Please excuse the long-winded post but once I got going I couldn’t quit! In preparation for spring, I have been doing a ton of reading to catch up on the how-tos and where-fores of looking after animals, plants and the land. Much of it amounts to a review of things I had long forgotten, but enough information is new and enlightening that it keeps me wanting to learn more. One topic that piqued my interest (due to the desire to raise sheep) was the concept of managed grazing – that is, segregating animals into small sections of a field and then moving them daily to ensure fresh and abundant forage. This, according to the literature, will keep your fields healthier, provide untrampled feed, allow your fields to regenerate and allow feeding throughout the winter in our climate. Further research led me to soil improvement methods, organic versus chemical fertilization, permaculture methods and, in the past few days, the controversy surrounding genetically-modified seeds, plants and animals.

In an odd bit of timing, just as I was reading about GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) I was sent a link to a series of interviews carried out recently about the topic of labelling of food products containing genetically modified seeds, plants and/or animals. The interviews were based around the history of Proposition 37 (2012) in California and Initiative I-522 (2013) in Washington State, both of which were asking for mandatory reporting of GMOs on U.S. food labels. In both cases, the vote was defeated by a very small amount. There were many reasons why the vote didn’t succeed, but from the interviews, it seems like the biotech companies that create GMOs and the processed food manufacturers spent a heap of money on advertising to defeat them in each state. And they were accused of dirty tricks, misleading information campaigns, illegal campaign contributions and a host of other nasty things.

After watching/listening to several of these interviews, it became obvious that a large part of the GMO science originated with Monsanto Company, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. And every interview listed examples of how unsavory Monsanto was in dealing with farmers and consumers in all parts of the world. They also highlighted conflicts of interest and closed door interference between Monsanto and the U.S. government departments of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Instance after instance were given to show that Monsanto used bullying, legal threatspolitical interference and communications filled with falsehoods and misleading claims to promote their corporate agenda.

I ended my day yesterday by watching a documentary movie entitled “The World According to Monsanto.” If you are ever too satisfied with your life and want a downer for a couple of hours, pull up this movie (it’s all over the Interweb) and watch it. Actually, although it is depressing, it’s a must-see if only to remind and educate us about potential evil that lurks in many places of power on our planet.

The movie is an emotional and intellectual workout – it is shocking, unbelievable in spots, disheartening, disappointing, enlightening and frightening – sometimes all at once. Accusations are many and wide ranging. For example, the company is accused of knowing about potential health problems with Monsanto chemicals and seeds and covering them up (most of these seeds are genetically modified to withstand Monsanto’s pesticide Roundup which allows soybean and corn farmers to plant the seed and then blast their fields with Roundup once or twice to kill everything else that tries to grow.) They are also known to litigate against farmers in the U.S. and Canada because genetic testing shows signs of Monsanto GMO plants in fields where no licensing fees have been paid (Monsanto was very clever and patented the seeds after doing the genetic splicing so they can license the use of the seed to individual farmers for a fee, and they can test plants to determine the presence of this new gene.) This, of course, does not take into account the fact that wind can take pollen from Monsanto grown plants and spread it to fields where non-Monsanto plants are located. If the seed is saved from these plants, they will show the contamination and so Monsanto charges that the seed was grown illegally. Many farmers have apparently been forced into bankruptcy over the issue of unlicensed growing of “Monsanto” plants.

In India, Monsanto was shown to have offered genetically-modified cotton seed to farmers. The production amounts droppedcost them more to produce and finally left them with low grade crops. Once they were using the seed, the costs of seed and pesticides were increased. This coupled with poor crops forced many small farmers into the poorhouse – with a number committing suicide as a result of owing debts they couldn’t pay, failing at farming and not being able to dig themselves and their families out of trouble.

In Mexico, corn was the seed of choice – the birthplace of corn was found to have signs of GMO corn in crops of ancient species that were never planted with or near Monsanto seed. Again, wind driven pollen was the culprit.

The movie goes on for two hours, showcasing Monsanto’s habits of having scientists fired who tried to disclose the truth about risks associated with GMOs, of moving Monsanto people in and out of the U.S. government to make sure their interests were protected in new legislation, of interfering with research in labs around the world and of ruining the lives of farmers across the globe, both when they used Monsanto seed and chemicals and when they refused to use them and relied on non-GMO seed.

After I watched this movie and thought about it in the context of my other research over the past few months, it became abundantly clear to me that the most successful future for agriculture (and for the natural food movement generally) lies in methods which are diametrically opposed to those put forth by so-called ‘industrial agriculture.’ We don’t need larger farms, more chemicals, bigger machinery and bio-technology. We need organic soil improvement, natural fertilization and the genetic variety of open pollinated plants. In that way, we can grow more, higher-quality, healthy produce without the costs and commitments that industrial agriculture would force onto us.

And as food buyers, we have the opportunity to vote with our wallet. As Joel Salatin, American author, lecturer and farmer extraordinaire says “You, as a food buyer have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit.”

Now, where was I with my ‘managed grazing’ research?