Gardening and Other Acts of Defiance

I would argue that simple living is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do,
and gardening can be a big part of living a simpler, more sustainable life. 

In an act of total defiance I went to my first Seedy Saturday this spring. Our community hall was packed full of fans of all things gardening and agricultural. I haven't seen so many wonderful, non-conforming rebels gathered in one spot since attending a Renaissance Fair.

And nary a Monsanto representative to be seen... unless they had undercover Pinkerton agents infiltrate the event dressed as hippy organic back-to-the-landers.

It seems perfectly natural for neighbours to collect and share seeds among themselves. After all, humanity has been doing this since plants were first domesticated 10,000 years ago. Until now.

Today the trend is toward making the ancient practice of seed saving illegal in order to protect the profits of the modern makers of genetically altered seeds and associated products.

"Monsanto is big. You can’t win. We will get you. 

You will pay."

Many people have heard about Monsanto's all out war against seed-saving farmers, but may not know they are pressuring governments to create "seed police" to stop profit-threatening seed saving wherever it occurs.

"A new and restrictive law, put before the European Commission on May 6, creates new powers to classify and regulate all plant life anywhere in Europe. The law would make it illegal to grow, reproduce, or trade any vegetable seed not “tested, approved, and accepted” by the new “EU Plant Variety Agency.” The new agency would maintain a list of approved plants, requiring payment of annual fees to keep those plants on the list; otherwise, they cannot be grown. 

Several last-minute changes were made to the law following public outcry – mostly to allow home gardeners and small organizations with fewer than 10 employees to save/swap/sell unapproved vegetable seed – but nearly all varieties of heirloom vegetable seeds will be criminalized under the proposed law. This means the act of saving seeds from one generation to the next – a cornerstone of sustainable living – would become a criminal act." - source

Now is the time for defiance as we continue what will soon be labeled "guerrilla gardening". It is our right, it is sustainable, and it must be protected as a basic freedom.

Plus you get strawberries.

Consider joining the March Against Monsanto May 25th - everywhere. We can and will change the world together. Get more information here.