With just nine more days until our our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign ends we’ve recently received some timely and encouraging media attention from Revmodo and Food Democracy Now!  The new activity has brought in additional contributions and has helped push us past the $12,000 mark. As we look towards wrapping up our Indiegogo campaign we need your help: please contribute if you can and please help spread the word to your friends and family.  From the Revmodo article: "The crops they grow using organic methods requires vintage equipment which needs constant maintenance and repair in order to run properly. Thankfully their two sons are consummate mechanics and can do the necessary work - but working outdoors in Maine winters can be brutal without a proper shelter. Indiegogo believes in the project and thus is featuring them in order to help them raise the $32,000 they need to buy the materials for the shed." And from the Food Democracy Now! blog, the re-posting of a supportive article from The Mother Earth News: “For more than 36 years they have volunteered many thousands of hours to promote and defend organic and oppose GMOs.”

We're grateful for everyone's support. Below are some of the comments folks have been posting . Thanks so much!

Jim & Megan

“I consider this farm and family a national treasure and will do all I can to support them.” - Susan

“Go Maine Organic!” - Cheryl

“I'm so delighted to support the hardest working family I “know”. (If I get to choose from Lottie's pictures, #6 (3 harvesters) and #8 (3 repairers) are my favorites.) May the Spirit be with you always!” - Janice

“Good luck and thanks for all that you do for the community, state of Maine and the country!”

“I'll take an XL, and good luck. Thanks for fighting Monsanto.” - Bruce

“They have the BEST potatoes I have ever eaten”

“Good luck building your repair shop. Thanks for all you do to raise awareness about Monsanto and GMOs. T-shirt size: medium.” - Doreen

“I love Wood Prairie Farm's potatoes, & have some growing like crazy now. We need more farmers like the Gerritsens!” - Mary

“Your family and your farm are such an inspiration. Thank you for all your hard work! And the best seed potatoes!” - Jamieson

“Support your local non-GMO farmers”  - Catherine

“Happy to support this project. You and your family do so much for the farming community as a whole. And your support of DGA is appreciated too!” - Barbara

“Thank you!” - Karen

“Healthy and organic, the old fashioned way. America needs to get back to this. We need to support it.” - Michael

“So happy to see the kids involved in this project. I'm happy to support your efforts.”

“Thanks for all your efforts!!” - Kelcey

“I have had personal contact with Jim and Megan and know them and people like them to be the foundation upon which this country stands” - William

“Jim and Megan Gerritsen and family are ALL agricultural leaders who daily promote the values in agriculture that we need so much today.” - Nancy

“Great work!” - Earl

“No perks necessary. Just happy to support you.” - Lisa

“I hope others will support the Gerritsen's, dedicated farmers of the highest quality.” - Amber

“No perk needed . . . just wanted to say “Thanks” for all you folks do!” - Harlan  

“Large shirt please” - Robert

“The Gerritsens have been tireless advocates for organic agriculture and they are making real change in the world!” - Lynn

“It's an honor to be able to play a small part in helping the Gerritsen family with this wonderful project!” - Janet

“Great idea Jim and family. Good luck to you all and full speed ahead!” - Darrell

“Good Luck, you do good work.”

“Am glad that we're able to help. Have used your wonderful seed potatoes for years and want to be a part of your future.” - Patricia

“Best of luck. I hope my children turn out like yours – you must be very proud.” - David

“I'm from Maine, I have some idea of what you're up against. Your site is beautiful and very comprehensive, I think it's the most compelling cause on the platform. Wish I could afford to give more but I'm retired.” -Jeanne

"Past the quarter mark! Congratulations!" - Janine

"Congrats! Wood Prairie Farm Organic Seed Equipment Repair Shop is now featured on Indiegogo's home page thanks to all your great efforts! Share this excitement with your funders and fans. Glad we could give a boost to your efforts. Congrats!" - The Indiegogo Team

“I support organics. NO GMOs!!” - Wanda

“Many thanks for continuing to stand up against Monsanto and for the rights of all of us, large and small growers/farmers!” - Felicity

“If each of us chooses to help…even just a little, we can make a huge difference. We are small but we are mighty!” - Colleen

“Thank you, may we win this war against Monsanto and others who are destorying our farmland.”

“Good luck and Congrats on keepin' em going!”

“I love what you are doing!” - Kevin

“Where do I begin to explain how much this matters, and to how many people? I buy seed potatoes and more from Wood Prairie. The Gerritsens are a treasure, as providers of high quality seed and other products, as examples of what it means to do good and real work, as people who are friends to many, some of whom they may not have met. Helping with this project is one tiny way to express gratitude, and become part of the great work they do.” - Diana

“I support Organic!” - Christopher

“Good luck…We feel so grateful to have your family as advocates for organic and family scale farming. You are such an inspiration”

“We are looking forward to your awesome seed potatoes for many years to come.” - Edward

"Thanks for your many years of commitment to sustainable agriculture and family farming. Good luck with the project.” - Yellow Birch Farm

“Jim and Megan, When we started here in 1968, clearing the forest, grubbing out stumps, rolling out rocks and trying to create fertility, we divided the potential growing area into 20-foot by 40-foot sections (1/50th of an acre) and gave ourselves a week to get each one done. It was avery productive system. So here is approximately 1/50th of your shop. Go for it." - Eliot

“Thank you for your hard work and service to the organic community. I wish I could contribute more.” - Philip

“Great work you are doing. Thank you all.” - Mary

“To God be the Glory…great things he hath done!” - Patty

“Awesome people deserve a blessing for all the good they do.”

“I greatly appreciate everything you do for organic farmers everywhere!” - Amy

“I hope this small amount helps you all towards your goal…wish I could do more.”

“Good Luck, Gerritsens! I know this will make a huge difference for your repairs.”

“I grew up in Maine & Support Maine farmers!”

“It's great to see that Mother Earth still has stewards who are willing to fight for her and protect her! God Bless you!”

“yay!” - Jerry

“I'm happy to support those who are working in the campaign against GMO's.” - Carol

“You inspire me, Jim. Thank you.” - Holly

“Awesome project for some awesome folks!” - Michael

“Keep up the good fight!” - Deborah

“I'm a new customer. very grateful for the wheat and five grain cereals, which need to be cooked. I like them so much I'm even eating them in the summertime. I'm retired, on fixed income, so I can't send much, but I want to help. I don't want a perk--just want to contribute a little. An organic gardener!” - Louise

“I believe the organic farming is the right way to grow food and firmly support this initiative”

“Thanks so much to the Gerritsens for the wonderful food and seeds that you provide, and for your tireless resistance to biotech giants.” - Heather

""This is a great campaign." - Dwayne

“Bravo, Jim!” - Holly

“Happy to help support our Maine family businesses!” - Tina

Click here for our Indiegogo Farm Equipment Repair Shop Campaign.

      After having thumbed its nose several times at the Federal court, last week USDA-APHIS – biotech’s branch office for governmental collusion in Washington D.C. - ruled once and for all that GMO Sugar Beets are without concern and that farmers can grow gene-spliced sugar beets without restriction.  Furthermore, USDA does not want to hear any more whining from the taxpayers, proclaiming, “this is APHIS’ final regulatory determination in this matter.”

Sadly, we’re afraid USDA-APHIS doesn’t understand the people. Fact is, we’re not going away. APHIS needs to learn that they work for the people. The taxpayers will have the last word. We will protect our families. We will demand GMO labeling.  We will divert our dollars away from your revolving door brothers in biotech.

Now, thankfully, we have our chance to channel our anger in a positive manner that will let biotech and their surrogates getting a government paycheck know that our families’ welfare is not for sale. Our friends at GMO Free USA have selected cereal giant Kelloggs as their first GMO-booster corporation to become the target of a massive letter-writing  and social media campaign aimed at convincing Kelloggs to reverse their pro-GMO purchasing and business practices. Kellogg's recently contributed funds to the biotech disinformation campaign in California's Right-To-Know GMO Labeling Initiative (Prop 37).

 The GMO Free USA action is founded on the principle of voting daily with your wallet.  Spending dollars in the right direction creates market opportunities for business activity we would like to see grow and flourish.  Conversely, withholding dollars from business entities working against the people’s interest is speaking in a language corporations will understand.  GMO Free USA has amplified the impact of the dollar shift by employing the additional step of communicating to a wayward corporation that we expect their behavior to change, and until they do so, we will be spending our dollars elsewhere. Here are some of the brands under the Kelloggs name: Kellogg’s, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, All-Bran, Mini-Wheats, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, Special K, Chips Deluxe, Famous Amos, Sandies, Austin, Club, Murray, Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger, and Pringles.  Let's support the effort of our friends at GMO Free USA and spend our dollars wisely with companies that support the people's interests.

 Please invest a few minutes in your family’s future and utilize GMO Free USA’s easy letter-sending system to let Kelloggs know how you feel.  Help their effort go viral by sharing with your friends far and wide and posting comments on Kellogg's Facebook wall.

Thanks. Jim & Megan

  Media articles are beginning to appear following recent developments in the organic community lawsuit, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al v. Monsanto, in which we are challenging the validity of Monsanto’s GMO patents and seeking pre-emptive court protection for family farmers from allegations of patent infringement should Monsanto’s GMO seed trespass and contaminate our crops.

   On July 5, plaintiffs filed their Appeal brief seeking reversal of Federal court Judge Naomi Buchwald’s dismissal of the case in February. One week later two significant Amici briefs were filed in behalf of the plaintiffs, one by a group of eleven prominent law professors and another by fourteen respected food safety and consumer non-profit organizations.

One of the more thoughful and perceptive articles so far appeared recently in the GMO Journal and was written by Deniza Gertsberg. An excerpt: “The burden of keeping crops, soil and seed businesses from genetic contamination by GMOs is onerous and is shouldered disproportionately by plaintiff farmers, seed businesses and agricultural organizations, not by the maker of those GMO seeds whose products trespass onto and into plaintiffs property as the wind blows or trucks drive by.”

We will keep you posted . Jim

Over the years it's been pretty common for us to be asked by friends and customers to recommend a good book that covers potatoes and how to grow them. The sad reality is that there have been few pertinent potato books to offer. That has changed! We are happy to report that with the publication of The Complete Book of Potatoes we now have a great book for you. This is a book that should be in every farmer's and gardener's library. The book was written by three of our favorite colleagues and highly esteemed members of the potato world: Hielke De Jong (Canadian breeder of Caribe'), his son Walter (Cornell breeder of King Harry) and Joe Sieczka (professor emeritus, Cornell University’s Riverhead NY research center on Long Island). Everyone will want a copy of this wonderful book and it is available for all on our Wood Prairie Farm website.