Friday, May 31, 2013

Police Brutality Breaks Out at Late Bloom Occupy Istanbul, Turkey


Friday, May 31, 2013


Photo: European Pressphoto Agency


What started out today as a peaceful sit-in protest to save trees in Gezi Park in central Istanbul's Taksim Square ended in serious injuries, chaos and destruction. Police in riot gear and gas masks led a dawn raid against demonstrators, firing tear gas bombs and watercannons at the crowds. A Facebook message to us reports that it is about more than just trees - the people are tired of police state bully tactics.

Government renovation was going to uproot the trees "to make way for a replica Ottoman army barracks and a shopping mall" -- protesters say this is the last green space in Istanbul center. Peaceful demonstrations began on Monday and at some point, a court order delayed the uprooting. Police raids dispersed the gathering literally firing tear gas canisters at the people. Pictures of the ammunition flying out can be seen here.



Twelve people are seriously injured, six have brain injuries including an Egyptian tourist now having surgery for brain hemorrhaging. A Reuters photographer was also injured. Hundreds are suffering with respiratory complications from the gas.


Police chases compelled people to climb a wall to escape tear gas clouds, and injuries also occurred there when it collapsed.


The dawn raid was the latest in a series of aggressive crackdown on protests. Human rights activists frequently accuse Turkish police of using inordinate force to break up protests and of excessively using tear gas and pepper spray against protesters.
Why is it being called a late bloom Occupy wave? Other reports are hinting that there is more behind the clashes. Reportedly, the protest grew into 5,000 (a Facebook-er reports 10,000 in gatherings below) and spilled into the capital Ankara.
'The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part' said John Dalhuisen, Director of Europe and Central Asia Programme at Amnesty International.
'The use of tear gas against peaceful protestors and in confined spaces where it may constitute a serious danger to health is unacceptable, breaches international human rights standards and must be stopped immediately.' (source)
Protests were also held in a dozen other cities, including one that drew thousands in the third-largest city of Izmir, reports said.
A Facebook friend, Basak, sent us the following message offering some activist ideas:
Dear friends all around the world, 
something brave and significant is happening in Istanbul, Turkey. 
A late blooming Occupy wave one might call it. 
Citizens tired of a bullying government with its corrupt management of public spaces and reckless abuse of land are coming together to protect a public park in the heart of the Istanbul which is under the threat of being demolished so the 94th shopping mall can be built in its place. People are holding in spite of the brutal attacks by the police (today's attack was at 5am in the morning one shall point out! including tear gas bombs, burning the tents, hospitalizing a person...). It is the 3rd day now, more than 10,000 people have gathered in the park! 
Meanwhile, public spaces are being sold to hotels, precious ecosystems are being wasted for more industry, power plants, 3rd bridge over Bosphorus! 
This has become a matter about more than just saving trees. This is an 'I can do whatever I damn well want', fascist mentality that not only supresses but attacks its own people. 
To make matters worse, media channels are being censored so as not to display the news.
#direngeziparki is now the 2nd worldwide trending topic on Twitter. 
Please help us to share this message and stop Erdogan's ruthless, inhumane acts. 
What you can do:
- Forward this message to everyone you know
- Send your support messages through twitter with the #direngeziparki hashtag
- Tag @bbc @cnn @reuters and other large media channels in these posts
- Post this message on facebook
- Let your local and national media channels know
Please help spread the news globally.
We need all the support we can get now. 
Thank you.

A Tweet displayed by the RT report shows the hashtag trend #direngeziparki further proving that when there is a potential corporate-run media blackout or blur, social media tools are invaluable.  


If any of you are in the area, please let us know how you are faring and what you have seen.

Other Reports, Footage, and Updates:

Read Other Articles by Activist Post
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Reagan's Chickens Home to Roost?

From:  RSN

By William Boardman, Reader Supported News
22 May 13

he guilty get some breathing room, but not safety yet
Former members of the Reagan administration are breathing easier, now that they are somewhat less likely to face criminal charges for their part in the Guatemalan genocide of 1982-1983, supported by Reagan policies.
The threat that former officials might be held accountable for genocidal policies of the Reagan administration increased on May 10, when a Guatemalan lower court convicted the country's former president, General Efrain Rios Montt, 86, of genocide and crimes against humanity for his part in the killing of thousands of Guatemalan civilians.
Rios Montt's conviction and sentence included an order by Judge Iris Yassmin Barrios to Attorney General Paz Y Paz to further investigate everyone else involved in Rios Montt's crimes, an investigation that would include many Guatemalans including the country's current president, as well as U.S. military advisors, the CIA and other American agents, and Washington officials like Elliott Abrams and others directly involved in supporting the Guatemalan governmental genocide.
But this threat of prosecution for accessories and accomplices to genocide didn't last long, as Guatemala's highest court, the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, ruled by a vote of 3-2 on May 20 that the lower court's proceedings going back to April 19 were dismissed, thus annulling the verdict.

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Oklahoma guns exempted from federal rules in bill OK'd by House panel

From:  NewsOK


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Guns and ammunition manufactured and kept in Oklahoma would not be subject to federal laws or regulations under a bill that a House panel approved Wednesday.
photo - Representative Sean Roberts presents HB 1621, a gun bill, to the House committee at the capitol, Wednesday, February 20, 2013. Photo By David McDaniel
Representative Sean Roberts presents HB 1621, a gun bill, to the House committee at the capitol, Wednesday, February 20, 2013. Photo By David McDaniel

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Oklahoma guns exempted from federal rules in bill OK'd by House panel
Feb 20Oklahoma's House Public Safety Committee passes a new...
The so-called Firearms Freedom Act was one of two gun bills that the House Public Safety Committee passed. Another bill that sailed through the committee would allow private schools to develop their own rules and regulations on whether teachers and school visitors could be armed.
Both measures now proceed to the House Calendar Committee, which will determine whether the bills will be scheduled for a vote in the full House.
Rep. Sean Roberts, who sponsored the Firearms Freedom Act, said Oklahoma would join eight other states that already have passed similar measures. He said bills currently are pending in more than two dozen other states.
“Right now there are many federal regulations that are being proposed, and as far as the federal government's role based on the Constitution, we have the right in our state to regulate our own products that don't involve interstate commerce,” said Roberts, R-Hominy. “Basically, anything made in Oklahoma and stamped `Made in Oklahoma,' it would allow us not to be regulated under the federal guidelines.”

The bill passed on a 13-0 vote. It states that any firearm, accessory or ammunition that is manufactured in Oklahoma and remains within the borders of the state “is not subject to federal law, federal taxation or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of the United States Congress to regulate interstate commerce.”
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Oklahoma House Approves Bills on Armed Teachers, Nullification of 'Obamacare'

From:  Yahoo News 

By  | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Wed, Mar 13, 2013

The current Oklahoma legislative session convened on Feb. 4. Both branches of the legislature have been busily considering proposed changes to Oklahoma law, from Gov. Mary Fallin's request to a reduction in the state income tax rate to bills that were approved today by the House of Representatives.
Measure Allowing Oklahoma Public Schools to Allow Armed Teachers in Classrooms
House Bill 1062 , the Special Reserve School Resource Officer Act, was introduced by Rep. Mark McCullough , R-District 30, and introduced on the first day of the 2013 legislative session. The proposed legislation would allow public schools in the state to determine for themselves if they want armed teachers in the classrooms.
If the bill is passed through the state senate as it stands, schools would have to option to pay for teachers to receive a minimum of 120 hours of training to be able to carry a gun in school. The training will be provided by the state's Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training through a specialized program to be designed for the volunteer teachers.
A vote on the measure in the House today passed 6-23 over objections by some representatives about the safety and liability of having armed teachers in schools, even with training. Rep. Cory Williams , D-District 34, told the AP , "This sounds like bargain basement security for kids."
McCullough voiced his intentions to push for a $500,000 appropriation to school districts to pay for the training of up to 250 volunteers.
The measure will now go to the state senate for consideration.
Measure Preventing Enforcement of Affordable Care Act in Oklahoma
House Bill 1021 , introduced as a public health and safety concern by Rep. Mike Ritze , R-District 80, and titled "Preventing Enforcement of Certain Federal Health Care Acts," passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives today by a vote of 72-20. Today, the measure became authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm , R-District 33, for the senate's consideration.
TheRepublic.com reported that Ritze continues to believe the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to the contrary and that most Oklahomans oppose what is often referred to as "Obamacare."
Removed from H.B. 1021 was a provision that would have made it a felony, punishable with up to five years in prison, for anyone in the state to follow the laws of the Affordable Care Act.
Measure to Decrease State Income Tax Rate
On Tuesday, the House passed House Bill 2032 , with a vote of 65-30. H.B. 2032, introduced byHouse Speaker T.W. Shannon , R-District 62, would cut the state's top income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent, a plan backed by Fallin, a Republican.
The Associated Press reported that an analysis of what the cut in the income tax rate would mean in dollars and cents to state coffers showed that a loss of $50 million in the fiscal year 2014 which begins July 1, 2013 and a loss of $130 million in fiscal year 2015. Opponents of the tax decrease voiced concerns about cuts and losses in state services with the loss of income to Oklahoma from the income tax.
Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.


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Oklahoma House Votes to Nullify Obamacare, 72-20

From:  Tenth Amendment Center 

by  on March 13, 2013


OKLAHOMA CITY (March 13, 2013) – Nullification of Obamacare in Oklahoma took a step closer to reality Wednesday when the Oklahoma House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would nullify the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
HB1021 declares Obamacare unconstitutional and calls on the Oklahoma legislature to take action to prevent implementation of the federal health care plan in the Sooner State.
It shall be the duty of the Legislature of this state to adopt and enact any and all measures as may be necessary to prevent the enforcement of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010” within the limits of this state.
The bill passed 72-20 and will now move on to the State Senate.
Oklahoma Liberty executive director Mark Kreslins said bill sponsor Rep. Mike Ritze, along with States’ Rights Committee chairman Rep. Lewis Moore, Rep. Dan Fisher and Rep. John Enns all delivered passionate floor speeches prior to the vote, calling on their fellow representatives to step up, and rein in an out of control and tyrannical federal government.
Kreslins also credited strong grass roots support for pushing the bill through.
“This is a great day for nullification and for the liberty movement with the overwhelming victory of HB 1021,” he said. “We want to extend a huge ‘thank you’ to everybody who came out Tuesday to the liberty rally and then talked to your representatives on behalf of the bill. This victory would not have possible without you.”
Ritze said states have to step up and stop the federal government from completely running over the most basic rights of the people and their states.
“Thomas Jefferson made it perfectly clear in the Kentucky Resolution of 1799 when he wrote; ‘That if those who administer the general government be permitted to transgress the limits fixed by that compact, by a total disregard to the special delegations of power therein contained, annihilation of the state governments, and the erection upon their ruins, of a general consolidated government, will be the inevitable consequence.’”
Senator Nathan Dahm will serve as the bill’s primary sponsor in the Senate. It has not been assigned a committee at this time.
Editor’s Note: Next week in South Carolina, Water E. Williams will be testifying on behalf of H3101, a bill to nullify Obamacare in that state.  Details HERE
ACTION ITEMS
1. Contact your senator: If you live in Oklahoma, contact your senator and ask him/her to support HB1021.
Find your senator’s contact info HERE.
2. Share this information widely. Please pass this along to your friends and family. Also share it with any and all grassroots groups you’re in contact with around the state. Please encourage them to email this information to their members and supporters.
3. Join the Nullify Obamacare group on facebook. Get involved with like-minded people in your state and report back to others on any feedback you get when in contact with your representative.

LEGISLATION AND TRACKING
If you would like to see model legislation to introduce in your state to nullify state health care exchanges, please see The Tenth Amendment Center’s Model Legislation: Model Legislation: Nullify Obamacare in 4 Steps
Track the status of federal health care nullification legislation in states around the country HERE
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St. Louis Police Shoot Black Honor Student 25 Times


By Aviva Shen on May 30, 2013 at 11:45 am


Cary Ball Jr, left, and family
Protesters rallied in St. Louis, MO on Wednesday over the death of 25-year-old Cary Ball Jr, who was shot 25 times by police officers last month. Police say Ball refused to pull over for a traffic stop, eventually crashed into a parked car, and started running. According to police, Ball pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the officers, prompting them to open fire.
Several witnesses who spoke to the family, however, say Ball threw his gun on the ground and was walking toward police with his hands up to surrender when he was shot. Some unverified reports say 7 of the 25 shots hit him in the back. Police say there was no surveillance video in the area to verify exactly what happened.
Ball was an honor student with a 3.86 GPA, majoring in human services at Forest Park Community College, where he had been celebrated as an “emerging scholar.” According to family and friends, Ball was working to reform his life after being convicted of armed robbery when he was 17. His older brother, Carlos Ball, said Cary probably ran from the police because, as an ex-convict, it was illegal for him to possess a gun.
The two officers have been placed on administrative leave as homicide detectives investigate the shooting, but this is hardly the first time questions have been raised over the St. Louis Police Department’s conduct. In February, a city cop was accused of choking a man in a wheelchair, who was then arrested immediately after testifying at the officer’s disciplinary hearing. A video showing a cop beating and pepper-spraying a man went viral in 2011, revealing that the cop had stayed on the force despite multiple lawsuits alleging brutality.  MORE
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Why did the FBI execute my boy?' Father of Boston bomber's friend displays gruesome photos of his son's corpse showing unarmed man was shot SEVEN times during questioning - including once in the back of the head

From:  MailOnline 
  • Ibragim Todashev, 27, reportedly turned violent during an FBI interview 
  • He did not have a knife as previously said 
  • He had allegedly confessed to the FBI that he and Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev had played a role in a triple slaying in the Boston area in 2011
  • Todashev, from Chechnya, was shot dead by the agent just after midnight on May 22
  • Todashev had met Tsarnaev while he was living in Boston and last spoke him about a week before the bombing

PUBLISHED: 22:08 EST, 29 May 2013 | UPDATED: 03:56 EST, 31 May 2013

The father of Ibragim Todashev, who was shot by an FBI agent a week ago while being quizzed over his links to the Boston bombers, revealed the extent of his son's injuries in gruesome photographs of his dead body today.
Outspoken Abdul-Baki Todashev called for an investigation and possible legal action against the agent involved at a press conference in Moscow where he showed the images of his son's body lying in a morgue with up to seven gunshot wounds, including one to the back of the head. 
His angry calls for justice came as a report claimed the 27-year-old native Chechen was unarmed in the clash with a federal agent in Florida on May 22. 
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
Anger: Abdulbaki Todashev says his unarmed son was shot up to seven times including once to back of the head
Anger: Abdulbaki Todashev says his unarmed son was shot up to seven times including once to back of the head
Gruesome: The father showed images of his son's bullet-riddled body laying in a Florida morgue
Gruesome: The father showed images of his son's bullet-riddled body laying in a Florida morgue
Previous reports claimed the US citizen went for the agent with a knife while being interrogated in his home. 
However, a report by the Washington Post yesterday cited law enforcement officials saying he had no weapon. 
 

More...

He allegedly did become violent when police quizzed him over links to Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an unsolved 2011 triple homicide but he did not have a knife as previously claimed. 
'Today I want justice. I want an investigation, so that these people (the FBI) are sued under US laws,' he said.
'These are not FBI agents. These are bandits and they must appear in court.'
He said he received the 16 images of his son's body from a friend in the US.
 
Graphic: Todashev said he had been emailed 16 images of his son's corpse from a friend in Florida
Graphic: Todashev said he had been emailed 16 images of his son's corpse from a friend in Florida
Shot dead: The father called for justice in the shooting of his son who was a US citizen
Shot dead: The father called for justice in the shooting of his son who was a US citizen
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Japan halts imports of U.S. wheat after USDA's shock finding of genetic pollution from GMOs



Friday, May 31, 2013
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger



(NaturalNews) It has already begun: Japan has just cancelled a large contract to purchase U.S. wheat. "We will refrain from buying western white and feed wheat effective today," Toru Hisadome, a Japanese farm ministry official in charge of wheat trading, told Reuters.

As many readers well know, I predicted precisely this scenario just yesterday in a Natural News article warning about the consequences of genetic pollution. There, I wrote, "All wheat produced in the United States will now be heavily scrutinized -- and possibly even rejected -- by other nations that traditionally import U.S. wheat. This obviously has enormous economic implications for U.S. farmers and agriculture."

Now we're already seeing the result: the ditching of U.S. wheat by world nations that want nothing to do with GMOs.


Monsanto is a ticking time bomb for U.S. agriculture


This proves, without any question, that Monsanto's genetic experiments which "escaped" into commercial wheat fields are now going to devastate U.S. wheat farmers. Expect the floor to drop out on wheat prices, and watch for a huge backlash against the USDA by U.S. farmers who stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars on this.

As the USDA has now admitted, Monsanto's GMO experiments from 1998 - 2005 were held in open wheat fields. The genetically engineered wheat escaped and found its way into commercial wheat fields in Oregon (and possibly 15 other states), causing self-replicating genetic pollution that now taints the entire U.S. wheat industry.

"Asian consumers are keenly sensitive to gene-altered food, with few countries allowing imports of such cereals for human consumption," writes Reuters. It continues:

Asia imports more than 40 million tonnes of wheat annually, almost a third of the global trade of 140-150 million tonnes. The bulk of the region's supplies come from the United States, the world's biggest exporter, and Australia, the No. 2 supplier.


Another incredible Monsanto achievement: the genetic contamination of the U.S. wheat supply


Nice job, Monsanto. You've managed to spew your genetic pollution across the fields of innocent U.S. farmers who are now going to lose huge sums of money due to the reject of U.S. wheat by all the other world nations that refuse to feed their populations GMO.

And a big thumbs up to the USDA, too, for screwing U.S. farmers by green-lighting open-field GMO experiments that we all warned were going to result in runaway genetic pollution. The USDA, of course, is the official cheerleading squad for Monsanto's criminal "science" that we all know is a total fraud. How do these scientists now suggest this self-replicating genetic pollution be put back into the black box from which it emerged?

It can't be done, of course. So now the entire future of the U.S. wheat supply is at risk thanks to Monsanto and the USDA. Nice one, folks. Score another victory for the scumbag destroyers in Washington D.C. and the greed-driven executives at our favorite corporation, Monsanto.

And remember: Genetically modified wheat is only the beginning. Monsanto has no doubt unleashed genetic pollution across many other crops as well. We're now living in an age where Monsanto is essentially ejaculating its patented seed across all the farms of America, then claiming to "own" the contaminated crops. What a wonderful image of corporate responsibility and service to humankind. I can't wait to see what other U.S. crops will be rejected by world nations due to Monsanto's genetic pollution.

Sources for this story include:

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The Russians Prove Small Scale Organic CAN Feed the World



If you’ve already been through an economic collapse, you might know a thing or two about how to feed your family with little money. More importantly, you might know how to do it without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and GMO seed. On a total of about 20 million acres managed by over 35 million Russian families, Russians are carrying on an old-world technique, which we Americans might learn from. They are growing their own organic crops - and it’s working.
According to some statistics, they grow 92% of the entire countries’ potatoes, 77% of its vegetables, 87% of its fruit, and feed 71% of the entire population from privately owned, organic farms or house gardens all across the country. These aren’t huge Agro-farms run by pharmaceutical companies; these are small family farms and less-than-an-acre gardens.
A recent report from Agro-ecology and the Right to Food says that organic and sustainable small-scale farming could double food production in the parts of the world where hunger is the biggest issue. Within five to 10 years we could see a big jump in crop cultivation. It could also take the teeth out of GMO business in the US.



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Thursday, May 30, 2013

10 Ways to Starve a Multi-National GMO Conglomerate



Daisy Luther


Monsanto seems intent on taking over the food supply of the entire world. Their sterile, toxic seeds are in every corner of the globe. Hungary recently made headlines for burning 1000 acres of fields of GMO crops to the ground.Dozens of nations have banned, or at the very least, regulated, GMO crops and products. The heat is on the monolithic seed corporation, and it’s time to turn the temperature up even more in North America. The federal government has made no secret of their support of Monsanto, so it’s up to us, the consumers, to starve them out.

The best way to do that, according to the founder of Eat Local Grown, Rick Davis, is to “Starve Monsanto, feed a farmer.”

Every dollar we put into the pockets of small farmers is a dollar that Monsanto doesn’t receive. By cutting off the funding for Monsanto through consumer choices, we can starve this beast out.

Davis is passionate about the place of farmer’s markets in this checkout counter revolution:

Money is all that matters. So let’s use our money more wisely to get the changes we want. First step- stop buying GMO and conventionally grown food. Move those dollars to supporting local sustainable farmers! 
I realize that’s difficult and impossible for many. But if we had a shift of just 10% of peoples shopping income going to Farmers Markets it would make a HUGE difference. The sad reality is that most small family farms are required to have at least one family member work outside of the farm just to make ends meet. It’s not because they don’t do a good job growing healthy food, it’s because there’s just not enough awareness of the benefits (nutrition, helping the environment, building community, etc).


Every bite of food that you feed your family is a vote, either for Monsanto and their GMOs, or against them. This means that every single one of us can effect the necessary change by voting with our forks and wallets.

We can all take steps to grow at least some of the food that we consume, through traditional gardens, containers on the patio or balcony, or even a sunny window. But for city dwellers or those who live in an area otherwise not conducive to farming, it isn’t feasible to think that they can grow every single bite that they eat. Not to worry, though, because activism is as easy as heading to your local farmer’s market instead of the grocery store. (You can find farmer’s markets in your areaHERE.)

Here are 10 ways to starve a multi-national GMO conglomerate even when you don’t have room to farm – and the best news of all is that ANYONE can get started as soon as lunch time!

  1. Stop shopping at grocery stores. With farmer’s markets, roadside stands in the country, vegetable gardens,privately owned butcher shops, and mail order sources for bulk purchases of organic grains, there is no reason you need to ever set foot in another chilly, fluorescent-lit, chemical warfare zone again!
  2. Eat seasonally. Seasonal eating has a host of benefits. It’s healthier, it’s cheaper, and it’s far easier to find in-season foods locally grown.
  3. Join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically when you join a CSA, you are buying shares in the harvest. This is a great way to support local farmers. You pay in advance and then as the harvest comes in, it is divided among shareholders. Each CSA is different – some divvy up only produce, while others share eggs and dairy products as well.
  4. Make the farmer’s market a weekly destination. Grab the kids and some reusable bags and head out to your local farmer’s market. Not only can you shop for vibrant, fresh-picked fruits and veggies, but many markets also offer home-baked goods, jams and jellies, and local meats. Be sure that you are buying directly from farmers, though. Some vendors buy from the same markets that the grocery stores do, which defeats the whole purpose. Talk to the vendor and learn about the origin of the offerings – you just may strike up a wonderful friendship!
  5. Buy directly from the farm. If you live in a more rural area, shopping locally can be as easy as visiting a neighboring farm. Some set up roadside stands, others rely on the honor system, and others have small shops with their freshly harvested offerings.
  6. Visit a pick-your-own farm. A great outing for the whole family is a pick-your-own farm. Even better, the price for fresh berries or apples is often lower when you provide your own labor. A morning spent in the field picking strawberries is both educational and a fun way to bond with your children. You can find a PYO farm in your area HERE.
  7. Learn to preserve food. Many of us live in a climate doesn’t allow for fresh harvests year-round. The good news is, you can acquire fresh produce in large quantities (like bushel baskets) for a far better price than a weekly supply. Canning, freezing, and dehydrating are three great ways to preserve that fresh picked goodness to enjoy in the middle of winter, while still avoiding the grocery store and it’s Monsanto-filled shelves.
  8. Join a food co-op. According to Localharvest.org, “Food cooperatives are worker or customer owned businesses that provide grocery items of the highest quality and best value to their members. Coops can take the shape of retail stores or buying clubs. All food coops are committed to consumer education, product quality, and member control, and usually support their local communities by selling produce grown locally by family farms.” Food co-ops can be found HERE and HERE.
  9. Support restaurants that buy locally. The locavore movement is catching on. If you choose to go out to dinner, opt for restaurants that have seasonal menus based on local harvests. You can find a list of such eateries HERE.
  10. Educate friends, family, and the local community. Extend the activism beyond your own kitchen by helping to promote the local options. Lots of people have no idea what to do with swiss chard or rutabagas. Volunteer to teach a cooking class that focuses on seasonal foods. Write up flyers to be inserted with co-op or CSA baskets with instructions on how to prepare that months’ harvest. Submit seasonal recipes to your local paper. Educate, educate, educate, on the benefits and importance of locally grown, non-GMO food.

Grass roots activism like Occupy Monsanto and the March Against Monsanto have built a tidal wave of momentum against the genetically modified ingredients contaminating our supplies. We, everyday, ordinary people, can keep the movement going by remembering that the real votes are counted at the cash register.

Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

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