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Wood
Prairie Farm
The
Seed
Piece Newsletter
Organic
News
and
Commentary
Thursday January 9, 2014

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In This
Issue of The Seed Piece:
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The People
Score A Victory.
Maine
Passes Historic GMO Labeling Law. This
above infographic
we posted on Facebook today has gone viral. After thirteen months
effort by a massive coalition of citizens across Maine, Governor Paul
LePage has now at long last signed into law Maine’s
historic second-in-the-nation GMO labeling bill, LD 718.
Back in July, Gov. LePage promised he would sign the bill into law when
the Legislature reconvened in January. Recent weeks have not
been without drama as the tight-lipped Governor remained silent and
non-responsive to overtures that he join a celebratory bi-partisan
signing ceremony. That stance in the face of unrelenting
Monsanto lobbying targeted squarely against Maine’s GMO Label bill left
supporters puzzled
and wary.
Now that Maine has passed its GMO
Labeling law all eyes turn towards neighboring New Hampshire.
Next week the NH House will have its debate and floor vote on HB
660. MOFGA has been aiding its neighbor New Hampshire by
helping NOFA-NH
rally support for the strong Amended Version HB 660
– a good GMO Label bill modeled closely after the laws passed in Maine
and Connecticut.
Meanwhile, this week Vermont’s
GMO Label Bill H.112, passed by the Vermont House last
Spring, received its first reading on the Senate’s first day of its new
session. H.112 was then sent onto the Agriculture Committee
for further consideration. Similar GMO labeling bill efforts
are also underway in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
There is no doubt that after fraudulent
campaigning and stolen GMO Label initiative elections in both
California and Washington State, momentum for honesty in labeling is
now picking up steam throughout New England and elsewhere.
The people are increasingly demanding transparency when it comes to GE
food. Monsanto and the junk food lobby GMA (Grocery
Manufacturer’s Association) function as attack dogs against consumer
rights. These dark forces have reason for paranoia and panic
as the
people walk away with their hard-earned dollars
from the death culture which is genetic engineering. Today we chalk up
one for honesty and the people.
Jim
&
Megan Gerritsen & Family
Wood
Prairie Farm
Bridgewater,
Maine
Click here for the
Wood Prairie Farm Home Page. |
World Map of
Genetically Engineered Labeling Laws
Our friends at Center for Food Safety
have put together this excellent
world map. It identifies countries across the world and
categorizes them in terms of GMO labeling laws. Valuable information
and deftly executed.
Jim
Click here
For Our Organic Maine Certified Seed Potatoes.
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Clarity From
a Map. How the world turns.
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Wood Prairie
Farm Beets. Sweet Dakota Bliss.
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The Results Are In:
Our Sweet Dakota Bliss Beet Tests Free of GE Contamination.
Because beets are a biennial crop - meaning seed is produced
in the second year of growth – keeping a good supply of beet seed in
stock can
sometimes be tricky. An
additional new
concern with any member of the beet (Beta)
family, which includes table beets, swiss chard and sugar beets, is
that unless
there is care and extreme isolation, the organic seed may become
contaminated
with pollen (genetic material) from GE (genetically engineered) Roundup
Ready
sugar beets.
The good news is
our friends the
Podolls in North
Dakota from whom we get our Organic
Sweet Dakota Bliss Beet seed are both
good organic seed farmers and
isolated. We had
their new crop of Sweet
Dakota Bliss Beet seed undergo state-of-the-art laboratory PCR testing. The results are now back
and the testing has shown zero detectable GE
content – meaning that of the standard sample of 10,000 seeds
tested not one seed was found to be contaminated by GE pollen. This is
wonderful news.
We have
always followed the strict and prudent
Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association policy on GE Seed.
We do not and will not sell organic seed of
any type which has been found to be contaminated with GE genetic
pollution. Below
is the OSGATA policy
which we helped write and which was passed by the OSGATA membership.
OSGATA Policy
on Genetically Engineered (GE) Seed
Contamination of organic seed by genetically engineered (GE) seed−
commonly
referred to as GMOs − constitutes irreparable harm to the organic seed
industry
and undermines the integrity of organic seed. Any detectable level is
unacceptable.
We have an excellent
supply of Organic Sweet Dakota Bliss Beet Seed - plenty for both home
gardeners and
market farmers. If
you have never grown
it, you will find Organic Sweet Dakota Bliss is an outstanding tender
and sweet
beet. It keep all
through the winter and
should be planted in every
garden.
Jim & Megan
Click
Here For our Wood Prairie Farm
Organic Vegetable Seed.
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Notable Quotes:
Ralph Waldo Emerson on Today & Tomorrow.
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as
you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely..."
-
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803 - 1882
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Ralph Waldo
Emerson. Our Fellow New Englander.
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Winter Salad
with Spiced Maple Vinaigrette.Yum.
Photo by
Angela Wotton. |
Recipe:
Winter Salad with Spiced Maple Vinaigrette.
Vinaigrette:
1/2
cinnamon stick
2
whole allspice berries
1
small whole clove
1
whole star anise
1/2
tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2
T apple-cider vinegar
1/3
c neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
Sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
5
oz mesclun salad mix
5
oz head frisee, trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
1
small turnip
1/4
c shelled sunflower seeds, toasted
4
oz aged sharp Cheddar, crumbled
To
make the vinaigrette, combine the maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice,
clove, star anise, ginger, and 1 T water in a 1-quart saucepan. Simmer
on medium-low heat to infuse the flavors and thicken slightly, about 3
minutes. Stir in the vinegar, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into
a small bowl. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream and season to taste
with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
Assemble
the salad by combining the mesclun and frisee in a large bowl. Peel the
carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Using the peeler, shave each into thin
ribbons into the bowl. Add the sunflower seeds and half the cheese.
Whisk the vinaigrette to recombine, then toss the salad with enough to
coat. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese.
-Megan
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Special Offer: FREE Organic
Fall and Winter Salad Mix Seed.
Greens
in the winter are much enjoyed and appreciated by everyone. Often sown in the Fall in
colder climates, or
throughout the winter wherever the weather is mild, our popular Organic
Fall & Winter Salad Mix is
a delightful diversity of salad greens which perform especially well in
the
off-season’s days of colder weather and low light conditions.
Here's
your chance to earn a FREE
Packet of Organic Fall & Winter Salad Mix (Value
$3.25) when you place
your next order of goods costing $30 or more.
FREE Packet of
Organic Fall &
Winter Salad Mix offer ends Midnight Monday, January 13,
2014, so better
hurry!
Please use Promo Code WPF1167.
Your order and FREE
Packet of our popular Organic Fall &
Winter Salad Mix must ship by 5/8/14. Please call or click
today!
Click Here for our Organic Compost Soil Mixes Section.
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Wood Prairie Salad Mix.
Some good organic seed for every season.
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Our Mailbox:
Building Greensprouting Trays, Historical Invaders, Brainwashing Our
Youth.
Building
Greensprouting Trays.
Dear WPF.
I scanned in one of your newsletters many years
ago that had instructions for greensprouting and how to build
greensprouting trays. Since I read that newsletter we have been
greensprouting and it has made a significant difference in our potato
growing success.
We are doing a presentation at
the Ohio Ecological Farm and Food Association (OEFFA) conference in
February on growing and marketing Organic Potatoes.
I would like to use this newsletter for
a handout but wanted to check with you to make sure it was OK before I
did.
JT
Auburn Twp, OH
WPF Replies.
Yes, no problem you are welcome to use and hand
out that Seed
Piece. The article originally appeared in a 1995
Seed
Piece. Glad the greensprouting
is doing well for you. We believe in it and greensprout ('chitting' or
preconditioning seed potatoes) all of our seed - about 25,000 lbs. of
seed potatoes.
Jim
Historical Invaders.
Dear WPF.
Jim Gerritsen, I wanted to share with you the fact
that I am thankful for yours and the many other farmer's fight against
corporate conglomerates such as Monsanto. You guys leave a favorable
impression on the younger generations such as myself to gear up, stand
up, and fight for what's right; whether that be by farming on one's own
terms, educating our friends, or by taking legal action against the
corporations when they step out of line. Thank you for being honest and
awesome.
DA
World Wide Web
WPF Replies.
Thanks for your note. Democracy is no spectator
sport. ALL of us should be in this historical struggle together to
protect the peoples' rights and to take back our country from corporate
invaders. We appreciate your kind words of support.
Jim & Megan
Brainwashing Our
Youth.
Dear WPF.
As a satisfied customer, I enjoy reading your Facebook
articles about your fight with Monsanto. I just got this article
today from Dr. Mercola about Monsanto's partnership with 4-H
and thought that if you didn't already know about it, you should.
SA
Natchitoches, LA
WPF Replies.
Thanks - we also just came across this same
article. The situation is very believable. Our boys - and before them
high school neighbors who have worked for us - have been involved in
the group Future Farmers of America (FFA). At the national annual FFA
conventions, Monsanto was every year ever-present providing tote bags
filled with biotech propaganda for the many thousands of young
attendees. In academia, Monsanto will contribute a couple hundred
thousand dollars annually to cash strapped ag departments at Land Grand
Universities. The researchers become accustomed to having that funding
year after year. The unspoken truism all parties tacitly understand:
conduct activity that makes Monsanto sad and then say goodbye to that
annual Monsanto underwriting. The deck is stacked against the people.
Ultimately, however, we do have the power of truth on our side and that
is very powerful.
Jim.
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Wood Prairie Farm Quick
Links
Jim
& Megan Gerritsen
Wood
Prairie Farm
49
Kinney Road
Bridgewater,
Maine 04735
(800)829-9765
Certified Organic, Direct from the Farm
www.woodprairie.com
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