMO sugar beets. When contacted for help about this problem, Monsanto suggested removing the GMO weeds by hand. These issues are just the tip of the iceberg.
Because of the threat that GMOs pose to our farms and communities, I am a member of a group, GMO-Free Jackson County, that is working on an initiative petition for the November election to create an ordinance that would ban growing genetically engineered crops in Jackson County. Three counties in California were already successful in passing bans; it can work.
If you want to know more about GMOs you can visit our website: http://www.GMOFreeJacksonCounty.org
And check out the Institute for Responsible Technology site:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education GMO-Free Jackson County invites you to an informational meeting to hear more about this issue. It will be held on Sunday, June 3rd from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Medford Library, 205 S. Central in Medford.
If you'd like to be on our email list to receive updates, call us at541-708-3151,or email us at gmofreejacksoncounty@gmail.com.
If you are already knowledgeable on this issue and would like to help, please go to our website and sign up to Get Involved. If you would like to support us by writing a letter to the County Commissioners asking them to support our initiative, we can send you a sample letter that you can personalize. There are many ways to help, big and small, and plenty of information available to learn about the issues. Thank you for your consideration.
For the future,
Chris Hardy
Village Farm, Ashland
GMO-Free Jackson County P.S. A YouTube video called “Farmer to Farmer” about a journey across America to investigate the status of GM crops ten years after their introduction, by Michael Hart, a British livestock producer, is a good place to learn more about this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEX654gN3c4 Or, information on Monsanto’s seed parents from the Public Patent Foundation: http://www.pubpat.org/monsanto-seed-patents.htm And, the documentary film, “The Future of Food”: http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food
http://www.gmofreejacksoncounty.org/index.html
A situation has come to my attention that potentially threatens our livelihood and the future of every organic and conventional farmer in the Rogue Valley. Our small corner of the world has been discovered by Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness corporation. Their representative told me they are growing genetically-engineered sugar beets for seed in plots up and down the valley, on both sides of the 5 freeway, from Ashland to Grants Pass. I don’t think it’s right for Syngenta to come here to grow their GMO seeds when growing them is outlawed in their own country of Switzerland!
Genetically-engineered organisms, sometimes called genetically- modified organisms (GMOs), are living things that have been artificially modified so that they contain genes from different species, and end up with something that would not occur in nature.
Earlier this year when we wanted to lease an additional field for our organic vegetable and seed operation, I discovered that a field on Normal Avenue in Ashland was to be planted with Syngenta’s GMO sugar beets. Our farm saves seeds as we select for robust local varieties, and we have a contract for certified organic chard seed this year. Needless to say, we did not rent that field!
However, the locations of all the other Syngenta fields are not
public information. Pollen drift happens; even Syngenta does not dispute that. So far it has been up to them to keep a buffer of at least four miles from other producers of beet and chard seed (per USDA- APHIS, under regulated GMO crop rules). But there is no list kept of who is saving seed in our valley! Are you? Do you know if a GMO plot is near your farm?
When GMO pollen contaminates organic crops, those crops are, by definition, no longer organic. This issue is also important for non- organic farmers. GMOs have been shown to sicken animals and humans, and there is a growing backlash against GMOs worldwide. At first, farmers believed Monsanto’s assurances that only farmers who bought GMO seed would have GMO crops. This, however, has been proven to be false. GMO contamination of conventional American corn and soybeans has been steadily on the rise, with no economically viable plan for stopping it. Any farmer who now buys conventional or organic seeds on the open market is vulnerable to being sued by Monsanto for patent infringement if they plant it, unknowingly breaching plant seed patents. In short, co-existence with GMOs is not feasible.
With the backlash against GMOs continuing to grow, more consumers are demanding non-GMO products. You can search online for “GMO Kashi” to see a recent example of this.
Furthermore, GMO Roundup Ready plants have invaded other farmers’ fields and become weeds. For instance, if Roundup Ready sugar beets showed up in your field of carrots, Roundup wouldn’t kill the invading GMO sugar beets. When contacted for help about this problem, Monsanto suggested removing the GMO weeds by hand. These issues are just the tip of the iceberg.
Because of the threat that GMOs pose to our farms and communities, I am a member of a group, GMO-Free Jackson County, that is working on an initiative petition for the November election to create an ordinance that would ban growing genetically engineered crops in Jackson County. Three counties in California were already successful in passing bans; it can work.
If you want to know more about GMOs you can visit our website: http://www.GMOFreeJacksonCounty.org
And check out the Institute for Responsible Technology site:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education GMO-Free Jackson County invites you to an informational meeting to hear more about this issue. It will be held on Sunday, June 3rd from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Medford Library, 205 S. Central in Medford.
If you'd like to be on our email list to receive updates, call us at541-708-3151,or email us at gmofreejacksoncounty@gmail.com.
If you are already knowledgeable on this issue and would like to help, please go to our website and sign up to Get Involved. If you would like to support us by writing a letter to the County Commissioners asking them to support our initiative, we can send you a sample letter that you can personalize. There are many ways to help, big and small, and plenty of information available to learn about the issues. Thank you for your consideration.
For the future,
Chris Hardy
Village Farm, Ashland
GMO-Free Jackson County P.S. A YouTube video called “Farmer to Farmer” about a journey across America to investigate the status of GM crops ten years after their introduction, by Michael Hart, a British livestock producer, is a good place to learn more about this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEX654gN3c4 Or, information on Monsanto’s seed parents from the Public Patent Foundation: http://www.pubpat.org/monsanto-seed-patents.htm And, the documentary film, “The Future of Food”: http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food
http://www.gmofreejacksoncounty.org/index.html