PERCY SCHMEISER The Farmer who Fought Monsanto KSVY 91.3 fm 9:00 am TUESDAY

[Veronica]

On Tuesday, October 11, at 9:00 am, Percy Schmeiser will be live in the studio on KSVY 91.3 FM



Percy (74, a canola farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada) and his wife Louise are in Sonoma County supporting the YES ON M (GE Free) campaign.



Tune in to 91.3 fm or stream the interview at www.ksvy.org.



For years Percy saved and used his own seed, developing his own variety that was tolerant to local farming conditions. During our interview Tuesday, he will tell us what happened when genetically engineered canola was found on his land, the ensuing legal battle with Monsanto which cost Percy his life savings, and the Canadian Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.





From his website: https://www.percyschmeiser.com/



Excerpt from Macleans Magazine May 17, 1999. Article by Mark Nichols

"For 40 years, Percy Schmeiser has grown canola on his farm near Bruno, Sask., about 80 km east of Saskatoon, usually sowing each crop of the oil-rich plants with seeds saved from the previous harvest. And he has never, says Schmeiser, purchased seed from the St. Louis, Mo.-based agricultural and biotechnology giant Monsanto Co. Even so, he says that more than 320 hectares of his land is now "contaminated" by Monsanto's herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready canola, a man made variety produced by a controversial process known as genetic engineering. And, like hundreds of other North American farmer, Schmeiser has felt the sting of Monsanto's long legal arm: last August the company took the 68-year-old farmer to court, claiming he illegally planted the firm's canola without paying a $37-per-hectare fee for the privilege. Unlike scores of similarly accused North American farmers who have reached out-of-court settlements with Monsanto, Schmeiser fought back. He claims Monsanto investigators trespassed on his land -- and that company seed could easily have blown on to his soil from passing canola-laden trucks. "I never put those plants on my land," says Schmeiser. "The question is, where do Monsanto's rights end and mine begin?"

Additionally, the seed that Percy spent years developing had to be destroyed. It was contaminated by Monsanto's Roundup Ready canola being released uncontrolled into the environment. Percy is now unable to use his seed again, and views that as one of the hardest things to happen and accept as a farmer. His lifetime of work is gone.

The Schmeisers have stood up to Monsanto because they feel they have done nothing wrong. They believe in the rights of farmers to save and reuse their own seed...a practice that Percy followed for 55 years. They feel strongly about freedom of speech and expression, and are concerned about Monsanto's ability to suppress people and turn one farmer against another. Through this experience they also have learned a lot about the safety of food and the effects of genetically altered plants on the environment.

Please join us at 9:00 am Tuesday, October 11th, Mornings in Sonoma with Mike and Veronica on KSVY 91.3 FM, or online at www.ksvy.org