Category Archives: 344

GM Alfalfa Day of Action – April 9, 2013

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Locals taking part in the GM Alfalfa Day of Action:

Bruce Local 320 – Rally will be held outside local MP offices. Details TBA. For more information, contact Linda Baumberger at 519-832-2953.

Grey Local 344 – Rally in Owen Sound, Office of Larry Miller, MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, 1131 2nd Avenue East. Contact Philip Woodhouse at 519 599 5041 or pwoodhouse9@gmail.com.

Hastings, Prince Edward, Northumberland Local 334 – Rally will be held outside the office of Daryl Kramp MP – Prince Edward Hastings. Details TBA. For more information, contact John Della Bosca at 613 471-1234 or johndb@xplornet.ca.

Perth, Oxford Local 341 – Rally against the release of GM alfalfa from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at the Stratford Constituency Office of Gary Schellenberger, MP for Perth Wellington, 544 Huron St., Stratford. For more information contact local president, George Stevers, at 519-393-6855 or local secretary, Ann Slater, 519-349-2448 or aslater@quadro.net.

Next Meeting

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Date: March 13, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Grey Ag Services Center, Markdale.

Guest speaker Kelly Rogers from Chatsworth Honey on beekeeping. Contact local president, Phillip Woodhouse, 519-599-5041 for more information.

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Stop GMO Alfalfa

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Urgent Action Alert from the National Farmers Union – Grey Local 344 and Region 3 (Ontario):

Stop industry plans to pave the way for the commercial release of GM Alfalfa in Ontario!

Protest! Wednesday, October 24, 2012: 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Outside the Delta Hotel Kitchener-Waterloo, 105 King Street, (corner of King and Fredrick Streets) Kitchener, the site of an industry meeting on GM alfalfa.

Why? The Canadian Seed Trade Association is holding a workshop to pave the way for the release of genetically modified alfalfa in eastern Canada. The goal is to develop a “coexistence” plan for GM alfalfa but farmers know “coexistence” is impossible. Since alfalfa is pollinated by bees, GM alfalfa will cross pollinate with non-GM and organic alfalfa, threatening the livelihoods of family farmers in Ontario.

Prairie farmers have already rejected GM alfalfa so the industry is trying to find a way to make GM alfalfa available in eastern Canada. GM alfalfa will not benefit Ontario farmers.
Bring your banners. Bring your voices. Together we can stop the release of GM alfalfa in Ontario.

This protest call out was issued by the National Farmers Union Grey Local 344 and Region 3 (Ontario). For details please contact Charlie Nixon at 519-363-2781 or see www.cban.ca/alfalfa.

Why is GM alfalfa such an urgent concern? Alfalfa is a perennial crop pollinated by bees, therefore GM contamination is inevitable. If genetically modified (GM) herbicide tolerant (Roundup Ready) alfalfa is released in Ontario it will have negative impacts on many different types of farmers and farming systems, both conventional and organic. Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) resistant weeds are becoming more common in southwestern Ontario. Another glyphosate tolerant crop will make it more difficult for farmers to control weeds in their crops and to plan their crop rotations.
Why is Alfalfa Important? Alfalfa (harvested as hay) is used as high-protein feed for animals like dairy cows, beef cattle, lambs, poultry and pigs and is also used to build up nutrients in the soil, making it particularly important for organic farming. If introduced, GM alfalfa would ruin export markets for alfalfa products and threaten the future organic food and farming in the North America.