Patented Genes - Hopefully the Begining of the End

A recent ruling by a US District judge rejected the patent claims of Myriad Genetics. Myriad holds the patents on two genes they "discovered" that linked women to predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer. They developed a test, that only Myriad could administer because of their patents, to determine the presence of those genes. In the court ruling, however, the judge ruled that as a product of nature our genes could not be patented.

It is one of those strange intersections between the High Tech Industry and Down to Earth Farming you can read about the recent ruling at the Good Morning Silicon Valley blog.

While its sure to be appealed I hope the ruling stands. And I hope this ruling is used to invalidate other similarly ridiculous claims like Monsanto's claim on a gene that has been related to faster weight gain on a pig. That gene exists in nature - Monsanto just found the correlation. They did not create it. Yet as of today they own a "patent" on it and in theory could come into my farm and prosecute me or request a license fee for having pigs that have those genes. Just because nature gave them those genes.

Ideas and Actions on Local Slaughterhouses

"You certainly don't have the allure of the country life in a slaughterhouse, the kind of thing sought out by the weekend farmer," said Salatin. "But processing plants and distribution are the two biggest hurdles in the local food movement."

Interesting article in the Washington Post - Local slaughterhouses come back to life

Uncomfortable but important issue

Those wanting local food options including locally raised meat should be aware that one of the biggest impediments is the lack of local slaughterhouses. This insightful article To Eat Local, Kill Local by Heather Smith is one of the best overviews of the issue and history that I have read.

Challenges to Small Farms

One of the challenges farmers face when trying to provide naturally raised, local beef, pork, and lamb is the scarcity of local slaughterhouses. Many farmers raising animals in a natural setting are also very concerned about humane animal handling and slaughter practices and thus do not like to ship their animals long distances to industrial factory run slaughterhouses.

Please read this report from Food & Water Watch about the need for small slaughterhouses and how it would provide consumers and small farmers more options in healthy meat products.

Food Inc Released in Theatres

The movie Food Inc which exposes the questionable practices of our industrial food industry has been released in theatres. Its not in my area yet but I plan to see it just as soon as it is. I encourage everyone to do the same to learn how our government regulatory agencies are not only failing us but misleading us. And how our food is controlled by profit driven corporations.

Industrial Hemp Farming Act

The ban on the production of industrial hemp - not the "specialty crop" you are thinking of! - is one of the biggest political mis-steps ever forced on us by government. Hemp is not the potent "specialty crop" people are familiar with. Its an amazing fiber and food crop that is used for oil, seends, paper, cloths, cosmetics, and even alternative wood fibre. It was grown here in the US with the blessing of our government until the 1970's.

Currently we have to import hemp - and its used in a variety of products. Most telling, its approved for use in food here in the US - thus debunking all the hype about its relation to its high THC cousin.

As a farmer I would like to grow hemp to make paper, hemp oil, and high protein feed for my animals. There is very little THC in it - a person cannot get "high" on it. You can press it for oil and still have a very high protein meal left to feed animals - a meal that is an excellent substitute for soybean.

I am very thankful to Congressman Ron Paul for introducing HR 1866 the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. And I urge like minded folks to write their Congressmen and Congresswomen urging them to support this legislation. Let's not import hemp - let's let our US farmers grow it to make fibre, paper, and food.

Assault on our Right to Farm and Right to Eat

There are several bills being quietly pushed through the legislative process under the guise of "food safety". But in reality these actions would create a new government administration and impose unnecessary regulations and burdens on small farmers, CSAs, and other individual producers. In some instances affecting people who just grow food for themselves.

This is not what natural food advocates, small farmers, and concerned consumers expected from the new administration. You need to read up on these bills and let your representatives know how you feel before.

HR 875: Creates the Food Safety Administration to police our food including small organic farmers and even the backyard gardner. We don't need to put CSAs and true organic farmers out of business! We need to have the agencies we already have do their job and make sure imported food is safe and factory farms provide healthier and more humanely raised food.

HR814: Supports implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that would affect all people who have even one animal (excluding dogs and cats) on their property. This includes horses, 4H chickens, llamas, sheep, and rabbits even if they are not used for food.

S425: Tracking all food from seeds to fork imposing regulatory and paperwork requirements even on CSAs and farms that grow and sell directly to consumers.

HR1105: The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 which is providing funding for NAIS and food traceabilty.


HR875 also cites executive order 12988, and so claims to pre-empt local and state laws to the contrary.

See the bills at: thomas.loc.gov then write your representatives!