Thursday, August 22, 2013

Thank You LA City Council!

From Left to Right:  Mike Bonin, David King & Paul Koretz with the
Letter of Appreciation for The Learning Garden.

This last Saturday, August 17th, The Learning Garden hosted a new organization's launch in Los Angeles:  Seed Freedom LA.  Seed Freedom was conceived in November 2012 in a meeting of many Los Angeles activists and Dr. Vandana Shiva to carry on with 'what's next' for the anti-genetically modified community in Los Angeles.  The organization's goal is to spear-head the drive to have Los Angeles City Council declare LA a GMO Free Zone - it will be illegal to grow genetically modified plants in Los Angeles in a way that non-GMO plants could be contaminated with the pollen of genetically modified plants.  In the past, industrial agriculture has maintained if their pollen spreads to your plants you are guilty of 'stealing' their technology when in truth most farmers who do not have GMO plants consider it a form of pollution.  This law will protect organic gardeners in their school, community or home gardens from having to wonder if their food has been contaminated with this untested technology.  

City Council Members Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz spoke to the several hundred folks gathered in the Garden and pledged their support for legalizing bee-keeping in Los Angeles and presented The Learning Garden with a Letter of Appreciation from LA City Council.  David King, the gardenmaster, noted in accepting the letter that it was addressed to the community of The Learning Garden and not to any one person and stressed that is how it should be as the garden is a community of many and it has taken everyone's effort to make the garden the success it is today.


Pretty good looking letter!