I wanna kick Monsanto in the Jimmy. Fo' Real.
So there is this article about Monsanto suing another group of farmers. The link is here:
http://healthfreedoms.org/2010/06/18/monsanto-sues-oakhurst-dairy-over-advertising/
I am going to copy it here and put my commentary in bold. Because. Well. I can.
When I say treated milk vs untreated I am talking about cows that have been treated with rBST and those that have not. In this case, i am not discussing raw milk -vs- pasteurized milk.
*******
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Oakhurst Dairy Inc. is being sued by Monsanto Co., which alleges that Oakhurst’s marketing campaign that touts its milk as being free of artificial growth hormones is misleading. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, demands that Oakhurst stop advertising that it doesn’t sell milk from hormone-treated cows. It also asks that the dairy stop putting labels on its milk containers reading “Our Farmers’ Pledge: No Artificial Growth Hormones.” Monsanto officials said Oakhurst’s ads and labels are deceptive and disparage Monsanto’s products with the inference that milk from untreated cows is better than milk from hormone-treated cows.
Milk from untreated cows IS better for you than from treated cows. Not only is it better for you… there is a reason that those “farms” have to treat the cows- which then bring this conversation from merely a health chat to one that discusses the ethic of drinking milk from treated cows.
“We believe Oakhurst labels deceive consumers; they’re marketing a perception that one milk product is safer or of higher quality than other milk,” said Jennifer Garrett, director of technical services for Monsanto’s dairy business. “Numerous scientific and regulatory reviews throughout the world demonstrate that that’s unfounded. The milk is the same, and the amount of protein, fats, nutrients, etc. are all the same.”
The Numerous Studies they talk about are studies that they, or people they pay money to, have sponsored. If you look at independent studies they show that there are differences in the milk - large differences. For instance, in non-treated milk there is a higher percentage of Omega 3’s.
Monsanto created their rBST by combining cow DNA with E Coli. (how can that be good?) And it was the 1st genetically modified substance approved for the U.S. consumption by the FDA in 1993. So we, the US citizens can ingest it- but people in Canada, Japan, the EU, Australia, New Zealand and many more nations have banned the substance. Seriously.
Oakhurst President Stanley Bennett II said his dairy sells milk without artificial growth hormones because of consumer demands. Oakhurst about five years ago began buying milk only from farms that pledge in writing that they won’t use artificial hormones.
People should demand to know what is in our food. Why is it that the countries named above are able to access that information easily- because it is printed on the labels- but we, as Americans, have to spend hours upon hours digging for the information that is rightly ours.
This ploy by Monsanto is just another one that they, the USDA and the FDA have used to shut us up and take away more of our rights.
“On principle, it’s also a question of free speech,” Bennett said. “The world seems a little bit discombobulated when somebody attempts to prohibit you from trying to do the right thing.”
Artificial growth hormone is a genetically engineered veterinary drug given to cows to increase milk production. Another name for the drug is recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST.
Many people oppose the use of rBST, believing it is linked to breast cancer and premature puberty in children. But Monsanto and others argue that no such link exists. Canada and the European Union have banned the use of the hormone, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for use in the United States.
Have you heard Monsanto’s justification for this? Taken from several reports:
And how about IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1, the rBST byproduct that's associated with breast, prostate and colon cancer and may be in the milk?
"IGF-1 is [a] naturally occurring human hormone commonly measured in our saliva," writes Trent Loos, columnist for the Agribusiness weekly Feedstuffs on the rBST supporting web site www.igf-1-and-milk.com. "Every person who has ever been diagnosed with cancer has also had saliva. Does that mean that saliva causes cancer? NO. Furthermore, if parents are worried about the impact of milk consumption on their kids, are they keeping the kids locked away from the sun? Malignant melanoma [is] the most serious form of skin cancer." Reassured? Me, too.
Then there's the mastitis.
Occurrences of mastitis--udder infections--and lameness are so increased under rBST, a Canadian Veterinary Medical Association panel's report found, "Treated cows were at higher risk of being culled," and rBST was banned.
John Shumway, a Lowville, New York dairy farmer told an Albany newspaper he had to cull a quarter of his cows after using rBST for eight weeks.
And "cull chronically-infected cows," is actually one of the "general recommendations" Monsanto offers for mastitis management on its web site.
Not only does mastitis introduce antibiotic residues in milk and encourage antibiotic resistance, it has contributed to the wave of dairy downers seen in slaughterhouses in the last decade, food activists say
Some even claim the hopped up metabolic needs of rBST cows are what induced dairymen to feed downer cows to live ones in the macabre practice that transmitted mad cow disease.
So, you have a pile of sick/ dead cows.. then you should cut them up and feed them to cows that are well. But not only cows that are well- but other animals. This is one reason that we must cook meat to a certain degree- to kill all the bacteria. Did you know that you often don’t have to do that in other countries? Because this (and a couple of over practices are AGAINST THE LAW.)
Monsanto, which is based in St. Louis and is the leading producer of rBST, had revenues of $4.7 billion in 2002. Oakhurst, based in Portland, had sales of $185 million, according to Bennett.
Monsanto spokesman Lee Quarles said Monsanto has not filed similar lawsuits against other dairies, but wouldn’t say whether more were planned. Monsanto filed similar suits against two dairies in Illinois about 10 years ago, and both were settled out of court under confidential terms, he said.
This really boils down to money. Money is what makes this country function.. and this is a good example. Monsanto routinely goes after the small guy, be it a family farm who chooses to use heirloom or non-gmo seeds, dairy farmers and milk issues… you name it. Soon they could go after you for enjoying your home-grown, bought from a farmers market tomato.. but that is another story for another time.
The suit against Oakhurst claims unfair competition, unfair business practices and interference with advantageous business relationships.
According to the suit, the business relationships between Monsanto and dairy producers who use the artificial growth hormone have suffered because the farmers will stop using the treatments.
and they should. Seriously. If an organization supplies a product the consumers do not then your product goes away. Except now, this organization has enough power to force the consumers to digest this product. How is that fair? Seriously.
Bennett said his company makes no claims on the science involved with growth hormones. “We’re in the business of marketing milk, not Monsanto’s drugs,” he said.
Earlier this year, Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe rejected a request from Monsanto that Maine abandon its Quality Trademark Seal program that indicates when milk is free of artificial growth hormones.
Monsanto argued that the seal, which was adopted in 1994, misleads consumers into thinking that hormone-free milk is superior to milk using an artificial growth hormone.
So what can you do? Stop buying Monstantos milk.
Seriously. Locally you have Shatto (which is awesome) http://www.shattomilk.com
You also have Organic Valley- which is not local, but is more of a co-op of awesome dairy farms that do not use rBST. There are other local farms in which you can purchase milk directly through, including raw milk. http://www.organicvalley.coop You can pick it up at Hy-Vee, Whole foods… a variety of places.
www.kcfoodcircle.org is a great course to learn more about farms in the area.
http://eatwild.com is another great source to learn more about the issue and to explore grass fed farms throughout the country.
http://healthfreedoms.org/2010/06/18/monsanto-sues-oakhurst-dairy-over-advertising/
I am going to copy it here and put my commentary in bold. Because. Well. I can.
When I say treated milk vs untreated I am talking about cows that have been treated with rBST and those that have not. In this case, i am not discussing raw milk -vs- pasteurized milk.
*******
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Oakhurst Dairy Inc. is being sued by Monsanto Co., which alleges that Oakhurst’s marketing campaign that touts its milk as being free of artificial growth hormones is misleading. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, demands that Oakhurst stop advertising that it doesn’t sell milk from hormone-treated cows. It also asks that the dairy stop putting labels on its milk containers reading “Our Farmers’ Pledge: No Artificial Growth Hormones.” Monsanto officials said Oakhurst’s ads and labels are deceptive and disparage Monsanto’s products with the inference that milk from untreated cows is better than milk from hormone-treated cows.
Milk from untreated cows IS better for you than from treated cows. Not only is it better for you… there is a reason that those “farms” have to treat the cows- which then bring this conversation from merely a health chat to one that discusses the ethic of drinking milk from treated cows.
“We believe Oakhurst labels deceive consumers; they’re marketing a perception that one milk product is safer or of higher quality than other milk,” said Jennifer Garrett, director of technical services for Monsanto’s dairy business. “Numerous scientific and regulatory reviews throughout the world demonstrate that that’s unfounded. The milk is the same, and the amount of protein, fats, nutrients, etc. are all the same.”
The Numerous Studies they talk about are studies that they, or people they pay money to, have sponsored. If you look at independent studies they show that there are differences in the milk - large differences. For instance, in non-treated milk there is a higher percentage of Omega 3’s.
Monsanto created their rBST by combining cow DNA with E Coli. (how can that be good?) And it was the 1st genetically modified substance approved for the U.S. consumption by the FDA in 1993. So we, the US citizens can ingest it- but people in Canada, Japan, the EU, Australia, New Zealand and many more nations have banned the substance. Seriously.
Oakhurst President Stanley Bennett II said his dairy sells milk without artificial growth hormones because of consumer demands. Oakhurst about five years ago began buying milk only from farms that pledge in writing that they won’t use artificial hormones.
People should demand to know what is in our food. Why is it that the countries named above are able to access that information easily- because it is printed on the labels- but we, as Americans, have to spend hours upon hours digging for the information that is rightly ours.
This ploy by Monsanto is just another one that they, the USDA and the FDA have used to shut us up and take away more of our rights.
“On principle, it’s also a question of free speech,” Bennett said. “The world seems a little bit discombobulated when somebody attempts to prohibit you from trying to do the right thing.”
Artificial growth hormone is a genetically engineered veterinary drug given to cows to increase milk production. Another name for the drug is recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST.
Many people oppose the use of rBST, believing it is linked to breast cancer and premature puberty in children. But Monsanto and others argue that no such link exists. Canada and the European Union have banned the use of the hormone, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for use in the United States.
Have you heard Monsanto’s justification for this? Taken from several reports:
And how about IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1, the rBST byproduct that's associated with breast, prostate and colon cancer and may be in the milk?
"IGF-1 is [a] naturally occurring human hormone commonly measured in our saliva," writes Trent Loos, columnist for the Agribusiness weekly Feedstuffs on the rBST supporting web site www.igf-1-and-milk.com. "Every person who has ever been diagnosed with cancer has also had saliva. Does that mean that saliva causes cancer? NO. Furthermore, if parents are worried about the impact of milk consumption on their kids, are they keeping the kids locked away from the sun? Malignant melanoma [is] the most serious form of skin cancer." Reassured? Me, too.
Then there's the mastitis.
Occurrences of mastitis--udder infections--and lameness are so increased under rBST, a Canadian Veterinary Medical Association panel's report found, "Treated cows were at higher risk of being culled," and rBST was banned.
John Shumway, a Lowville, New York dairy farmer told an Albany newspaper he had to cull a quarter of his cows after using rBST for eight weeks.
And "cull chronically-infected cows," is actually one of the "general recommendations" Monsanto offers for mastitis management on its web site.
Not only does mastitis introduce antibiotic residues in milk and encourage antibiotic resistance, it has contributed to the wave of dairy downers seen in slaughterhouses in the last decade, food activists say
Some even claim the hopped up metabolic needs of rBST cows are what induced dairymen to feed downer cows to live ones in the macabre practice that transmitted mad cow disease.
So, you have a pile of sick/ dead cows.. then you should cut them up and feed them to cows that are well. But not only cows that are well- but other animals. This is one reason that we must cook meat to a certain degree- to kill all the bacteria. Did you know that you often don’t have to do that in other countries? Because this (and a couple of over practices are AGAINST THE LAW.)
Monsanto, which is based in St. Louis and is the leading producer of rBST, had revenues of $4.7 billion in 2002. Oakhurst, based in Portland, had sales of $185 million, according to Bennett.
Monsanto spokesman Lee Quarles said Monsanto has not filed similar lawsuits against other dairies, but wouldn’t say whether more were planned. Monsanto filed similar suits against two dairies in Illinois about 10 years ago, and both were settled out of court under confidential terms, he said.
This really boils down to money. Money is what makes this country function.. and this is a good example. Monsanto routinely goes after the small guy, be it a family farm who chooses to use heirloom or non-gmo seeds, dairy farmers and milk issues… you name it. Soon they could go after you for enjoying your home-grown, bought from a farmers market tomato.. but that is another story for another time.
The suit against Oakhurst claims unfair competition, unfair business practices and interference with advantageous business relationships.
According to the suit, the business relationships between Monsanto and dairy producers who use the artificial growth hormone have suffered because the farmers will stop using the treatments.
and they should. Seriously. If an organization supplies a product the consumers do not then your product goes away. Except now, this organization has enough power to force the consumers to digest this product. How is that fair? Seriously.
Bennett said his company makes no claims on the science involved with growth hormones. “We’re in the business of marketing milk, not Monsanto’s drugs,” he said.
Earlier this year, Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe rejected a request from Monsanto that Maine abandon its Quality Trademark Seal program that indicates when milk is free of artificial growth hormones.
Monsanto argued that the seal, which was adopted in 1994, misleads consumers into thinking that hormone-free milk is superior to milk using an artificial growth hormone.
So what can you do? Stop buying Monstantos milk.
Seriously. Locally you have Shatto (which is awesome) http://www.shattomilk.com
You also have Organic Valley- which is not local, but is more of a co-op of awesome dairy farms that do not use rBST. There are other local farms in which you can purchase milk directly through, including raw milk. http://www.organicvalley.coop You can pick it up at Hy-Vee, Whole foods… a variety of places.
www.kcfoodcircle.org is a great course to learn more about farms in the area.
http://eatwild.com is another great source to learn more about the issue and to explore grass fed farms throughout the country.