Gardner Ted Gashler with his corn (2010)
I am SO upset right now I can hardly believe it!!!!!!!!!!!! - Connie Marie Gashler:
My father, who is 73 and has his phd in agri-business, loves gardening. His little patio garden at my folks condo is his pride and joy. He looks forward to planting all his amazing heirloom seeds each year, and reaping an unbelievably fabulous bounty from the tiny plot. (he knows agriculture/horticulture like no one else... he's like "the garden whisperer") ...well... the other day a dude with a clipboard came by their condo... he was a representative of the City Council there in Centerville, UT.
He asked my dad about his garden, and my dad proudly told him about what he does for it, and about all his fantastic heirloom seeds that he has preserved since the 70's and before. He is especially proud of his corn, that he has specially selected, and fine tuned each year... he has saved seeds from the sweetest and juiciest ears and dried them with care, until they grow absolute corn-perfection. He told the man all about his wonderful corn, and then the man moved on.
Well.. yesterday my dad got a letter from the Centerville city council saying that he has to RIP OUT all his corn because it is not MONSANTO seed!!!!!!!!
The letter detailed for him how the City of Centerville only allows Monsanto's "serendipity corn" seed to be planting within city borders. !!!!!!!
So Monsanto obviously must be funneling $$ to this Podunk city so they can actually keep a thug on PAYROLL to go around and harass old people and normal citizens.
In this world of drought and famine they are going to make folks destroy crops..... How disgusting... Monsanto's filthy tentacles reach everywhere it seems... my dad (photo) has been an outspoken opponent of the company since he worked with farmers in former soviet countries in the 90's... he even testified before congress once about the illegal practices, and damage the company was doing to the planet.
He was threatened by them then, and he toned it down after that... but here they are again... trying to show a little old man in his 70's that THEY are boss..... what can be done??????? we are all thinking we want to write to the slc tribune, and to the Centerville papers.... ( Kristina Whitley Gashler , would you write one too???? you have strong literary skills) ... this is just so very very wrong.... please post any other ideas here of what we can do.... — with Kristina Whitley Gashler.
I am SO upset right now I can hardly believe it (Part 2)
Comments:
- Laura Baker Yes, Serendipity corn is patented by Syngenta, not Monsanto, and it is also not actually one of their GMO varieties. However, having said that, I still think this is atrocious. Whether GMO or not, Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow and Bayer are all robbing us of our food security while creating their monopolies and I wouldn't give them a dollar of my business, that would be feeding the beasts and helping fund their takeover. What we need are more people like your father, who have that knowledge and expertise, and maybe a community garden can grow his variety! Heirloom veggies are very important to biodiversity and food security. Your father is a valuable member of society and I hope more people see that soon!
- Connie Marie Gashler from what I understand, there are 2 varieties of serendipity that they have on the market, one is ge and one is not. but there is no way really, to know which is which....
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