Bad Seed: Gov’t/Corporate Takeover of U.S. Food Supply?

Matthew 13:3-32--The Parable of the Sower and the Mustard Seed

Readers will want to watch the 7-minute video on the worldwide Health Effects of Genetically Modified Food before reading this article. A free non-GMO Shopping Guide lists 200 GM foods to avoid.

GMOs: More Than Just the Health Effects

With a little reading and a little common sense, one might think the U.S. food supply, from seed to table, is being rapidly taken over by the Corporate/Government partnership. If true, it is yet another brilliantly sinister and silent scheme going unnoticed by consumers. The story is worth checking out. It could be that our seeds and their produce are contaminated from being handled by dirty hands.  This idea escapes the most educated, being riddled with advanced scientific jargon and the usual spin.

What is stirring up the mustard? It is about genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM foods) seeds, plants and produce. These fall under the all new and widely available plant and animal species called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Questions concerning the health effects of GM food are beyond the scope of this article.

I suspect the creators of these mutant strains and seeds believe their life forms and offspring will be better than those made in the garden of Eden. This includes those folks who are innoculating day-old chicks and even eggs with GMO antiviruses– the human DNA varieties and brands could be at a store near you soon– as if they could lead us to everlasting life and health.

After reading a brilliant article by Linn Cohen-Cole on the history, politics and money behind the pasteurization of all milk, I was quite delighted she  wanted to talk with me the other night on the telephone.

Linn told me about Steve Hixon, down in central Illinois– near my old stomping grounds and the home of the world-famous White Squirrel. His business was recently raided by over 20 law enforcers in an investigation concerning genetically modified seeds (its in the public records). Fingers point to a set up by Monsanto over in St. Louis, according to the story.

Hixon is (or was) a very successful seed cleaner– he takes the chaff and dirt out of seeds after harvest or when he picks up the mess when trucks overturn and spills corn or beans all over the road. The alleged crime? Some form of patent infringement: he was suspected that he might not have proof that the seeds he cleans were genetically modified seeds or not. (Then, how could he?– he doesn’t have the million dollar instrument to tell.) He is awaiting charges. It appears Steve and his family have been taken to the cleaners. Care to read Linn’s Story?

Hixon has 300 other farmers as customers in the six-county area, and many of these were investigated and harassed repeatedly, according to Hixon. He says similar raids on seed cleaners have occurred of late in Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri that he is aware of– I thought I heard something along those lines before.

The farmers are wondering just if and how seeds will be available next year. They may have to  buy them from the patent owners at 10 times their value. In legal terms, this appears to fall under unfair competition; or market control– monopolies, if you will. ADM, supermarket to the world and just up the road in Decatur knows all about that. (According to Dr. Sherill, you don’t want to eat their high fructose corn syrup, their corn or ethanol slop (poor cows and pigs) or the so-called health food– soy and soy products, anyway)

Now, all this did not happen all by itself according to Cohen-Cole. To understand it, you need to know how Illinois’ latest favorite son Obama (bless his heart) tapped the new Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Farm and Food Czar, to carry on from the previous ones under the Bush’s and the Clinton’s. The version of her Story is here.

Major GM crop failures in India last year remind me of what happened in my garden last year with those patented seeds and plants I bought. Right then, I suspected something was wrong. I received a another rude awakening last summer when corn seeds were $10 a pound– thinking it was all the ethanol effect.

But Big M, known to some as Mon Santa, says there was a 160% increased yield in India. The Indian farmers say it was a major crop failure. Hundreds of Indian farmers have committed suicide, not because of the side effects of eating the “God-given” soy bean (as one might suspect), but over losing everything they had, leaving their children and wives behind. Many of them fled to Chicago, of all places, for safe haven. They would be an excellent source to ask, “what gives?” Maybe that would settle the dust.

So the theory is: the U.S. and global food supply is being taken over by the corporate/government partnership, so that we can feed the hungry children. After all, there are too many people in the world, they say. Then why, pray tell, do the patented seeds cost far more than their true cost (almost free), the yields are questionable at best and the health effects are said to be of great concern. Oh, this would make the basis of a great movie (video is courtesy of Responsible Technology)

Steve Hixon and the 300 farmers in downstate Illinois need all the help they can get. I talked to Hixon twice this week to get his side of the story. If I read his words right, he sounded like John Lennon singing, “Help, I need somebody”. I thank my sweet Lord he is only one of two Steve Hixons in the entire State of Illinois listed in the internet White Pages. He’s the one with a 618 area code.

If Linn is even half right, it will make the discrimination and civil/ human rights violations of the 60s look like health inspectors jumping on a couple flies on cotton candy at the county fair.

In all fairness, I do not want to be too critical of the USDA, FDA or EPA, Monsanto or ADM. I can’t be too critical because I know there are some very fine people there (and former employees) who are trying to help. At least, they are trying to hold things together before things do get out of hand.

It is all so simple. For every problem, there is usually a solution. If each state passed legislation saying contracts for GM seeds are good for one year only (rather than forever), it would go along way to solve the problem of reusing seeds and patent infringement claims. That way, cities and counties could use the billions of dollars in revenues lost to Monsanto and the seed companies to do alot of good things with. For example, creating your own seed banks. But that cannot be done unless good folks in each state start stirring up more mustard.

It would be appreciated by all if readers comment and give any stories of farmers they know. Otherwise, someone might think the Journal is spreading another boring internet hoax or stupid conspiracy theory.