$1 Million Verdict to Contaminated Organic Farm

Jacob's Farm Organic won their pesticide drift lawsuit today in stunning fashion. Many congratulations to them and to our legal system for recognizing the responsibility of land users to contain use to within property boundaries. Here's the link to an article from today's SF Chronicle and below is a note from Larry Jacobs:
"As many of you know, for the past two weeks we have been in a contentious legal battle with Western Farm Service, a pesticide sales company. The law suit was the result of continued contamination by toxic pesticides on our crops at Wilder Ranch State Park. The defendant claimed they were innocent because the pesticide industry and California's Department of Pesticide Regulation limit pesticide drift to the movement of pesticides by wind at time of application. The repeated contamination that began in October 2006 and continued through 2007 was caused by the evaporation (volatilization) of organophosphates after application carried by wind and fog. Western Farm Service mounted an aggressive defense that attacked the veracity of our witnesses and claimed we were at fault for starting an organic farm in the middle of a conventional brussel sprout producing area. The jury found Western Farm Service guilty of Trespass, Negligence and Nuisance. We were awarded compensation for losses and legal fees. The case is significant because it makes the volatilization of pesticides and where they go the responsibility of the applicator. State Agricultural Commissioners will no longer be able to report "NO BLAME" as they did in our case when fields are contaminated or people injured by pesticides that volatize and move with wind or fog. As important, Wilder Ranch State Park along with the rest of the coast will be a safer place to live, work and enjoy. Thanks to everybody who worked on this trial and to all of you who kept things running. Your efforts made it possible for us to have the funds to fight the good fight."

P.s.- In an equally positive vein, AB 541 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on Sept. 27, 2008. AB 541 indemnifies California farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable – the drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land and the subsequent contamination of non-GE crops. Currently, farmers with crops that become contaminated by patented seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, most notoriously Monsanto. Further, if their contaminated crops cause harm to other farmers, the environment or consumers, they have not been protected from that liability. AB 541 provides protections for farmers from such liability. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol to level the playing field when biotech companies investigate alleged patent or contract violations. More on that here.

Four Season Farm, Harborside, Maine

CASFS Alums and Alums to be,
This just in from Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm.
"We have decided to take a one-year break from running the vegetable operation in order to finally get our pastures into shape and put up the long-awaited animal barn. We would then reopen again in 2010 with a slightly smaller vegetable output, and no direct sales to chefs, just to stores and our own farm stand. Eliot would, however, be open to letting a really enterprising person run the vegetable farm next summer on a limited basis just to keep the stand open, so as not to disappoint loyal customers and the neighbors who have been selling art and craft items at the stand gallery. He, she or they (it could be a group of people) would run it at their own expense but under Eliot's direction, and take home whatever profit they made."
This is a pretty amazing opportunity, and I hope someone takes them up on it. I worked on their farm for three years, and it's truly a slice of Eden. If anyone's interested or has questions, contact me at CASFS2006@gmail.com and I can pass on your contact information.
daniel

Farmer-Veteran Coalition with CASFS Roots

CASFS Class of '06 is cleaning up on the press mentions this week. A big congratulations to Matt McCue: Iraq War Vet, Farmer, Visionary. Matt is now a manager at the French Garden Farm in Sebastopol, thanks in part to the Farmer-Veteran Coalition. Two great articles about Matt and his fellow farmers here and here.

A green thumb for a cause

CASFS's own Amy Rice-Jones, kicking some of the proverbial and taking names in Petaluma, CA. She currently runs Petaluma Bounty's farm and commnity gardens. Petaluma Bounty's goal is to create a sustainable Petaluma food system providing healthy, fresh food to everyone. It was formed in 2006 with initial funding from the Hub of Petaluma Foundation. “There is a lot of food injustice in our society,” says Jones. “The problem isn’t a lack of food but more an issue of equality in distribution of food. There are a lot of families in Petaluma that can’t afford healthy food. Petaluma Bounty is leveling the playing field and making healthy, fresh food available to everyone, especially those who cannot afford to buy organic food. Petaluma Bounty is also about food empowerment. Through our various programs, Petaluma Bounty is enabling families with the skills to grow, cook and eat healthy food.” Full article here.

FDA won't require labeling of GE animals sold as food

FDA proposed today that they will only review genetically engineered animals for their safety as food, and will not require any labeling. Genetically engineered animals may contain genetic material from entirely different species. For example mouse genes have been put into pigs to help them metabolize phosphorous more efficiently, and spider genes have been put into goats so that they produce spider silk in their milk. "It is incomprehensible to us that FDA does not view these animals as different from their conventional counterparts, and therefore something that under law is required to be labeled," stated Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "In our view, consumers have a right to know if the ham, bacon or pork chops they are buying come from pigs that have been engineered with mouse genes." Consumers Union is also concerned that cows engineered to produce antibiotics in their milk, which can help the cow avoid udder infections, also will not be labeled. "Unlike conventional antibiotics, which must be cleared from the cow before it can be used to produce milk or meat, the antibiotic that is genetically engineered into the animal will always be present. We are concerned both about the potential safety and lack of labeling on such food products," stated Michael Hansen, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at Consumers Union. Get your outrage on here.

Wall Street mess trickles down to the farm

The financial problems that rocked Wall Street in recent weeks are finally starting to come home to roost on the farm. Farmer Mac, created by Congress to provide a secondary market for ag mortgages, may have to write off $48 million in bad debt, as a result of last week's bankruptcy by Lehman Brothers. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Farmer Mac said it owned $60 million in Lehman Brothers debt that was currently valued at 19% or less. "There can be no assurance that the value of the Lehman debt securities will not decline further," the company said in its filing. The debt is classified as senior, which means its holders will be at the front of the line of creditors in the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, which collapsed in the subprime mortgage crisis that culminated late last week in the government's proposed $700 billion bailout. The pricetag for the entire commitment, including insurance giant AIG, Bear Stearns, housing lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and other companies comes to more than trillion dollars. So far... In addition, Farmer Mac said it could not guarantee it will be in compliance with its statutory minimum capital requirements at the end of September. Regulated financial institutions, such as banks, typically have capital requirements they must meet, which many former free-wheeling Wall Street firms will now be facing. Merrill Lynch last week agreed to be acquired by Bank of America, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the last remaining investment houses, are basically turning themselves into commercial banks. More here.

Freewheelin' Farm

In all deference to the CASFS Harvest Festival on October 4th, Freewheelin' Farm is holding their 3rd Annual Farm Art Show on Saturday, September 27th, 12 PM to sunset. The farm is located exactly 5 miles north of Western Drive on the ocean side of Hwy 1 at 5227 Coast Road. Click here for directions or click the image below for more details.

Harvest Festival!! (Click Image to View Full Size)

NRDC Forced to Sue to Get Public Records on Bee Mystery

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit last week to uncover critical information that the US government is withholding about the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees. NRDC legal experts and a leading bee researcher are convinced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evidence of connections between pesticides and the mysterious honey bee die-offs reported across the country. The phenomenon has come to be called "colony collapse disorder," and it is already proving to have disastrous consequences for American agriculture and the $15 billion worth of crops pollinated by bees every year. EPA has failed to respond to NRDC's Freedom of Information Act request for agency records concerning the toxicity of pesticides to bees, forcing the legal action. More here.
P.S. I find it notable that the EPA entitles their honey bee page "Pesticide issues in the works" and mentions a case in Germany definitely linked to pesticides.