Label debate pits big name vs. big bucks

Pamplin Media Group:

Supporters of a ballot measure requiring food companies to label genetically engineered foods have about $195,000 in campaign contributions and former Beatle Paul McCartney on their side.

On the other hand, while the measure's opponents may lack star power, they have a whopping $5 million in hand, contributed primarily by international food and biotechnology companies intending to snuff out the movement before other states get similar ideas.

Welcome to the battle over Ballot Measure 27, which is turning out to be among Oregon's most expensive Ñ and mismatched Ñ ballot measure campaigns.

Oregon is the first state to ask voters to decide if labels should be required on genetically altered foods. Previous attempts to pass national legislation requiring labels on such foods have gone nowhere.

Sun Valley GMO Debate.wma - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

Jenny Allen Easley and Leslie Stoddard (R)

I have complete exhaustion. In my past, I would never have thought of going to a debate in front of a room full of people that I know oppose me. The old city of Middleton helped me figure out how to cope with that. ;-)
But, somewhere along the way, I changed and developed a bravery that I never knew existed. Don't get me wrong, I had a few scattered second thoughts here and there, but I went and Leslie went and we did it. And it was awesome.

Here is how I know we are winning, last year or the year before that, big food would NEVER have invited Jenny Easley to come talk about consumer advocacy issues. Last year, they would not have cared that GMO Idaho formed a group or that we wanted labeling. But that was before activists in every state started making so much noise that even here in GMO land have to set aside time to hear us out. They are listening and they are starting to understand that they are going to have to do SOMETHING to deal with us.

The video they played before the debate made my heart smile. The head of the dairy industry spoke about GMO activists with contempt, but the video was a warning that GMO activists were coming back from the loss in California with a vengeance. She warns that we have honed our message and are stronger than ever.

She is right.

Jenny Allen Easley

• Sun Valley GMO Debate.wma - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

The above link is the complete audio of our IFT debate that took place today in Sun Valley. Big thanks to Michael Strickland for blogging about the debate LIVE and for recording!

So glad GMO Free Idaho members Eric Brandt, Michael T. Bishop, and John C Caccia were in attendance. And of course, thankful for support from Dr. Don Huber!

We got people talking! There was a little hostility, some red faces in the audience...and I had to LOL a few times! All in all I think we did great and gave everyone something to think about.

Thanks Jenny Allen Easley for preparing all the materials, you ROCKED IT!

Leslie Stoddard 

Eclipse2012 - FormidableVegetable SoundSystem LIVE!

Formidable Vegetable Soundsystem is a uplifting new experiment in ‘ecological edutainment’ that mashes together speakeasy electroswing-style wonk and live vocabulous ukulele quirk that aims to pound simple solutions of sustainability deep into your consciousness with a decent serving of Radish Beets. By busting out their live show and following it up with a workshop on the principles of permaculture (a sustainable design science) at some later time and place, Formidable Vegetable Sound System has been a raging success on the Australian festival circuit with packed dancefloors and workshops alike at internationally renowned festivals such as Eclipse 2012 Festival, Rainbow Serpent and Woodford Festival. With music being one of the best tools for getting the word out there, globetrotting permaculture troubadour, Charlie Mgee has dedicated the last couple of years to composing a repertoire of swingin’ tunes on a ukulele addressing the 12 principles of permaculture in various musical styles ranging from ‘energy-descent electroswing’ and ‘climate-change reggae’ to ‘peak-oil polka’, all of which make for an eccentrically entertaining, if not unforgettable dancefloor experience when smashed through the soundsystem.

GMO Free Idaho- Are you a lab rat for the FDA? | Chew On This (Radio Interview)

GMO Free Idaho- Are you a lab rat for the FDA? | Chew On This



Jenny Easley and Leslie Ann Stoddard (Photo) of GMO Free Idaho speak to us about the Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs which are prevalent in our food system today. GMO Free Idaho is dedicated to educating consumers about the health and environmental impacts of GMO’s. They promote local, organic, and non-GMO food producers and diligently work on eliminating GMOs from our food supply.

Listen:  GMO Free Idaho Interview
Read:   GMO Free Idaho Website