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  • From: "John Wages" <jwages AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net, Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Fwd: Please act today. BioDemocracyUnder Attackin Missouri!
  • Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 19:35:38 -0600

The rights and well-being of individuals are threatened by large,
impersonal institutions that are unaccountable to the people. Whether
these are governments that have appropriated too much power, corporations
that control the market in a monopolistic fashion, or other institutions,
the effects are similar. Local governments, like those that are trying to
regain control over their own communities with respect to the food supply,
are more accountable to the people than the generally out-of-touch
governments in state capitals and Washington.

Yes, even local regulations can go too far. They often do. But, people
have at least as much to fear from Big Business as from Big Government. My
humble opinion.

John Wages
Tupelo, MS


> [Original Message]
> From: Brigette Leach <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
> To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 2/17/2006 8:21:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Fwd: Please act today.
BioDemocracyUnder Attackin Missouri!
>
> Just so you know, this information is more than a little misrepresented
> in this article. I doubt if the only issue is GE seeds.The bigger issue
> here is the ability of small units of government to intact any number of
> very restrictive ordinances, which could just as easily ban a
> sustainable practice if someone takes issue with it. Here's an example:
> a local man was using an automatic "cannon" to keep birds out of his
> fruit bearing trees and shrubs. The local township wanted to intact an
> ordinance prohibiting him from using it. Here's another example: when we
> wanted to construct our greenhouses, the twp. supervisor's witchy wife
> made a big stink about it and wanted greenhouse structures to be banned
> under our zoning ordinance. There are always two edges to the sword.
> People can get screwy ideas about many things.
>
> And besides, every one of you on this list can become members of your
> local Farm Bureau. And by being a member you can participate in the
> policy development process. The policy process starts in your county,
> moves to the state level, and then on to the American Farm Bureau. If
> you don't belong and actively participate, you are missing an
> opportunity to influence policies. But then I am well aware that it is
> easier to sit back and write derogatory comments than to make the effort
> to convince people of your point of view in the confines of a meeting.
> As an active farm bureau member at the local, state, and national level,
> I can say that Monsanto has never asked me to do a single solitary thing
> for them. I don't recall that in several dozen hours of drafting and
> discussing policies that Monsanto has ever even come up. The more likely
> story is that some one tried to enact local ordinances that would
> prevent someone from building something, or following a particular
> practice. I know for a fact that Michigan Farm Bureau policies are
> available online and the American Farm Bureau's are also online. If you
> want to know what the polices are, go in and read them yourselves, and
> not rely on someone who might manipulate the information to serve their
> own purpose. Lack of accurate information makes us all vulnerable to
> manipulation. And I mean all.
>
> I had the opportunity to sit in on a panel discussion Tuesday evening of
> last week at Michigan State University, all by highly placed
> departmental representatives from the department of ag and natural
> resources. While the discussion was mostly about what Michigan
> agriculture would look like twenty years from now, one of the professors
> from the Horticulture department made comment that the organic and
> conventional agricultural communities needed to have " respectful dialog
> with each other", and I agree. Conventional producers are not likely to
> be as critical of organic producers who just go about their business and
> conduct themselves as professionals, but there are a lot of really flaky
> and really belligerent "organic" guys around here. To them organic
> mostly means letting everything go and their places look like the devil.
> That makes us all look bad! Instead of paying attention to having well
> run organic operations, they spend their time telling everyone else what
> they're doing wrong. Are the conventional guys telling you that you
> can't use sustainable practices? Many growers follow certified organic
> practices not because it is their personal philosophy, but because it is
> another way to market what they are growing to consumers who want to buy
> it. So does that make them bad guys? Isn't more certified organic
> heading in the right direction? No wonder consumers think all of us in
> agriculture are a bit schizophrenic, we don't want to use chemicals so
> when an alternative is developed, we don't want that either.
>
> Brigette Leach
> Avalon Farms Homegrown
>
>
>
>
> Marty Kraft wrote:
>
> > Missouri
> > On Feb 17, 2006, at 1:49 PM, logrock wrote:
> >
> > "In the last year, 14 U.S. states, prodded by Monsanto and the
> > Farm Bureau, have made it illegal for local communities to ban GE
> > crops. Another 5 states have preemption bills introduced in their
> > state legislatures."
> >
> > Does anyone know which states they are referring to? I haven't
> > come up with any valid hits in my searches...
> > -----Original Message-----
> > *From:*market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]*On Behalf
> > Of*Marty Kraft
> > *Sent:* Friday, February 17, 2006 2:16 PM
> > *To:* Marty Kraft
> > *Cc:* Market Farming
> > *Subject:*[Market-farming] Fwd: Please act today. BioDemocracy
> > Under Attackin Missouri!
> >
> > Thought some of you might be interested in this.
> >
> > Marty Kraft
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> >
> > *From:*Organic Consumers Association
<listadmin AT ORGANICCONSUMERS.ORG>
> > *Date:*February 17, 2006 12:50:08 PM CST
> > *To:*martyk AT ALLSPECIES.ORG
> > *Subject: Please act today. BioDemocracy Under Attack in Missouri!*
> >
> > Dear Marty
> >
> > BioDemocracy Under Attack in Missouri! Please act today.
> >
> > The Organic Consumers Association and allies have learned that a
> > “Monsanto” bill has been introduced in the Missouri legislature.
> > This “preemption” bill would strip away the power of counties,
> > cities and towns in Missouri to regulate genetically engineered
> > (GE) seeds and takes away Missouri’s ability to enact anything
> > more stringent than existing Federal regulations. Current Federal
> > plant, seed, and food regulations, as you know, are notoriously
> > weak and designed with the “Biotech Bullies” best interests in mind.
> >
> > This latest attack in Missouri is part of a larger assault by
> > Monsanto and the Farm Bureau on local BioDemocracy. In the last
> > year, 14 U.S. states, prodded by Monsanto and the Farm Bureau,
> > have made it illegal for local communities to ban GE crops.
> > Another 5 states have preemption bills introduced in their state
> > legislatures. The time is now to turn back the tide of the Biotech
> > Bullies and promote BioDemocracy!
> >
> > Click here to send a letter to the Missouri Senate Agriculture,
> > Conservation, Parks & Natural Resources Committee.
> >
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campa
ign_KEY=2560
> >
> >
> > We believe this is the most crucial moment in the ten-year history
> > of the pro-organic, anti-GE foods movement. Please make an online
> > donation today to help us stop Monsanto and the Farm Bureau from
> > suppressing our democratic rights.
> > http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Organic Consumers Association
> >
> > To change your subscription:
> > http://organicconsumers.org/update.htm
> >
________________________________________________________________________
> >
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> >
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  • Re: [Market-farming] Fwd: Please act today. BioDemocracyUnder Attackin Missouri!, John Wages, 02/18/2006

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