THIS IS A TALK
WITH GOYO RODRIGUEZ
of JR ORGANICS, FIFTH GENERATION FARMING FAMILY
ABOUT ORGANIC SEEDS
THIS IS AN UPRISING OF
ALFALFA GROWING IN A POT
This is an uprising of alfalfa growing in a pot
in my backyard at the Enchanted Garden Intentional Community.
I just searched the internet to see if there was
any other kind of uprising against the planting of
GE alfalfa. I could not find anything.
ON THE STREET CAMPAIGN
FROM THE ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
The closest on the street campaign
comes from the Organic Consumer Association,
but I feel their attacks on organic leaders
hurt the unity that is needed now.
GARY HIRSHBERG, BURAK AKALIN, DAGBY
Gary Hirshberg, (left) of Stonyfield is another organic leader who I have found warm hearted, caring and sincere. He offered to print
a Love Letter to Joe the Farmer on his Website. A Love Letter to Joe
is a declaration of support for local farmers. In this photo, Gary is shaking hands with Burak Akalin, who at the time was working for Aramark, a company that has made major moves at the Anaheim Convention Center,
site of the Natural Product Expo West, toward organic. Dagby, is an organic leader. I do not have her first name right now.
THIS IS NO TIME FOR DIVISIVENESS
Gary Hirshberg was among those under attack by
the OCA. We need unity now, not divisiveness.
The fact remains that we cannot and will never stop fighting this battle. The problem with the unrestricted deregulating of GE crops is that the dangers of contamination are permanent and irreversible. Whereas Congress has enacted other legislation to correct and reverse past transgressions, for instance the Clean Air Act and clean water legislation, a “clean crop act” would never be able to undo the damage and losses caused by GE crops. Therefore, the time to fight for these restrictions is now.
We will continue to fight to protect the organic farmers who grow healthy food and the consumers who have every right to choose organic. We will continue to push for unbiased scientific findings about the harmful effects of GE crops. And we will work hard to give our consumers the assurances they need that organic remains free of anything genetically engineered. The battle will now move from the government agencies back to the courts, but we also need new and stronger legislation that addresses toxic herbicides, and threats to biodiversity, seed protection and other ecological costs.
But I need to take a moment to address the misguided and fallacious OCA attack on Stonyfield, Whole Foods and Organic Valley. Their missive has generated many questions in the last couple of days. I have read them with a heavy heart. I have no idea about their motivations. I have never met Ronnie Cummins and he certainly has never asked me for my views on these issues. But simply put, instead of fighting with each other, we need to fight Monsanto and the forces that are causing the voices of hundreds of thousands of Americans who support organic to be silenced. All of us who are opposed to the USDA decision to deregulate GE alfalfa must speak with one voice. Anything less keeps us divided and distracted. I hope that readers of the OCA communications will convey your disappointment with their tactics. These misleading actions do nothing to advance our cause.
I hope that you will continue to be passionate about this incredibly important issue facing the organic industry and that you will join us in the fight in any way you can. Stay tuned as we prepare the next assault.
Walt Robb, a head of Whole Foods Market, with Joe Rodriguez, Jr.
My experience with the organic leaders who were under fire from the Organic
Consumers Association have always been good. Over the years,
I got to know Walt Robb, of Whole Foods; Gary Hirshberg of
Stonyfield Farms' and George Seimon of Organic Valley.
Their heart is in the right place and they
want good for organics. This photo was taken at the Organic Center
VIP dinner at the Natural Product Expo West numbers of years ago.
Whole Foods Market Hillcrest, our local store was very helpful
when I wanted to bring local strawberries into the store in 2005.
This is the quality of locally grown organic strawberry that
was part of a consumer education project I did with the Whole Foods
Market Hillcrest in 2005. I wanted to experience what it would be like
to personally bring berries, picked that morning into our local WFM.
The project went on for five weeks. Each Sunday, following our
Hillcrest Farmers' Market, I would bring remaining unsold berries
to the nearby WFM. The customers were stunned by the experience.
Many of the Whole Foods Markets have unique regional individualities
for each store. Whole Foods Market is a model in my eyes for what
the supermarkets will be. Locally grown was a concept that came out
of this store and grew into popularity during the time I was doing
this education project.
I was friends at the time with the marketing department of our local
store. It was an positive experience that marked me.
The Whole Foods Green Mission at the time was recycling much of
their cardboard and making compost from food that they could not
sell or give away for safety reasons.
Whole Foods Market has set a standard for the supermarket
of the future.
In today's world of GE foods, most stores
on the scale of Whole Foods, have foods have some foods that are compromised; yet WFM has been a supporter for Non GMO,
and the Non-GMO project
They have been a trend setter, influencing the supermarket model.
March 2006
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are concerned that the increased planting of Roundup Ready Alfalfa will similarly expand the use of toxic chemicals on farms. Scientific studies conducted by the British government and by academic researchers at Ohio State University have documented the evolution of "superweeds" -- nuisance plants ironically resistant to Roundup itself. Conservationists and public health advocates fear that farmers would then turn to even more toxic chemicals to kill the emboldened intruders.
"That creates a cycle of poisoning and dependency in agriculture which escalates over time, often referred to as a pesticide treadmill," said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a D.C.-based environmental group and co-plaintiff in the suit. "[This cycle] belies the stated intent of those promoting the technology as one that would reduce pesticide dependence."
The groups are also concerned that bees, which help pollinate alfalfa, will carry pollen from genetically altered Monsanto crops to their conventional cousin, contaminating heirloom crops and destroying farmers' ability to grow plants free from bioengineering. They argue that the USDA should devise regulations to force GE alfalfa farmers to create "buffer zones" between themselves and traditional growers to help prevent irreparable harm to the traditional alfalfa gene pool.
ORGANIC STAKEHOLDERS TO MEET AT
NATURAL PRODUCT EXPO WEST.
ALFALFA? WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Alfalfa is the nation's 4th largest crop, planted on over 21 million acres. Forage and hay are primary feed crops for dairy cows and beef cattle as well as pork, lamb, and sheep. It's not just for livestock - hay is used as mulch and alfalfa meal as a beneficial soil amendment. Alfalfa sprouts constitute an important sector of the salad market and alfalfa also plays a major role in honey production. In addition, currently over 90% of all alfalfa hay planted in the U.S. does not use any herbicides at all. Roundup-Ready (GE) Alfalfa will introduce the toxic herbicide Roundup (Glyphosate) to these fields.
** ACTION ALERT **
USDA approved GE Alfalfa and GE Sugar Beets!
Tell President Obama: "NO GE ALFALFA or GE SUGAR BEETS! -- Reverse the USDA Decisions NOW"
What can YOU do?
Call/Email THE PRESIDENT – Tell him: STOP THE APPROVAL OF GE ALFALFA Please send your own comments and notify your networks, – post on your website,
urging other people/organizations to comment. Thanks!
Suggested Language (add in your own):
"I am , a farmer/citizen in (your state). Please do not to allow the commercial release of GE alfalfa. Before any release can happen, there must be independent scientific evaluation of public health, environmental, and economic consequences of that release, ongoing government oversight and protection, and a planforcompensationofthoseharmedbyaccidentalcontamination. Iwantand deserve choice in my food supply."
Sincerely,
Your Name; Farm name, Organization, Concerned Citizen, etc.
President Barack Obama Comment line: (202) 456-1111 Email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
HELPING THE WORLD TO GET BIOSMART
WINTER 2011
HELPING THE WORLD
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PLEASE VISIT THE PLANT YOUR DREAM
PUBLIC WEBSITE TO VIEW STORIES
ABOUT THE SEED DREAMS WE SUPPORT
AND THAT SPONSOR BEET KEEPERS, RETURN! Http://www.plantyourdream.net
KEEP THE BEET MEDIA STAR
THE WORLD'S FIRST TALKING BEET PLANT SEZ
THANKS FOR KEEPING LOVE GROWING
JOIN THE BEET KEEPERS ON
THE PLANT YOUR DREAM WEBSITE HERE
Together we can plant 1000 years of peace.
This is the essence of Beet Keepers, Return!
The Shift has happened.
Thank you for starring in my
Rock Your Soul Opera called Beet Keepers, Return!
LESLIE GOLDMAN
YOUR ENCHANTED GARDENER,
Leslie writes daily on his more personal
Plant Your Dream Blog Online Journal http://curezone.com/blogs/f.asp?f=92
Leslie Goldman, Your Enchanted Gardener,
sees and seeds success for super ripe
people and their dreams. His constant companion
is Keep the Beet Media Star, the Worlds Frst Talking beet plant.
Her mission is to help us all turn our beat around
with nature through planting a beet in a pot.
Keep the Beet. Eat the Greens, says Keep the Beet.
THE PLANT TO THE LEFT
IN THE PHOTO ABOVE
is
KEEP THE BEET MEDIA STAR,
THE WORLD's FIRST TALKING BEET PLANTR
KEEP THE BEET SEZ
...Get use to it...yes, I am a talking beet plant
and I often write here through Leslie on this
plant your dream blog...for more about me
go to ..
A record of Leslie's
life process. Serves as a palate
for new creations.
Leslie is in the wounded healer tradition.
he does his best to share his ups and downs
that we might all acknowledge we are
stars in Keep The Beet's Rock Your Soul Opera
called Beet Keepers, Return!
The Shift has happened.
We can no longer ask nature to adapt to us
but more so honor the journey of learning.
We can turn our breakdowns into breakthroughs.
CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE WASHINGTON
ON REAL FOOD SAFETY
VIDEOS ON THE NEW PLANT YOUR DREAM WEBSITE http://plantyourdream.net
THESE ARE OUR AIMS
1-To support mobilization of one Farmers’ Market in our local area, the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market in San Diego. To continue to work with local organic farmers and help them sell more of their produce.
2-To continue to develop a 1/3 acre parcel of land near San Diego State College named the Enchanted Garden Intentional Community Growing Grounds where those who live here and who live around the world may study our process of learning how to keep the beat with nature through learning to live together cooperatively as a household that seeks to live in harmony with the earth. The motto of the house will be Keep The Beet. Through growing a simple beet in a pot, we can regain our beat with nature. Not all in the house garden. Some like to prepare food. Others help with other jobs, or rent. The land, as of January 2010 is being refinanced. A Trust to hold the land is being explored. The Seed Dream would be to leave a museum and park for future generations to learn from this experiment in cooperative living that has been going on since the early 1970′s. The intent is that what we learn here can help others, and Washington, understand and adapt to some of the shifts being asked of all of us now.
3- To develop relationships with those who influence Washington and government. A vast coalition across all political, religious, and philosophical lines has now formed. Mainstream media needs to be reached through bloggers filling the gap where journalism once told all points of view. Elected leaders need to be encouraged to follow the principles expressed in the song “America The Beautiful.”
4- We see the world as we know it now coming to an end. A Shift has already happened. It is for each of us to adapt to the earth and relearn the laws of nature, rather than attempt to further adapt nature to our ways. The source of our economic and health crisis is that we have lost our beat with nature. We can regain the beet through becoming once again a nation of gardeners who live in a world of gardeners. One Pot+One person=You are a Gardener. Start to grow your own food now.
CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE
WASHINGTON ON REAL FOOD SAFETY
Read about the goals of the year long campaign here.
Study materials about Real Food Safety.
Watch Videos of Micro-farmer Barry Logan
and much more! http://plantyourdream.net/?page_id=50
THE CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE WASHINGTON
ON REAL FOOD SAFETY
Our year long Campaign to Educate Washington on
Real Food Safety aims to return the beat of Nature
to Washington. Our campaign begins with
each of us locally regaining our beat through
having a moment of awakening.
We can grow a bit of our own food.
ALL POINTS OF VIEW ARE WELCOME
TO ENTER INTO A NATIONAL CONVERSATION
ON REAL FOOD SAFETY
"My Enchanted Friend,
Heartfelt thanks for another “Enchanted” plant.
I love + bless it & you.
It graces my desk beautifully. Thank you!
I deeply appreciate you ‘seeding our dream’
to sell millions. I wish the same for you."
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