Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

> Having read about U.K and particularly British feelings
> about their gardens, would you offer your opinion
> about a possible percentage of British law-breakers
> re heirloom seeds ?

Brits like things that grow. Rich people hire designers and crews of 
gardeners to build and maintain elaborate gardens. Perhaps most fun is the 
crop circle controversy. A couple elderly Brit guys admitted to some of them.

Not that we Americans need be ashamed of our anarchist streak. Early 
history if full of wild guys and gals. In recent times we have had Edward 
Albey and The Monkey Wrench Gang and then the tree sitters.

Those of us who are militant about the right to bear arms will gain 
followers if our government tries to shut down Kent Whealey's Seed Savers 
Exchange and tries to make laws that we can't save our seeds.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I first got the lowdown on 
Monsanto from The Economist, which, because of that issue, had to go find 
another printer. The Economist is worth supporting. Here is the latest on 
the GM issue:

Soya on rice to go
Nov 18th 2004
From The Economist print edition

Brazil and China are set to legalise genetically modified crops

A DOUBLE blow is coming for the opponents of genetically modified (GM) 
foods, from two of the world's big farming nations. China, where many 
farmers already grow GM cotton, is likely soon to authorise commercial 
growing of GM rice. And Brazil is close to setting up a mechanism that 
could legalise all GM crops.
Brazil's farmers already plant lots of GM soya, especially in the far south 
where seed is easily smuggled in from Argentina. In theory this is illegal. 
But last month, well after planting had begun, it was authorised by 
presidential decree, as happened last year. The government knows it cannot 
enforce current law, and would face trouble if it tried. Instead, a bill to 
regulate GM crops has already passed the Senate and is now back with the 
Chamber of Deputies. These latter are not hurrying, since the bill also 
covers human stem-cell research, a far more contentious issue. But few 
doubt it will be passed. And because the GM regulators . . . .

http://www.economist.com/business/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3404985