whats going on here!?!?

No, its not chalk in the eraser (that's for you mom) I just wanted to take a moment to explain what's going on regarding my family and Monsanto.

Its hard to know where to begin but I'll do my best and if you're left with questions just ask!

So let's begin about 5000 years ago because in many ways farming hasn't changed much. The point has always been to plant seeds that grow crops which make more seeds. Those seeds got saved for the next years planting and so on and so on. Seed saving was a necessity for the survival of this nation of immigrants. With those diverse immigrants came a diverse collection of seeds that were carefully selected by families not only as a means to survive but also as a connection to their homeland.

Enter the seed cleaner (this is my dad) So what is seed cleaning?? Essentially its the heart and soul of sustainable agriculture. In order to produce a successful crop the seeds that are saved must be cleaned of debris, weeds, and low quality seeds. As early as the 1700's mechanics were inventing machines that made this process easier. Today, seed cleaning machines work using systems of screens, vibration, air, and gravity (right dad?? or did I just pull that out of my butt?) Some machines are portable like my dad's and he offers a service to farmers by coming to their farm and cleaning the seed which saves the farmer time, money, and the hassle of taking their seed to a stationary cleaner. And it gives my dad a means to make money which is pretty cool too. And, although tractors have replaced oxen and combines now do the picking that hands once did, for generations the process of growing, saving, cleaning, and replanting seed has gone undisturbed until....

Enter Monsanto. A chemical company responsible for evils such as Agent Orange, DDT, and bovine growth hormones.

In the end of the 20th century Monsanto began to transition from chemical company to biotechnology giant with the introduction of Roundup - an herbicide that kills plants by inhibiting their ability to produce energy. It was touted by Monsanto as a product that broke down into inert material in the soil. Meaning that even after the use of Roundup soil would still be viable for new crops. It was an instant hit.

In the 70s and 80s Monsanto began to develop genetically engineered (GE) seeds carrying a trait that would allow the plant (corn and soybeans) to survive being sprayed by Roundup. This means the herbicide could be sprayed directly on the entire field - killing weeds while crops still thrived. Monsanto marketed these crops as a miracle for farmers, saving them time and money by lessening the amount of time and money spent spraying weed control chemicals.

By the 1990's Monsanto had patent protection in place for their "RoundupReady" seeds.

Rewind - remember when I said the point of farming is to plant seeds that make crops that make more seeds? Well, if a farmer buys a bag of RoundupReady seed and save a portion of the 2nd generation for next year then they wouldn't have to buy them from Monsanto anymore. So, the company decided to use the power of patents to disrupt a 5000 year old process of saving seed by requiring farmers who use Monsanto seed to buy it new every year - guaranteeing them money.

Now, farmers are required to sign an agreement that restricts his right to use the seed that he paid for in the manner he sees fit. Now, farmers must sell all their seed as a commodity, submit to Monsanto's home court in St. Louis if any dispute arises, allow Monsanto "investigators" (think mafia goons) on their property for inspections, and to pay attorney fees and penalties if infringement is suspected.

Monsanto is a multi-billion dollar company and to date they have sued 200 small farmers who probably each barely make $30 - 40,000 yearly. These lawsuits aren't about Monsanto reaping money they're owed, but rather as a way to make an example of hard-working men and scaring other small farmers into compliance with the technology agreements.

Most farmers can't afford legal counsel so they agree to settle. Usually by paying $100/bag of seed Monsanto believes they have saved. These penalties are huge for struggling farmers and can take years to pay off. And this money means nothing to a billion dollar industry. Farmers who won't settle get sued in Monsantos hometown of St. Louis (as per the tech agreement). Judges and juries in the town where much of the population is employed by Monsanto tend to be very symPATHETIC (to Monsanto) and so far not a single farmer has won his case.

So, where does my dad fit in all this? He's not a seed saver, he's a seed cleaner and according to Monsanto he's infringing on their patent by cleaning their seed for the farmer who wants to save it.

From where I stand it looks like Monsanto believes if they can take down the seed cleaner then farmers will be forced to buy new seed. They will then have a complete monopoly over the industry.

Its kind of like the music industry suing the guy who sells blank CD's instead of going after the guy downloading his music illegally.

Sadly, Monsanto is harassing many of my dad's customers and friends pressuring them to testify against him in court or get sued themselves. Not only are they destroying small farmers, but also the sense of community and camaraderie that comes with small town living.

My dad isn't the first seed cleaner Monsanto has battled. In Indiana Maurice Parr was a seed cleaner who was sued and lost his case.

Hoping and praying for a different outcome for our family.

Hopefully this gave everyone some insight into the life of my parents and other small farmers. But, I'm sure you're left with questions. So, in future entries I promise to address questions like:
- why do farmers keep buying from Monsanto?
- why are genetically engineered crops so bad?
- why do farmers need to save seed? Why can't they just comply?

You can find out more about my dad's struggles by googling "steve hixon" with the word Monsanto. A wonderful lady named Linn Cohen-Cole (yupfarming.blogspot.com) has befriended us and has written many more poignant articles than I could ever write. Thanks to all the bloggers out there who have re-printed or linked Linn's articles about my dad and gotten his story out.

And since I've never signed a Monsanto Technology Agreement forbidding me to speak against them publicly... From the bottom of my heart I want all 176,000 of your employees to know you're all a bunch of evil bastards without souls destroying this precious planet more and more everyday.

Love, Vanessa