General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBig huge Food Repression ALERT for all 37 million Californians!
As some here may be aware of, last summer a most repressive piece of legislation became law, courtesy of the California legislature.
JULY 1, 2015
Farmers and Consumers Unite!
http://www.californiagrange.org/seeds/
In support of small farmers and consumers, the California Grange will sponsor Seed Freedom Day on July 1, 2015.
AB2470 was passed by the California State legislature last summer.
This legislation is super restrictive, and a bad law. It seriously impairs the right of farmers to share and sell their seeds, gives the Secretary of Agriculture authority to decide what foods we can and cannot grow in California's counties and cities, and supports the notion that corporations have the same rights as people.
The legislation makes it illegal for a farmer to distribute their seeds beyond three miles from their farm, unless they adhere to a strict and onerous packaging process. Under this law, a farmer is not allowed to share seeds at a swap meet that takes place more than three miles away, or make a gift of seeds to a friend who lives more than three miles down the road without jumping through the same hoops that a big commercial seed retailer does like Monsanto.
Under AB2470, any ordinance adopted by a county or municipality after January 1, 2015 that would restrict the production of GMO crops is subject to approval by the Secretary of Agriculture.
AB2470 was intended to be a weed abatement bill, warns California Grange President Bob McFarland, but in black & white the bill goes far beyond that purpose and becomes another set of onerous regulations that undermine the work of small farmers. Under this bill, agricultural freedoms that have been practiced by humankind for 10,000 years are aborted.
On July 1, the California Grange will sponsor Seed Freedom Day. Farmers and consumers across the state will celebrate our agricultural heritage. In an act of civil disobedience, farmers will draw a white line exactly three miles from their farm and stand inside that line holding seeds theyve produced. At exactly twelve noon, the farmers and supporters will simultaneously step across the three mile line with seeds in hand, in defiance of the unfair provisions of AB2470.
For more information and to participate in Seed Freedom Day, please go to www.californiagrange.org/seeds or phone the office of the California Grange at (916) 454-5805.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)with farms spaced, oh, about three miles apart.
That'll do until they can get an initiative on the ballot to get rid of the damn thing! Farmers + foodies = EPIC WIN.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)But it's still worth organizing against.
brett_jv
(1,245 posts)Then those seeds belong to that person.
Then that person gives it to their neighbor who's within 3 miles.
Then those seeds belong to that person.
And so on, and so on ... til they reach the farmer who actually needs/wants them.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)In the country.
Just to give big UP YOURS to the people who forced that legislation through.
Duval
(4,280 posts)Paper Roses
(7,473 posts)What purpose does it serve?
Seems to me that a lot of people have too much time on their hands.
ruffburr
(1,190 posts)MONSANTO and their minions!
nikto
(3,284 posts)And anti-citizen, for sure.
WHEN CRABS ROAR
(3,813 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,348 posts)Thanks for the thread, truedelphi.
Thespian2
(2,741 posts)May the small farms and their owners win...
Duval
(4,280 posts)with the water shortage? In the news a couple of days ago, we heard that almonds were being planted despite the water shortage. Almonds require much water.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)the answer to stopping people from planting non-sustainable, water intensive crops is simply to penalize any and all farmers for doing that (unless the farmer has their own sources of water - some people in California have water rights to underground wells and aquifers, etc.)
As oth4ers here are mentioning, the law smacks of the type of thing that Monsanto is noted for.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)truedelphi
(32,324 posts)raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)Won't you please give to Monsanto today?
Many people do, they don't care what kind of persons they call a friend, as long as said friend kicks back when he makes a score.