Joiyssey: Reason #2 Monsanto
I am the daughter of a mid-west farmer, the oldest son of 13 children, who quit school at 12 years old in 1929 to work the farm which the family eventually lost to big business.
I was raised on an acre of land in New Jersey, which to me was a huge piece of land. My parents bought the demo house of a small modern development in 1954, pre-Levittown where every other house is identical, our houses were all unique. Our development butted up to the old farm house and was built on farm land.
On this land, we grew almost all our own food, canned and froze for the winter, and took monthly trips to the Columbus Farmers Market.
When I became an adult and finally moved to California, I have always gardened - organically of course - sometimes on postage stamp pieces of land, never on a plot more than 5'x8', and often raised enough food to feed my whole apartment building.
As I became more aware of medicinal herbs and the healing qualities of all plants, I envisioned myself on old womon living in a meadow in some forest with herbs growing and drying all around me.
All my daughters and goddess daughters learned to nourish and care for plants, even though we've always lived in the city. My connection to the Mother Earth is vital to my life and all our lives.
As every farmer does, each year I would choose certain plants to go to seed for the next year, and keep the seeds from other veggies, especially those that tasted extraordinarily fabulous or were the most beautiful - to attempt to reproduce that flavor and color the next year.
When I learned of Monsanto and the seeds they were creating - and attempting to coerce farmers into butying - that did NOT regenerate, I was deeply hurt, shocked, unfathomable to even THINK of doing such a horrific thing, let alone actually doing it.
I was preparing myself to fight Monsanto. But my country invaded and occupied another country, 2 or 3 countries really. So I became distracted from Monsanto and focused on working to end war.
In the past few years I am aware of Monsanto's goal to sell their monstrous seed to 100% of the third world farmers. NAFTA allowed them easy and full access to Mexico, although I think the Mexican government is attempting to ban GM seed.
I had a vision that I should become the seed womon spreading alarm and seed. After NAFTA, I thought I should travel through Mexico and Central America and as far as I can to warn people of the dangers of Monsanto and give out organic seeds.
Which is yet another reason why I'm taking this Joiyssey.
I was raised on an acre of land in New Jersey, which to me was a huge piece of land. My parents bought the demo house of a small modern development in 1954, pre-Levittown where every other house is identical, our houses were all unique. Our development butted up to the old farm house and was built on farm land.
On this land, we grew almost all our own food, canned and froze for the winter, and took monthly trips to the Columbus Farmers Market.
When I became an adult and finally moved to California, I have always gardened - organically of course - sometimes on postage stamp pieces of land, never on a plot more than 5'x8', and often raised enough food to feed my whole apartment building.
As I became more aware of medicinal herbs and the healing qualities of all plants, I envisioned myself on old womon living in a meadow in some forest with herbs growing and drying all around me.
All my daughters and goddess daughters learned to nourish and care for plants, even though we've always lived in the city. My connection to the Mother Earth is vital to my life and all our lives.
As every farmer does, each year I would choose certain plants to go to seed for the next year, and keep the seeds from other veggies, especially those that tasted extraordinarily fabulous or were the most beautiful - to attempt to reproduce that flavor and color the next year.
When I learned of Monsanto and the seeds they were creating - and attempting to coerce farmers into butying - that did NOT regenerate, I was deeply hurt, shocked, unfathomable to even THINK of doing such a horrific thing, let alone actually doing it.
I was preparing myself to fight Monsanto. But my country invaded and occupied another country, 2 or 3 countries really. So I became distracted from Monsanto and focused on working to end war.
In the past few years I am aware of Monsanto's goal to sell their monstrous seed to 100% of the third world farmers. NAFTA allowed them easy and full access to Mexico, although I think the Mexican government is attempting to ban GM seed.
I had a vision that I should become the seed womon spreading alarm and seed. After NAFTA, I thought I should travel through Mexico and Central America and as far as I can to warn people of the dangers of Monsanto and give out organic seeds.
Which is yet another reason why I'm taking this Joiyssey.
posted by Xan @ 10:38 AM
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