Our goats eat a lot of alfalfa - it's what makes their milk so sweet. We have yet to find a source of local/organic/sustainable alfalfa (it isn't grown in this part of the country commercially). We just buy what's at the feedstore and don't know much about its origin. And now we have something else to worry about...here's a message from Scott:
Sigh.Ever heard of Percy Schmeiser?
Some of Monsanto's GMO canola seeds blew onto his family farm in Canada and sprouted. When Monsanto found out about it, they sued him for patent infringement, even though he was completely innocent. The case went all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court and cost Schmeiser his life savings. The final decision was a draw. Schmeiser didn't have to pay Monsanto but they retained their patent…and thus the ability to treat the next guy exactly the same way.
The new GMO alfalfa approval seems like a horrible magnification of exactly the same problem. Apparently alfafa pollen is carried by bees and other insects over a distance of several miles. This means every alfalfa field will be contaminated with the stuff before long and Monsanto….bless their black little corporate heart….will be able to sue hundreds of folks for patent infringement. It would easily drive an honest hard-working farmer out of business.
Since Secretary Vilsack has already given the approval for GMO alfalfa, it seems like the only recourse is to appeal to the President. I have already written him
and encourage yall to do the same.
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