Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear - vanityfair.com

[OneBlueSky]

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear
by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
Vanity Fair, May 2008

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805

Gary Rinehart clearly remembers the summer day in 2002 when the stranger walked in and issued his threat. Rinehart was behind the counter of the Square Deal, his “old-time country store,” as he calls it, on the fading town square of Eagleville, Missouri, a tiny farm community 100 miles north of Kansas City.

The Square Deal is a fixture in Eagleville, a place where farmers and townspeople can go for lightbulbs, greeting cards, hunting gear, ice cream, aspirin, and dozens of other small items without having to drive to a big-box store in Bethany, the county seat, 15 miles down Interstate 35. Everyone knows Rinehart, who was born and raised in the area and runs one of Eagleville’s few surviving businesses. The stranger came up to the counter and asked for him by name. “Well, that’s me,” said Rinehart.

As Rinehart would recall, the man began verbally attacking him, saying he had proof that Rinehart had planted Monsanto’s genetically modified (G.M.) soybeans in violation of the company’s patent. Better come clean and settle with Monsanto, Rinehart says the man told him—or face the consequences.

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Scenes like this are playing out in many parts of rural America these days as Monsanto goes after farmers, farmers’ co-ops, seed dealers—anyone it suspects may have infringed its patents of genetically modified seeds. As interviews and reams of court documents reveal, Monsanto relies on a shadowy army of private investigators and agents in the American heartland to strike fear into farm country. They fan out into fields and farm towns, where they secretly videotape and photograph farmers, store owners, and co-ops; infiltrate community meetings; and gather information from informants about farming activities. Farmers say that some Monsanto agents pretend to be surveyors. Others confront farmers on their land and try to pressure them to sign papers giving Monsanto access to their private records. Farmers call them the “seed police” and use words such as “Gestapo” and “Mafia” to describe their tactics.

- more . . .

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805

[JohnyCanuck]

1. One Canadian farmer has not been taking their thuggish behavior lying down.

Schmeiser pleased with victory over Monsanto

In an out of court settlement finalized on March 19, 2008, Percy Schmeiser has settled his lawsuit with Monsanto. Monsanto has agreed to pay all the clean-up costs of the Roundup Ready canola that contaminated Schmeiser's fields. Also part of the agreement was that there was no gag-order on the settlement and that Monsanto could be sued again if further contamination occurred. Schmeiser believes this precedent setting agreement ensures that farmers will be entitled to reimbursement when their fields become contaminated with unwanted Roundup Ready canola or any other unwanted GMO plants.

http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

[NashVegas]

2. Rural America, Right Now, Is Getting So So Fucked

The next time you have a road trip to take, get on the secondary and tertiary routes, drive through those small towns and exurbs where most of the development has come in the last twenty years. What ought to stand out is how almost every town looks exactly alike now, thanks to the Corporate Branding of America.

Homogenous architecture is everywhere. You come to an intersection with a KFC on one corner, Wal-Greens across the street, right next to McDonald's arches and the Shell gas station logo. Wal-Mart and Home Depot are just down the road, there's an Applebees out front of them and you can't tell where you are by the landscape.

Corporate America is leeching anything resembling local control from the rural communities. They really need to have some informed people - lawyers and activist types - in those places.