by

Scotts/Miracle Grow Fined 4.5 Million for Toxic Bird Seed

Well, it’s kind of old news by now but I wanted to include some info about it here, not only for my own record-keeping purposes but also to let anyone who hasn’t heard about this know.

I first read about the National Wildlife Federation’s plan to partner up with Scotts-Miracle Gro on Margaret Roach’s blog, A Way To Garden, in late January.

Naturally, (no pun intended – really) gardeners across the country were up in arms (to put it mildly) at the thought of the NWF, who claims to  “protect and defend wildlife and the wild places they need to survive” getting into bed with the toxic nightmare that is Scotts.

Petitions were circled and gardeners and environmentalists helped get the word out.

The idea that the NWF, of all organizations, could team up with the corporation behind Miracle Gro and other harmful “lawn care products” just felt like a total sellout and a complete betrayal on NWF’s part.  These two companies couldn’t be more diametrically opposed in their ethics, missions, and purposes.  How the NWF could even consider this is beyond me.  It really frightens me to think that so many things seem to go the way of big business at the risk of sacrificing the standards and ideals they supposedly uphold!

Many garden bloggers proudly display the “Certified Wildlife Habitat” badge sponsored by the NWF.  These folks have put thought and effort into creating a backyard habitat that protects, nurtures, and provides for wildlife.  Several of them vowed to remove those badges and signs should this partnership go through.

A few days ago I learned from Dave over at Our Happy Acres that the deal is off…and WHY.

It turns out Scotts was just fined 4.5 million buckaroos for selling chemically treated bird seed – KNOWINGLY selling toxic bird seed, that is.

According to this article, Scotts has “pleaded guilty to charges that it sold 73 MILLION UNITS of tainted bird seed from 2005 to 2008. According to an article in today’s Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, the company continued to sell the bird seed “despite warnings in the summer and fall of 2007 from a pesticide chemist and an ornithologist, both of whom worked for the company.”

Horrific.  Utterly horrific.    The article goes on to say:  “The company, many folks believe, must have known this ruling in federal court was coming down for several months. The timing of the sponsorship with the National Wildlife Federation, announced by NWF on Jan. 18, was clearly designed to draw attention away from what is believed to be the largest fine ever levied on a pesticide company.”

I’m glad they’ve been called out on it, and I’m glad the deal with NWF is off.  It’s just truly a shame this had to happen at all…chemically treated food for wildlife…the NWF considering such a partnership in the first place…I’m hoping they’ll get such an earful about this from their membership / the public that they’ll keep their priorities straight and forget the idea of teaming up with the likes of Scotts anytime in the future.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to create safe habitats for all sorts of wildlife in your own backyard, Donna over at Garden’s Eye View has included some information and helpful links mid-way through this post.

As always, spread the word.  A lot of gardeners out there might be aware of the harmful “gardening” products that Scotts makes, but there are plenty of people who don’t garden but feed birds and other wildlife that should know about them!

by

The Faces Behind Our Organic Food

In case you are interested in checking them out, I wanted to show the faces of the farmers who came to present their case against Monsanto at NYC’s City Hall on Tuesday morning.

It is so important to know where our food comes from…having the chance to meet the people who actually grow it is a real privilege.

Last summer I was able to take a trip upstate to visit Windflower Farm, the farm that supplies our CSA program.  How wonderful it was to see the farm firsthand and meet the people who grow our food – the farmer, employees, apprentices, and the Mexican family who live and work there year round.  It was great to meet the people and see firsthand what they do and what’s involved with growing our produce  –  how and where they plant the seeds, how they manages the greenhouses, how they rotate the crops, how seedlings get transplanted (2 people sitting bent over – for hours at a time –  on a tractor attachment that moves along slowly allowing them to transplant into rows), what’s involved with harvesting, checking out equipment and learning about maintenance, how they are developing ways to run tractors off of battery power…boxing the food up for the CSA customers…hearing about the local artist they hire to drive all the produce down to NYC twice/week…

It all went a long way to making me feel much more connected to them and to the food, having seen where  (and who!) it literally comes from.

Most people aren’t lucky enough to meet the people who grow their food.  That’s why I wanted to put these face out here…these farmers came from all over the country – and Canada – to present their case against Monsanto and garner our support.  They are just some of the people who want to continue to grow safe, healthy food for us – and are now struggling to do so because of Monsanto:  (I highly recommend that you click on the first image – it will then enlarge into a slideshow that you can click through.)

Enjoy…