The minister at Unity of Boulder, Jack Groverland, is inviting all of us (us and all our friends) to their Easter play which Jack directed, which is about (and against) fracking!
It is 1 hour 10 minutes long and they will be performing it 3 times on Sunday April 9: 9 am, 10:45 pm, and 12:30 pm.
There’s this concept that’s been created and foisted upon the agricultural community, and public at-large, called coexistence. Before chemical-industrial agriculture and GMOs broke onto the scene, coexistence mostly meant you’d have endure an occasional waft of manure from upwind or someone driving their tractor over your dog or cat, but it NEVER meant one was to suffer financial damages through farm practice or someone else’s actions.
However, in the day and age of genetically-modified crops that can be directly sprayed and sprayed and sprayed again with powerful pesticides and NOT die, there is a very real risk that other plants NOT ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND BEING POISONED might, by accident, come under assault. Such was the case right here in the organic capital of the world, Boulder County, which happens to have a very sticky-gooey GMO center called Boulder County Open Space.
County Open Space personnel, under the direction of Farm Czar Ron Stewart, has what they call a “Good Neighbor Policy.” You can read the policy here. It outlines a very limited role played by the County. It urges communications, which are important, but when industrial chemicals and GMOs are in-play, no amount of communications can defend against nor thwart the forces of nature and prevent chemical pesticide drift. At the heart of the matter, an organic farm family has directly suffered in excess of a $100,000.00 dollars loss due to another farmer spraying pesticide on their crops which happen to be directly adjacent to the organic operation. Mind you, the pesticide was freaking sprayed via a crop duster airplane. How anybody can expect drift NOT TO OCCUR when a pilot is laying down a cloud of chemicals going 100 MPH…It’s insane to expect otherwise. It happened and an entire crop was contaminated and killed. When County & state ag officials refuse to make things right, what’s a farm family to do? Well, from my standpoint, my good neighbor policy means that all us Boulder County neighbors gotta turn out and protect organic farming under GMO assault. We need to have the county make them whole as soon as possible. Let the Good Neighbor games begin! Let’s hold these people to account for their GMO coexistence nonsense. My musings for today. Scott Smith
What Can WE Do To Stop the Spread of Genetically Modified Crops and Organisms?
This Friday, March 16th from 7 to 9pm at the Boulder Unity Church – What’s Next For GMOs on County Open Space Land – A Panel Discussion and Open Forum on confronting the continued planting of GMOs. Join the discussion about what WE can do to stop the spread of these poisons in our community!
Panelists include:
Scott Smith, GM Know
Garry Sanfracon, candidate for Boulder County Commissioner
Mary Mulry, PhD, expert on GMO crops and products
Steve Demos, founder of Silk Milk, Whitewave and GoodBelly Organic Foods
Mary Vonbreck, GMO Free Boulder
And YOU!
Occupy Boulder and Occupy CU are sponsoring this panel discussion at Boulder Unity Church which is located at the corner of Folsom and Valmont. Doors open at 6:45. Panel discussion to begin shortly afterwards. Open mic to follow. Voice your opinion, learn what YOU can do! Be part of the SOLUTION!
For more information contact:
Occupy Boulder at www.occupyboulder.org or on facebook or contact Lee Buchsbaum at leebu_99@yahoo.com/
After experiencing our Boulder County Commissioners ruling in favor of doubling GMOs (genetically manipulated organisms) on county open space cropland, calling it a middle-of-the-road decision, I’m still trying to figure out what road the public has been left in the middle of. Because now that we’ve got exactly 100% more GMOs coming at us courtesy of our own publicly-owned lands, I’d like to get the hell out out of the middle of THAT road and find a more direct route to reclaiming our natural rights to health, safety and welfare in OUR COMMUNITY.
To say I’m displeased with the GMO decision is true. Am I surprised they did what they did? No. The feckless apparatchik will always do what it does: they are tiny cogs inside the cast iron machine, efficiently, prescriptively without thinking, churning to keep the system running. Citizens “asking” that their lands be stewarded differently isn’t part of the machine function. The machine’s inertial forces changing direction would cause internal stresses and the machine would fly apart. Citizens are the machine’s fuel. We are only to be seen and not heard. In fact, when we speak up we are like those annoying pinging noises that the machine operators don’t like to hear. It reminds them of their dependency on externalities, those elements over which, in reality, they have no real power or control.
We live under the illusion of democracy. We’re told all the time we have freedom for this and that. We live in America, dammit. We’re #1 blah blah. In reality, we live in a corporatocracy. If you’ve heard about “corporate personhood” and that money is the corporations way of exercising free speech, this is only part of the madness. At its core, the law of the land today means that citizens rights are subjugated to those of the corporations. It’s why we have unlabeled GMOs because corporations don’t have to prove what they’re selling is safe. We, as consumers, must prove that the products are unsafe. Regulatory agencies exist to regulate the amount of harm that can be done and they do this by setting standards, which are literally measured in terms of “ACCEPTABLE RISKs.” It’s not you or me saying what we regard as risky or not, but agencies like the EPA, USDA, FDA et al who mandate what level of toxins we’re able to endure. These “ACCEPTABLE RISKS” are measured in parts per million or billion. The craziness of this system means that by a mere 1 part per million in the wrong direction and SUDDENLY we go from ACCEPTABLE RISK TO “UNACCEPTABLE RISK” and now, as if by magic, a once benign situation is now a hazard to our health. Go figure. This is how the corporate machine operates. As a sovereign citizen, or unit of fuel in machine-speak, I refuse to participate in their corrupt system that denies the public their right to clean air, water and soil in their own community. The more people embrace their RIGHTS the sooner that the machine’s gears stop meshing and we can stop IT and its destructive path. My gluten-free rumination for today. Bon Appetite. With love and freedom for all, Scott Smith.
Due to our recent experience with what “democracy’ in Boulder County looks like, we thought it would be important to offer an experience that would empower each of you in understanding and asserting your sovereign rights as citizens. CELDF’s “Democracy School” provides this enriching and life enhancing experience. Please join us!
You are Invited to Register for the Upcoming Democracy Schools in Boulder County
Democracy School is a Program of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund www.celdf.org
Ben Price and Gail Darrell of CELDF will be our facilitators.
Both schools cover the same information. Both will be held at The Lyons Farmette. Directions are below.
Each has an enrollment cap of 20 participants, so registering asap is advised. We will be opening registration up to the general public on Wednesday so please reply in the next day or two to reserve your spot.
The first school is for people who need to work Monday night/Tuesday all day. If you are free Monday night/Tuesday all day, please sign up for the second school.
Investment/Cost for the 12 hour school: $165.00 (some of the best education dollars you will ever spend!)
School One: February 10th and 11th
Friday February 10 – 6:30 pm. to 9:30 pm (after dinner).
Please arrive at 6 pm for a light dessert to meet and greet, as there won’t be much time for socializing after this. School starts PROMPTLY at 6:30.
Saturday February 11 - 9:30 am to 5:30 pm lunch, snacks, and textbook are included
To Register:
1) To reserve your place, email Jennifer Murnan with your name, address, county, best email and phone number, and organization (if any) zaharamahalia@earthlink.net
2) Send payment in full ASAP to secure your place.
On the cheque please write: Lyons DS FS
Make cheque out to Jennifer Murnan and send to her at: 5125 Ute Highway Longmont, CO 80503.
Jennifer can be reached at 303-823-6336
School Two: February 13th and 14th
Monday February 13 - 6:30 to 9:30 pm (after dinner).
Please arrive at 6 pm. for a light dessert to meet and greet. School starts PROMPTLY at 6:30 pm.
Tuesday February 14 - 9:30 am to 5:30 pm lunch, snacks, and textbook are included. All food and drink served will be organic and GMO free.
To Register:
1) To reserve your place, email Mary and Scott Smith with your name, address, county, best email and phone number, and organization (if any) at mary@gmknow.org
2) Send payment in full ASAP to secure your place.
On the cheque, please write: Lyons DS MT Make check to Mary Smith and send to Mary at 1633 Pine St. Boulder, CO 80302
Mary can be reached at: 303-800-6314
We look forward to seeing you there!
Directions to The Farmette:
4121 Ute Highway. (which is the highway that leads you into Lyons and also has the names Hwy. 66 and 36) Lyons Farmette is exactly 1/2 mile west of the intersection light at Highways 36 and 66 (which is the main intersection light to or from Boulder). The driveway is on the north side of the road. Red antique tractor near the mailbox. Red mailbox with scrap metal chicken! (for more info, see http://www.lyonsfarmette.com/Lyons_Farmette/Home.html)
To me, today was no surprise. The three commissioners each talked for 30 minutes. It was a rather pedestrian stroll through all the reasons why they should continue doing the same thing as they’ve been doing. We got Will Toor’s quasi-scientific evaluation, “as a physicist no less,” and reading of all the information found there was nothing credible to dissuade him saying no to GMOs. Cindy Domenico spoke about growing up on a farm and how important this was in helping form her opinion. Ben Pearlman kind of fit comfortably in-between the two, with all of them claiming the decision was “Middle of the road and gave consideration to all parties involved.” From a citizen’s perspective, I think a rather large constituency was left out of the consideration, but we can address this through our on-going public conversation.
We’re going to have a press conference in the next day or so where we chart our coexistence path going forward. To me, I’m very excited. Now that we’ve got 100% more GMOs to be planted on open space, there’s a lot more to talk about to the public. Bonn appetite! And don’t eat any GMOs (3Cs & 2Ss: Corn, Canola, Cotton Seed & Sugar (from Beets–look for 100% cane sugar) and SOY.
Today we’ll all find out what our County Commissioners have in store for Boulder County’s future. Are we going to see the will of the people? Are we going to see Ron Stewart suggesting a coexistent GMO-Organic mashup? Any way you mash it, this issue will not end with today’s commissioner vote. The citizens are awakening to how the public lands they paid for are farmed with GMO crops. I’m sure many more are still unaware that Boulder County Open Space is buying $100,000.00s of dollars of GMO seeds, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and WATER EVERY YEAR as part of our current cropland policy. How’s that sit with you? Not only do they allow GMOs on public open space, YOU ARE PAYING FOR IT!
For me, I’m NOT going to show up early to hear what they have to say. I showed early the other week only to see some slick dance moves that put the average citizens well back on the speaking schedule in favor of the entire CSU Ag department, outside special interests and farmers. No, I’m not intent upon getting their first because I saw what can happen when open space sets the agenda: the citizens are told to take a seat in the back of the GMO bus.
This is about the citizens setting the course for how our public croplands should be used: regenerative, healthy food production to feed Boulder County’s residents. It should be a job creator and a food incubator that nourishes everyone: consumer, value-added processors, farmers and animals too. I envision a healthy future for Boulder County, one that is sustainable and prosperous because we look within to find our strength rather than relying on patented seeds, chemicals and fuel from far away. This discussion will continue…I’m off to find a seat!
What happened last night at the commissioners cropland meeting was an example of GMO coexistence at its worst. GMO advocates were flown, trucked and herded into the meeting from across the country to sing the praises of “The Technology.” Not only were they feeding the world, and using less pesticides, they were doing it in a way that we can all coexist. A miracle unfolded before my eyes that no individual’s private and personal property shall ever be trespassed upon again. And if it does happen, the good neighbor policy smooths it out. All IS fair in love, war and GMO. With GMO, ultimate coexistence is unavoidable as GM pollen spreads across the lands.
I dislike and distrust GMOs in every way. The entire Monsanto construct is deceitful, manipulative and focused 100% on the farmer while US consumers are totally and purposely left in the dark. After witnessing the events unfold last night, I find myself in a very uncomfortable position. The farmers don’t believe they have any option but GMO, but I think they do. This may be why I dislike Monsanto so strongly is that they have enslaved a nation of farmers, if not in actuality, through their business practices they control them.
In the end industrial Ag had its GMO harvest festival. The public process, and any GMO dissenters, were literally plowed under by Monsanto, Syngenta and Bayer. All three had employees in attendance along with numerous other industry groups, Ag supply chain folk, farmers from throughout the region and, it seemed, the entire CSU ag-biotech PhD faculty. County resident’s were denied and our best interests were not served in favor of Big Ag special interests.
Whatever the commissioners decide to do, Boulder County citizens still have a voice. Given the fact that 2010 Open Space funding won by less than 1,000 votes on over 120,000 votes cast, when the public becomes fully aware of how this process played out tonight and how the lands are farmed, it will be very interesting to take part in THAT conversation. Unlike last night, a citizen majority cannot have their voices summarily plowed under at the ballot box.
The time has come to make a difference. Thursday December 8th at 6 PM our County Commissioners will hear the Parks & Open Space Cropland Policy. At stake is how the public’s 25,000 acres of cropland will be stewarded: continued and expanded planting of genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs), or banning their planting and cultivation in favor of steering the use of these lands for the healthy production of food, fiber and fodder for the benefit of all Boulder County citizens.
Go to our Key Dates page for information and details about the meeting.
Here is the advertisement in today’s paper: (Monsanto Promises that their patented GMO seeds are safe. Is this the same kind of “safe” they promised with DDT?)
Endorse the Citizens Cropland Policy here.
Having invested considerable time monitoring the Boulder County cropland policy over its 9 month process, I have a very good idea why this has become such a hotly debated issue. The public really wasn’t meant to be involved, have a say nor weigh in on the policy matter. Parks and Open Space even hired a professional facilitator to ensure their desired outcome would be achieved: Continued and expanded use of GMOs on public Open Space cropland. I believe this because I witnessed the proceedings from beginning to end. None of the 1,000 plus pages of citizen input were considered. On several occasions we’d hear condescending remarks from the Cropland panel member directed at the anti-GMO audience, Luddites are we. We witnessed people, on numerous occasions, rendering policy decisions that would directly effect their county lease agreements. I sat there stunned at what I saw figuring justice and fairness would ultimately be served. At the very least, I’d continue showing up until it did.
After the County rendered their predictable recommendations, we decided enough was enough and that the citizens voices would be heard and our demands considered. We convened a group of 14 citizens, more qualified to weigh policy decisions as the Cropland Policy Advisory Group, because our group included some PhD scientists, Agri-economists, organic farmers, policy wonks and non-chemical biological farm experts, and we created our own cropland policy, complete with a ban on GMOs and transition plan so farmers don’t suffer any short-term disruption. Go figure. What the citizens did it was nothing less than impressive. They drafted their policy and placed it side-by-side with the County’s iteration so anyone can see word for word, item for item how they compared and differed. The Citizens Cropland Policy also posted voluminous appendices, peer-reviewed research and support documentation. The County’s offering included the majority pro-GMO opinion, originally omitting the minority report advocating a GMO ban, and just to emphasize their GMO inclinations, appended about 60 pages of Monsanto Marketing collateral and GMO biotech propaganda. Priceless. Even a hasty perusal of the policies side-by-side will demonstrate that the Citizens take their publicly owned lands seriously. The public trust and public process was trampled. I showed up and saw what happened and will continue to show until I see the public’s best interest served. And I urge everyone else to show up and continue showing up until all our voices are heard, which I believe will echo: We don’t want GMOs on our publicly owned open space croplands. Period.
Who’s joining me?
For information about the commissioners public hearing, please click here
