Health Impact News Editor Comments
Once again, Oregon seems to be the battleground state in the U.S. over the rights of consumers and farmers to produce healthy food without interference from Big Ag contaminating their farms.
Health Impact News recently reported about a proposed bill in the Oregon Legislature that would allow non-GMO farmers to sue biotech patent holders over trespass by their GMO crops if their crops drifted onto their farms, for example. (See: New Bill Would Allow Farmers To Sue Monsanto If GMO Crops Invade Their Property)
In 2014 in one Oregon county, Jackson County, citizens voted to ban GMO crops altogether, and so far have withheld legal challenges to the ban. (See: Oregon Citizens Overwhelming Vote to Enforce Ban on Cultivation of GMO Crops)
Recently, however, one organic farm in Sherman County, Oregon allegedly received a letter stating that they would be forced to spray their organic crops with toxic herbicides, such as Roundup Ready which contains glyphosate, to deal with what they perceive to be a toxic weed that needs to be eradicated from their farm.
An Organic Farm Under Threat!
Keep Azure Farm Organic.
by Nathan Stelzer
AzureStandard.com
Take action: email or call Sherman County Court today
and stop them from spraying our 2,000-acre Organic farm
with herbicides!
Azure Farms is a working, Certified Organic farm located in Moro, Central Oregon, in Sherman County. It has been Certified Organic for about 18 years. The farm produces almost all the organic wheat, field peas, barley, Einkorn, and beef for Azure Standard.
Sherman County is changing the interpretation of its statutory code from controlling noxious weeds to eradicating noxious weeds. These weeds include Morning Glory, Canada Thistle, and Whitetop, all of which have been on the farm for many years, but that only toxic chemicals will eradicate.
Organic farming methods – at least as far as we know today – can only control noxious weeds—it is very difficult to eradicate them.
What’s Happening?
Sherman County may be issuing a Court Order on May 22, 2017, to quarantine Azure Farms and possibly to spray the whole farm with poisonous herbicides, contaminating them with Milestone, Escort and Roundup herbicides.
This will destroy all the efforts Azure Farms has made for years to produce the very cleanest and healthiest food humanly possible. About 2,000 organic acres would be impacted; that is about 2.8 times the size of the City of London, England, and 1.5 times the size of the city center of Philadelphia that could be sprayed with noxious, toxic, polluting herbicides.
The county would then put a lien on the farm to pay for the expense of the labor and chemicals used.
Take Action Now
If you are concerned about where your food comes from, enjoy Organic and non-GMO food grown in the United States, and support organic farmers, contact Sherman County Court before May 22, 2017 (and preferably before May 17 when the next court discussion will be held).
Contact info:
- Via email at lhernandez@co.sherman.or.us or…
- Call Lauren at 541-565-3416.
Raise your voice and speak up for you and your families and communities.
This proposed action is completely unreasonable and would destroy an organic farm and pollute a massive area. If enough voices that benefit from organic produce speak up, the county will understand that there are people that care about their food NOT containing toxic chemicals. And if the supporters of healthy food can have a louder voice than the supporters of toxic chemicals, every politician will listen. PLEASE take action today and share this message. Overwhelm the Sherman County representatives with your voice.
Take Action Today
Email or call Sherman County via email at lhernandez@co.sherman.or.us or call Lauren at 541-565-3416.
Thank you for all your support and well wishes so far.
Above all, please take action directly today. If you would like more information on this, feel free to add your name below and we will be in touch.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Nathan Stelzer
Azure Farm Manager
One Comment