There is a lot of news about GM products out there lately... I would love to post the articles here, but in defference to the possible problems, I'll summarize, and send private emails to those who want to read them.

The first is an article (From Reuters) about how an organic corn producer had his fields contaminated by cross-pollination. They grow corn for seed, and are certified organic. They test every year, to be sure the seed they sell doesn't have GM in it. They found trace amounts of Starlink. They met with the USDA... Findings are that the instances are very low.

The upshot - the company that makes it is pressing the EPA to retroactively approve this for human consumption to 'prevent any future problems'.

The second article is from the Boston Globe... A husband and wife who have farmed in Minnesota for 17 years... They are certified organic. They put up bushes, shrubs and trees, and did everything they could to prevent pollination from the neighbor's fields. They even planted at at least the recommended distances to be sure. When they tested, their corn showed genes for a pesticide-resistant GM variety (Bt). They had to pull 800 bushels from sale.

There are a whole host of problems, from lack of insurance for this type of thing, to the fact that the EU has had a ban on our corn since 1997... Yet... we've been eating it... In September it was found in several products which are being recalled....

Anyway, they now find that birds, wind and insects are spreading this pollen (gee... who woulda thought... ) for MILES.

(**Pardon me Ken... Just have to add this quote...**)

''We never really thought all this through,'' said Charles Hurburgh, director of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative and an Iowa State University professor. ''Who would have known 10 years ago that this would have been an issue? There was no reason for this to be on the radar screen at the time.''

WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN??????? Anybody who ever grew anything in a garden should know.....GEEEZ... now we can't even grow safe food in our own yards!!!!!!!!!!!!

The third article is from the Capital Press, a local ag paper. There is a farmer in Canada who was taken to court by Monsanto because of genetically engineered soybeans. Seems the farmer has saved his own seed for the next crop for many years. Monsanto had sold their seed to a farmer next door. They had this farmer's (defendant) harvest tested and found their patented stuff in the seed. It was tested by the court, and the stuff was there, but in nowhere near the amounts that Monsanto's scientists claimed. It was stated that the only way for this to happen was through cross-pollination, and that the farmer knew this would happen.

Anyway, the Canadian judge just awarded the following: The farmer has to pay Monsanto $10,000 up front and $78,000 from the sale of the harvest. He cannot save his seed this year, so must purchase for next year.

There are presently at least 4 similar suits pending in the US.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 23, 2001

Answers

Sue, it seems to me that the whole ultimate point of GM seeds is to prevent those who want to save their own seed, grow organically or whatever from doing so. Remember the old saying about the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Change that to the hand that controls the seed sources and the food production truly rules the world. The same could be said of hybrid chickens, etc.

As far as the Canadian judge who awarded Monsanto the decision against the truly injured party, it seems our country isn't the only one with judicial incompetence.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), April 24, 2001.

Oop's...

I thought that this post was about rasing auto manufacturing plants, which of course is a very profitable kind of plant to produce...

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.come), April 24, 2001.

Marilyn - Yup... I agree... but the attorney's for the four + pending cases here were watching that one closely to see how to proceed. We can only pray it doesn't happen here!!

Ed.... LMAO!!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 25, 2001.