Monsanto is the Devil

Hello, friends! I'm back! I just participated in an eight-day-72-hour-plus permaculture seminar and I even got certified! That means I have successfully completed 72 hours of permaculture design education. And I am here to tell you that it was intensely good. I learned so much and made so many great friends. I delved deeply into the concepts, into our property, and into myself.

Briefly, I would like to say that any time I refer to "our property" I mean the land Mother Earth is so graciously allowing us to use. Every time I mention "our" or "my" land, it doesn't feel right. What I really mean is the land entrusted to us, the land we are using.

Now, to the title of my post...

How does this:

Turn into this?

Here's how... Let me tell you a story about my friend. My friend is a very clever and conscientious person, committed to the local foods movement. She has made it her personal business to do everything she can to find out what seeds have been contaminated by Monsanto's "biotech" engineering. You see, Monsanto provides seeds to many, many popular seed catalog companies. And it's not obvious to the consumer. So, there is a good possibility that any of us purchasing and planting seeds could have stumbled onto a genetically modified seed without knowing it. Evil, pure evil, especially when you know the truth about Monsanto.

Now, back to my friend. She has maintained a list of the names of seeds and seed companies who are using Monsanto GMO seeds, simply by calling a lot of companies and talking to management. She's always wanted to know about summer squash, but has never been able to find out. Summer squashes as in yellow crooknecks and zucchini. So, she called up Monsanto and asked for the biotechnology department. She enthusiastically asked for the names of these summer squashes, saying she really wanted to grow them and sell them to her customers. Well, she lucked out. They happened to forward her a brochure intended for seed catalogs and greenhouses... any company in the business of selling seeds.

She shared that brochure with me, and I'm here to share it with you. Now... you might want to make sure you are sitting down reading this, and kind of brace yourselves before I give you the names. The names, in and of themselves, are disturbing. Positive, powerful names typically associated with freedom, strength, and strong values. And yet... the seeds are GMO.

Here are the green zucchini names:

Declaration II
Independence II
Judgement III
Justice III

Here are the yellow crookneck names:

Destiny III
Prelude II

And the yellow straightneck names:

Conqueror III
Liberator III
Patriot II
XPT 1832 III

And a winter squash, namely acorn:

XPT 1791 (B)

The person at Monsanto went on to say that any summer squash with a Roman numeral behind the name is a GMO seed. Let me repeat that, and please remember it when you are buying your seeds. In fact, please share the information with everyone you know:

Any summer squash with a Roman numeral behind the name is a GMO seed.

The pamphlet states the restrictions of using the seeds:

Restrictions Apply: Seeds, plants and produce improved through biotechnology are subject to government regulations. Approvals for import of transgenic virus-resistant squash fruit have not been pursued to countries other than Canada. It is a violation of national and international laws to move biotech seeds, plants and produce into nations where import is not permitted.

Grow only in the United States. Exporting seeds or plants to any other country may violate laws of these countries.

Fresh market only. Produce can only be used for fresh consumption and cannot be sold for processing. Processing operations typically mix large quantities of produce, and could create the risk of exporting the food product to a nation where it is not approved.

Sell fresh produce only in the United Sates and Canada. Produce can be sold only in the United States and Canada as fresh produce; it cannot be exported to Mexico or other nations.

Don't repackage seeds. Each package of seeds includes important legal requirements on the label. Seeds must remain in their original packaging until they are planted in the United States.

The pamphlet goes on to state the legal requirements of using the seed. These statements speak for themselves:

Legal Requirements: The rules for transgenic virus-resistant squash are shown on the label of every package. When you purchase and open the seed package, you are accepting your legal obligation to follow the rules. Living up to this commitment helps ensure the benefits continue to be available to every grower.

This is straight from the company, dear readers. Straight. From. The. Company.

And that is why

is the equivalent of this:

So, please. Arm yourselves and your friends with this information. Read your seed pouches. Don't plant GMO seeds. And even better, learn a bit about saving your own. There's been a run on seeds this planting season. What better seed to rely on than your own?