File Appeal in OSGATA vs. Monsanto

Battle over Farmers’ Rights Against Monsanto Continues to Brew

NEW YORK – March 28, 2012 – Today, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, family farmers filed their Notice of Appeal to Judge Naomi Buchwald’s February 24th ruling dismissing Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al v. Monsanto. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will hear the farmers’ appeal, seeking to reinstate the case, which has received worldwide attention. The farmers are determined to move forward with their lawsuit challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically engineered seed technologies in order to continue their pursuit of Declaratory Judgment Act court protection from Monsanto’s claims of patent infringement should their crops become contaminated by Monsanto’s seed.

Press Release: Ridicules Farmers’ Right to Grow Food Without Fear, Contamination and Economic Harm
On February 24, Judge Naomi Buchwald handed down her ruling on a motion to dismiss in the case of Organic Seed Growers and Trade Assn et al v. Monsanto after hearing oral argument on January 31st in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Her ruling to dismiss the case brought against Monsanto on behalf of organic farmers, seed growers and agricultural organizations representing farmers and citizens was met with great disappointment by the plaintiffs.

If you’ve ever felt that tug in your heart to farm, you know the impulse cannot be denied. You might end up in something else, but no matter what you’ll always find yourself wistfully dreaming of rows of summer vegetables, rich, loamy soil, the red splash of ripe tomatoes, and the taste that makes supermarket ‘vegetables’ unworthy of the name.

Most people visit New York City and want to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building or other tourist points of interest. Not me. I wanted to see what New Yorkers eat when they eat local.

“What do you eat in winter?” is a question I frequently get asked when people learn that I eat a mostly local foods diet in the Northeastern U.S.

My reply starts with the fact that I eat just as well in winter as I do in summer. That fact really cheers me up right now. We are at the tail end of winter, but it will still be many weeks until the first spring crops are ready. If I only ate the storage and greenhouse crops available year-round here, well, I’d survive but my meals would be really boring.

Here’s how you can make your “off season” meals as interesting and nutritious for you as the ones you eat during the harvest months, all the while keeping a locavore’s lowered carbon footprint:

This video follows food from an organic CSA located 200 miles north of New York City to the hands of urban consumers, providing a glimpse of the simultaneous laboriousness and efficiency of a local food system and the variety of people partaking in the growing farm-to-table movement.

Here’s Friday’s links roundup, a bit belated due to some editorial confusion. Some really interesting articles on government actions to support local agriculture and small farmers.

Our first Friday Link Roundup includes stories on creative ways to get local fresh food to kids in Richmond, New York plans to create a sustainable food system, and information on ways to get involved, and much more.

Bion Environmental Technology, Inc. is proposing to develop a cattle finishing facility that would hold over 72, 000 cows. The project has the town’s board approval. If built, Bion’s Beef finishing facility would be the largest of it’s kind east of the Mississippi River and would bring the trend toward consolidated feeding operations to New York’s back yard. It is no surprise that the town board of Schroeppel, NY has been receptive to the project as Oswego County is one of the most economically depressed counties in New York State.

In this episode of the Dairy Show, host Michael Crupain talks with Pastry Chef Gina de Palma of Babbo in New York