[Homesteadingfamily] FW: Organic Community Sues Monsanto

Jeanne

http://community.webshots.com/user/atasetofcreole

http://atasteofcreole.wordpress.com/

Laws are made for men of ordinary understanding and should, therefore, be
construed by the ordinary rules of common sense."- Thomas Jefferson

From: Wood Prairie Farm [mailto:megan@woodprairie.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 8:03 PM
To: Jeanne
Subject: Seed Piece: Downloadable Myco Handbooks & Organic Community Sues
Monsanto

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Wood Prairie Farm

Wood Prairie Farm Seed Piece Newsletter In This
Issue of The Seed Piece:
Organic News and Commentary
Organic Community Against Monsanto.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Recipe: Wonderful Carrot Soup.

Special Offer: FREE Organic Vegetable Seed.

Our Mailbox: Myco For Better Crops &
FREE Myco Handbooks.

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Hard At Work. Our Amy helping tub up orders.

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Organic Community Files Suit Against Monsanto Challenging GMO Patents

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No
Monsanto. Our sound Wood Prairie policy.

Society stands on the precipice of forever being bound to transgenic
agriculture and transgenic food. Coexistence between transgenic seed and
organic seed is impossible because transgenic seed contaminates and
eventually overcomes organic seed. History has already shown this, as soon
after transgenic seed for canola was introduced, organic canola became
virtually extinct as a result of transgenic seed contamination. Organic
corn, soybean, cotton, sugar beet and alfalfa now face the same fate, as
transgenic seed has been released for each of those crops, too. And
transgenic seed is being developed for many other crops, thus putting the
future of all food, and indeed all agriculture, at stake.

So began the text of a lawsuit filed earlier today in United States
District Court in Manhatten. On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses
and organic agricultural organizations, the Public Patent Foundation
(PUBPAT) filed suit today
(http://www.pubpat.org/assets/files/seed/OSGATA-v-Monsanto-Complaint.pdf
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-a__e-I_OU> )
against Monsanto Company to challenge the chemical giant's patents on
genetically modified seed. The organic plaintiffs were forced to sue
preemptively to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement
should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified
seed, something Monsanto has done to others in the past.
The case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v.
Monsanto, was filed in federal district court in Manhattan and assigned to
Judge Naomi Buchwald. Plaintiffs in the suit represent a broad array of
family farmers, small businesses and organizations from within the organic
agriculture community who are increasingly threatened by genetically
modified seed contamination despite using their best efforts to avoid it.
The plaintiff organizations have over 270,000 members, including thousands
of certified organic family farmers.

Continues the Complaint, Monsanto zealously enforces its transgenic seed
patents. Published reports and Monsanto's own statements suggest that
roughly 500 farmers are investigated for patent infringement each year.
Between 1997 and April 2010, Monsanto filed 144 lawsuits against farmers in
at least 27 different states for alleged infringement of its GM seed patents
and/or breach of its license to those patents.

"Today is Independence Day for America," said Wood Prairie Farm's Jim
Gerritsen, a family farmer in Maine who raises organic seed and is President
of lead plaintiff Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association based in
Montrose, Colorado. "Today we are seeking protection from the Court and
putting Monsanto on notice. Monsanto's threats and abuse of family farmers
stops here. Monsanto's genetic contamination of organic seed and organic
crops ends now. Americans have the right to choice in the marketplace - to
decide what kind of food they will feed their families - and we are taking
this action on their behalf to protect that right to choose. Organic
farmers have the right to raise our organic crops for our families and our
customers on our farms without the threat of invasion by Monsanto's
transgenetic contamination and without harassment by a reckless polluter.
Beginning today, America asserts her right to justice and pure food."

The plaintiffs in the suit represented by PUBPAT are:

Agriculture Membership Organizations
- ORGANIC SEED GROWERS AND TRADE ASSOCIATION
- ORGANIC CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC.
- OCIA RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INC.
- THE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE
- DEMETER ASSOCIATION, INC.
- NAVDANYA INTERNATIONAL
- MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION
- NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION/MASSACHUSETTS
- NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT
- RURAL VERMONT
- OHIO ECOLOGICAL FOOD & FARM ASSOCIATION
- SOUTHEAST IOWA ORGANIC ASSOCIATION
- NORTHERN PLAINS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SOCIETY
- MENDOCINO ORGANIC NETWORK
- NORTHEAST ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCERS ALLIANCE
- CANADIAN ORGANIC GROWERS
- FAMILY FARMER SEED COOPERATIVE
- SUSTAINABLE LIVING SYSTEMS
- GLOBAL ORGANIC ALLIANCE
- FOOD DEMOCRACY NOW!
- FAMILY FARM DEFENDERS INC.
- FARM-TO-CONSUMER LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

Seed Companies
- FEDCO SEEDS INC.
- ADAPTIVE SEEDS, LLC
- SOW TRUE SEED
- SOUTHERN EXPOSURE SEED EXCHANGE
- MUMM'S SPROUTING SEEDS
- BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEED CO., LLC
- COMSTOCK, FERRE & CO., LLC
- SEEDKEEPERS, LLC
- SISKIYOU SEEDS
- COUNTRYSIDE ORGANICS
- CUATRO PUERTAS
- INTERLAKE FORAGE SEEDS LTD.

Organic and Traditional Farms and Farmers
- ALBA RANCH (Northeastern Kansas)
- WILD PLUM FARM (Dixon, Montana)
- GRATITUDE GARDENS (Concrete, Washington)
- RICHARD EVERETT FARM, LLC (Scottsbluff, Nebraska)
- PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY FARM, INC, (Osceola, Wisconsin)
- GENESIS FARM (Blairstown, New Jersey)
- CHISPAS FARMS LLC (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- KIRSCHENMANN FAMILY FARMS INC. (South Central, North Dakota)
- MIDHEAVEN FARMS (Park Rapids, Minnesota)
- KOSKAN FARMS (Wood, South Dakota)
- CALIFORNIA CLOVERLEAF FARMS (Merced County, California)
- NORTH OUTBACK (Wales, North Dakota)
- TAYLOR FARMS, INC. (Tremonton, Utah)
- JARDIN DEL ALMA (Monticello, New Mexico)
- RON GARGASZ ORGANIC FARMS (Volant, Pennsylvania)
- ABUNDANT ACRES (Laclede County, Missouri)
- T & D WILLEY FARMS (Madera, California)
- QUINELLA RANCH (Saskatchwan, Canada)
- NATURE'S WAY FARM LTD. (Alberta, Canada)
- LEVKE AND PETER EGGERS FARM (Alberta, Canada)
- FREY VINEYARDS, LTD. (California)
- BRYCE STEPHENS (Jennings, Kansas)
- CHUCK NOBLE (South Dakota)
- LARHEA PEPPER (O'Donnell, Texas)
- PAUL ROMERO (Espanola, New Mexico)
- DONALD WRIGHT PATTERSON, JR. (Fauquier County, Virginia)

Here is the description of lead plaintiff Organic Seed Growers and Trade
Association taken from the Complaint as filed today.

Plaintiff ORGANIC SEED GROWERS AND TRADE ASSOCIATION is a not for
profit agricultural organization that develops, protects and promotes the
organic seed trade and its growers, and assures that the organic community
has access to excellent quality organic seed, free of contaminants and
adapted to the diverse needs of local organic agriculture. See
http://www.osgata.org/. Organic farmers require quality organic seed in
order to maximize the overall integrity and success of their organic system.
Organic seed systems face risks from transgenic contamination. The growth
and development of a vibrant organic seed trade will result in seed systems
suited to the ecological, economic, local, and sustainable challenges and
needs of organic farming. OSGATA policy states that transgenic contamination
of organic seed constitutes irreparable harm to the organic seed industry
and that it undermines the integrity of organic seed and that any detectable
level is unacceptable. OSGATA's membership is comprised of organic farmers
who produce seed crops, organic seed breeders, organic seed companies, and
affiliate organizations. OSGATA brings this action on behalf of its forty
members, some of whom are at risk of being contaminated by Defendants'
transgenic seed and consequently being sued by Defendants for patent
infringement.

To read text of the Complaint including descriptions of the other fifty-nine
plaintiffs please click this link
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-a_ie-I_OU>
from our website.

We promise to keep you informed of all developments in this historic
lawsuit through posts on our Facebook page
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-a_Oe-I_OU> ,
our Wood Prairie blog
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-a_Ue-I_OU>
and this Seed Piece newsletter
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-a_Ee-I_OU> .
We will continue to work with our allies on your behalf to stop GMOs and to
assure that our right to pure food for our families is recognized and
upheld. Jim & Megan.

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Special Offer: FREE Organic Vegetable Seed

The days are growing longer and the sun is getting stronger. For many
of us the time to pant gardens is now upon us or soon will be. Of course we
know you'll want to plant potaoes. Well, here's a Special Offer that will
help you plant some tender organic vegetables right beside them.
When you purchase $40 or more of our Wood Prairie Organic Seed Potatoes
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we'll toss in five FREE seed packets
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your favorite organic seed ($16.25 value)- your choice of varieties.
Five FREE Seed Packet offer ends Monday April 4th. Please use Promo
Code WPF 1022. Five FREE Seed Packet offer may not be combined with other
offers. Entire order must ship by April 29th. Please call or click today.

Recipe: Wonderful Carrot Soup.

Makes 8 servings

4 T (1/2 stick) butter

2 onions
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sliced

1 thyme sprig

2 1/2 lb Chantenay carrots
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peeled and sliced, about 6 cups

Sea Salt
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6 c vegetable or chicken broth

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the onions and thyme. Cook
over medium low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and
season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Cooking the carrots together with the
onions for a while builds flavor.

Add broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are
tender, about 30 minutes. When done, season with salt to taste and puree if
desired.

From "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters

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Wonderful Carrot Soup
Photo by Angela Wotton

Mailbox: Myco For Better Crops & FREE Myco Handbooks.

Friends told me that you use Mycorrhizae fungus. Where do you get it?

SP
Little Compton RI

Yes we use a beneficial Mycorrhizae fungus from Mycorrhizal
Applications in Oregon (they have a very informative website at
http://www.mycorrhizae.com/
<http://woodprairiefarm.commercev3.com/lettercast/b_lc.php?c=-ai_e-I_OU> ).
We use Myco on seed potatoes and spring wheat as an OMRI-approved organic
seed treatment. Arden Andersen says they have the best product and we have
learned to listen closely to Arden.
Myco colonizes the roots of our crop plants and it creates superior
root development, increased nutrient uptake, improved disease suppression
and more for the reasonable price of about $15 per acre. Rate of application
is about one-two pounds per acre. You get great wholesale prices once you
order twenty pounds so consider getting together with your friends and
splitting up an order.
Some years ago here in Maine we heard Dr.David Douds from the USDA
Agriculture Research Service give a wonderful talk on myco and from that
moment on we were sold. Now David along with our friends at Rodale Research
Farm in PA have produced two facinating in-depth how-to articles on how to
produce your own supply of home-grown myco right on your own farm using
those great Smart Bags
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Click here
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and here
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get your FREE downloads of those two valuable articles. Jim.

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Click here for our Smart Bags department

Wood Prairie Farm Quick Links

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_____

Jim & Megan Gerritsen
Wood Prairie Farm
49 Kinney Road
Bridgewater, Maine 04735
(800)829-9765 Certified Organic, Direct from the Farm
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www.woodprairie.com

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