Homegrown Co-op

“Monsanto Company to Acquire Seminis, Inc., a Leading Vegetable and Fruit Seed Company

Acquisition Expected to Add Near-term Income Growth and Diversity to Monsanto’s Seed Portfolio

ST. LOUIS (Jan. 24, 2005) – Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Seminis, Inc., for $1.4 billion in cash and assumed debt… “

The news of Monsanto’s agreement to purchase Seminis has received little attention from the media other than the financial pages and a few seed industry and anti-globalization web sites. But then again, why should it? How many consumers – of food or seed – have even heard of Seminis? And yet, as Seminis spinmeister Gary Koppenjan said, “If you’ve had a salad, you’ve had a Seminis product.”

It is estimated that Seminis controls 40 percent of the U.S. vegetable seed market and 20 percent of the world market—supplying the genetics for 55 percent of the lettuce on U.S. supermarket shelves, 75 percent of the tomatoes, and 85 percent of the peppers, with strong holdings in beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and peas. The company’s biggest revenue source comes from tomato and peppers seeds, followed by cucumbers and beans.

http://www.seedalliance.org/Seed_News/SeminisMonsanto/

Two weeks has now gone by now since Florida experienced a record duration of freezing temperatures. As warmer temperatures return, the results of a full week at or below freezing temperatures make themselves obvious to our local farms.

The losses, as reported by some sources, is between 1/3 and 1/2 of all winter Florida crops. Some of the crops made out better than expected and others, it becomes obvious, are a total loss. As a local food cooperative, Homegrown is committed to helping our producing members quickly and confidently restore their family farms to the vibrant operations they were before the freeze. Thanks for your continued patronage of the Co-op and our local farming community. See the summary below for a preview of what to expect for the next couple of weeks for local produce.

Florida Crop Damage Summary from New Year’s Record Freeze Event:

*Citrus, it appears, has survived much better than expected. The “thick skin” orange and grapefruit crops have some damage and reduced yields but it looks like most of the groves survived. The “thin skin” citrus made up of tangerines and tangelos were badly damaged with total crop failure in many areas.

*Strawberries sustained some immediate losses and a portion of the plants were frozen beyond recovery, but the harvest has already resumed with excellent, sweet berries. Our local strawberry grower, Jordan Farms, has recovered nicely and is harvesting some exceptional fruit at a lower price point.

*Beans were damaged or destroyed in the more northern growing areas , but our Homestead grower looks like he will likely recover shortly with minimal to moderate loss. Yields will be lower for a period of time and some gaps in supply are possible. We expect beans to arrive by the end of this week.

*Zucchini and Yellow Squash for the most part were a complete loss, but a couple small fields survived with low harvest volumes expected. This is likely to last for the next 5-6 weeks.

*Bell Pepper it appears is nearly a total loss.  There is extensive damage and many farms have lost the total crop. Expect the price for local Green Bells to remain high. These peppers will be in very short to no supply in the near future.

*Leafy Greens are in the best condition of the Florida crops. They tend to have better cold tolerance. Following a short period to clean up the farms of the damaged plants, the lettuces, kales, and greens have begun to harvest once again. The volume will be down due to some plant losses and some gaps in supply are likely, but the harvest has once again resumed, and Florida lettuce and greens are available. The product quality is simply outstanding.

*Eggplant is badly damaged with many areas experiencing total losses. We have seen small volumes from the warmer farms being harvested at this time.

*Corn from our east coast grower has already begun light harvesting with significantly reduced yields. The long term damage to the crop has yet to be determined. Expect gaps and short supplies.

*Tomatoes appear to be the crop with the most damage. Most, if not all of the local organic tomato crops were severely damaged if not destroyed. Several Florida tomato growers have also found areas on their farms that made it through the freeze and they are picking some great LOCAL fruit. This is true not only for the large slicing tomatoes, but also the romas, grapes and cherry tomatoes.

*Cabbage was damaged slightly and the harvest delayed, but volumes of green cabbage should return to moderate levels shortly. Red cabbage is not currently harvesting at this time.

Please remember, this is an early report, and conditions can change quickly in agriculture.

As the harvests slowly resume, our LOCAL GROWERS are looking for all of our support to keep the farms alive and growing.

As Homegrown Co-op Members, we know they can count on your support.

turnip soup

Roasted Turnip and Greens Soup

2 bunches turnips with greens

3 medium shallots/onions/leeks and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

salt

6 cups stock

–

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Separate the tops from turnips. Toss cut turnips and shallots in olive oil and salt. Spread them on a baking dish and roast for an hour. Stir, don’t burn!

3. Chop green to bite-size. Cook in pan with olive oil and garlic on medium heat. When tender, add stock and simmer.

4. When roasting turnips are soft, place in the stock & greens. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add spice (rosemary, pepper) to taste.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida. (January 15, 2010)

Gov. Charlie Crist cited extensive losses for agriculture producers in all 67 Florida counties in seeking a disaster declaration for the entire state due to cold weather losses.

In a letter to Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, Crist said that 13 days with hours of below-freezing temperatures resulted in “a tremendous amount of damage” to all sectors of agriculture, including tropical fish and crops such as citrus, sweet corn, tomatoes, mangoes and strawberries.

Widespread cold-related damage has been reported in Polk County, the state’s top citrus producer, and in vegetable fields in Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

A disaster declaration for the state would give growers access to federal money to help recover from losses.

Damage assessments are under way, “but already I am receiving troubling reports of some areas being completely wiped out,” said Charles H. Bronson, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, in a letter to Crist

Nonprofit David Cuts Down Agribusiness Goliaths Dean Foods, Target Stumble—Being Forced to Correct Deceptive Practices

CORNUCOPIA, Wis. – December 14 – An investigation by the USDA’s National Organic Program has determined that Target Corporation wrongly used the image of a certified organic product when promoting the sale of a conventional product to consumers. The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy group and organic watchdog based in Wisconsin.

Read more…

Jerry Crawford, an Iowa lawyer and lobbyist with deep ties to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, recently registered as the Washington representative for Monsanto, a biotechnology and agrichemical giant that embodies the “special interests” President Obama planned to drive from the temple of federal government.

The Des Moines Register calls Crawford a “well-connected, high-profile Des Moines lawyer” and “Democratic power broker.”

Examine his record, and you see what the paper means. Crawford was once chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. He was the Iowa chairman for the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. In 2008, he was Hillary Clinton’s Midwest campaign chairman.

Of greater significance today, he is also a “longtime Vilsack friend and adviser,” a “Vilsack ally,” a “top Vilsack insider,” and “a guru for and a big friend of Gov. Tom Vilsack,” according to the Register. Read more…

Chicory: a delicious and spicy treat from the garden!

Chicory and White Bean Soup

Ingredients

* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 5 garlic cloves, smashed
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
* approximately 5 cups vegetable broth
* 1 pound chicory, torn into 2-inch pieces
* 16 oz. of white beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation

Cook onions in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and additional herbs and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in chicory and beans, then simmer, uncovered, until chicory is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then stir into remaining soup to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

– Read more…

The other face of Publix: why Publix continues to purchase tomatoes from growers tainted by last year’s brutal slavery prosecution.

We want Publix to make good on its promise to be, in the words of its mission statement, “involved as responsible citizens in our communities.”

You can protest Publix’s refusal to support tomato growers who today are implementing more ethical farm labor practices by refusing to shop at Publix.

One recent story from the picket line captures the very different narrative behind this other face of Publix. About a week ago, CIW members and local allies organized a protest in Tampa. The picket attracted the attention of many in the Tampa rush hour traffic, including one kindergarten teacher who was so moved that she stopped to join in. As a teacher in nearby Ruskin, she has many students whose parents are farmworkers, and so she sees daily the struggles of farmworker parents to provide for their children. As she walked with the picketers, she talked with members of the CIW delegation and heard their stories. Read more…

Farm work is one of the most dangerous occupations and worst paying jobs in the country.

Farmworkers endure impoverished living conditions, intensive physical labor, chronic pesticide exposure, racial discrimination and exploitation, deplorable wages with little or no benefits, and long working days in hazardous working conditions.  They generally live in labor camps or substandard housing.  Despite these hardships, farmworker families somehow retain a spirit of community, faith, and hope – surviving on pride and determination.

Did You Know?

• Farmworkers suffer the highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group

• Agriculture is consistently ranked among the five most hazardous occupations by the U.S. Department of Labor.

• In a single day’s labor during peak season, a typical farmworker handpicks, while leaning from a ladder, three and a half tons of oranges, or stoops to pick about 3,000 pounds of tomatoes

• In 2000, the median income for migrant and seasonal workers was $6,250, compared to $42,000 for U.S. workers overall

• Nearly three-quarters of U.S. farmworkers earn less than $10,000 per year and three out of five farmworker families have incomes below the poverty level

This year, farmworker families are suffering even greater hardships. Already living at the poverty level, many of them have been hard hit by the economic crisis – less work days in the fields and ferneries, reduced crop production, rising cost of food and housing – and many live in fear and intimidation because of racial profiling by law enforcement officials in their communities and by the reality of family members who have been deported, leaving single parents struggling alone.

At the Homegrown Co-op, we are grateful to know that our local farmers operate by good labor practices, but acknowledge that not all those who labor in our fields are so lucky. So this holiday season, we encourage you to think of those who work so hard to put food on your table, by helping them put good nutritious food on their family’s table this holiday.

Homegrown Co-op has teamed up with the Florida Farmworker Association as part of its Holiday Basket campaign. Community members may purchase a basket of locally grown produce from Homegrown Co-op, to be shared with families of farmworkers who are most in need of a nourishing meal this holiday season.

At Thanksgiving and Christmas, millions around the country sit down to dinner and give thanks for the food they are about to it. How many of us think about the hands that harvested that food, that made it possible for us to have an abundance of food to eat?

This year, support Florida Farmworkers with a gift of fresh food that is desparately needed. Visit the Homegrown Marketplace and click on BASKETS/GIFTS to reserve your produce basket as a gift to be delivered directly to a farmworker family in need. Thank you so much for your support.