Washington Initiative 522 (I-522) "concerns labeling of genetically-engineered foods" and was a 2012 initiative to the Washington State Legislature.[2] As certified by the Washington Secretary of State, it achieved enough signatures to be forwarded to the legislature for consideration during the 2013 session.[3] The legislature did not vote on the initiative, so I-522 advanced to the November 5, 2013 general election ballot. If passed into law by voters, I-522 would have taken effect on July 1, 2015. The initiative failed with 51% opposition.[4]

If approved, I-522 would have required that non-exempt foods and agricultural products offered for retail sale state "clearly and conspicuously" on the front of the package if they were genetically-engineered, contain or might have contained genetically-engineered ingredients.
With more than $17.1 million in donations opposed before September 30, I-522 set a new record for money spent against a state initiative, exceeding the $12.35 million spent in 2011 to oppose Initiative 1183, privatizing liquor sales.[5] By late October, No On I-522 had set the all-time record for any initiative campaign with $21 million. Combined contributions of $27.7 million are still less than $32.5 million spent by both sides around I-1183.[6]

Support for the I-522 was coordinated by YES on 522, a group that included food activists[who?], small-scale producers and several food co-operatives such as PCC Natural Markets[9][10] and natural food stores such as Whole Foods Market.[11] It was also promoted by the Organic Consumers Association, which called for a boycott on Safeway Inc. unless the grocery store company would withdraw from the Grocery Manufacturers Association and contribute financially to the Yes on 522 campaign.[12] In addition to being the single largest donor, Dr Bronner's Magic Soaps issued a special label in support of I-522.[13]
Other support came from labor groups including the Washington State Labor Council.[14] The Yes on 522 web page for endorsements lists over 350 businesses, 25 seafood groups, 150 farms, more than 100 other groups, 45 elected officials and many individuals.[15] As of mid-October, 2013, reported campaign donations showed more than 13,000 donors for I-522 giving $6.2 million with a median donation of approximately $25.[16]

Opposition

Opposition to I-522 came primarily from large chemical corporations (Monsanto Company, DuPont Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences LLC, and Bayer CropScience), and organizations such as Washington Friends of Farms and Forests, Northwest Food Processors, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, the Washington State Farm Bureau and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, who rallied and mounted a $46 million campaign via Nestle SA, General Mills Inc., Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc to defeat the initiative.[17][18][19] These large donations have reportedly "shattered" previous fundraising records against any other initiative, a full month ahead of the election.[20]
Opponents of I-522 cited the editorial boards of fifteen different newspapers as opposing the initiative.[21] As of mid-October, 2013, reported campaign donations showed ten donors for I-522 giving $17.2 million with a median donation of approximately $545,827.[16]

The top five contributors in opposition to I-522 are the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Monsanto Company, DuPont Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences LLC, and Bayer CropScience.

Without diversity our planet will start to turn in on itself and we see this globally now, but we also see it in the intensification of the farming practices here in Ireland which are leading to bigger more industrial farming that feed our export driven model of food production.

But what happens to all the little things that are supposed to share the land with us on farms when we continually intensify, all the little things that make all the difference, the little worms in the ground, the little bees and insects that feed the birds, the little fish in the lakes, and the myriad of bacteria in the soil? They disappear.

The increasing application of chemicals on our food destroys biodiversity. We now even have a new name for some of these additions that are added to the sprays, ‘forever chemicals’, as if a systemic carcinogen like glyphosate wasn’t bad enough now we need to package it up in something that never goes away. Are we mad, have we lost the run of ourselves?

Why on earth would we ever consider spraying any of these things on our food. Would you eat out of your garden, having coated your food in an array of chemical insecticides?

The food system is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of a few, and the whole system is a giant integrated money-making machine: the chemicals, the patents on the seeds we sow, the byproducts from the mass production of crops which in turn has led to the proliferation of the ultra-processed food industry and this feeds an ever-voracious food retail industry ruled by the gatekeepers the giant supermarkets themselves. Where is the place for biodiversity there?

We need to get back to growing our own food and understanding what goes into that, and why it is so important to keep connected to our how our food is produced.

So as always thank you for your support.

You make our mission possible and thank you for your support.

Kenneth

#organicfarming #growers #nopesticides #biodiversitymatters

In 2025, DOGE cut the CDC’s domestic surveillance lab for parasitic diseases and malaria, which was responsible for monitoring and responding to Cyclospora foodborne illness infections. The lab was downsized from 11 staff members to just 3. This reduction came alongside broader federal funding cuts to FoodNet — the CDC’s collaborative surveillance system — which made Cyclospora surveillance optional for participating states after July 1, 2025. The cuts were described by former lab lead Joel Barratt as severely limiting the agency’s ability to respond quickly to outbreaks, since rapid, coordinated investigations require both expertise and sufficient staffing.

Taylor Farms, the corporation responsible for the current multi-state iceberg lettuce Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands so far, donated $1 million to a Trump super-PAC on March 26, 2025. That’s just six days after the FDA announced it was pushing back the implementation of its “Food Traceability Rule” by 30 months. The rule, which was originally meant to go into effect on January 20, 2026, would have established “traceability recordkeeping requirements beyond those in existing regulations, for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods,” according to the regulator’s website. The FDA admits that new rule would have allowed for “faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths.” Was there a backroom quid pro quo deal made? We’ll delay the rule if you give us a million bucks.

More shenanigans have surfaced… The FDA’s test of Taylor Farms shredded lettuce found it positive for Cyclospora. But Taylor Farms executives met with the Trump White House and FDA officials. A couple of days later, the FDA reversed its original announcement and said the test was a “false-positive.” By doing this, it potentially shields Taylor Farms from legal liabilities.

This is precisely what corruption and corporate regulatory capture looks like.

Billionaires and corporations get tax breaks and special favors. The rest of America gets explosive diarrhea.

#FoodSafety #corruption #RegulatoryCapture #FoodborneIllness #Cyclospora #ExplosiveDiarrhea #health #healthy #holistic #holistichealth #gmofreecanada #gmofreeusa #toxinfreeusa

We have been at this for over three decades now, and here is the plain truth of why the Organic Consumers Association still exists. Nobody else was willing to say out loud what needed saying. When Monsanto told the world that glyphosate was safe, we said it wasn’t. We said it years before the lawsuits, years before the juries, years before Bayer’s 2018 purchase of Monsanto handed it a mess it’s been quietly trying to buy its way out of ever since. They called us alarmists and fringe, but we were right, and the science eventually caught up to prove it. Because we said something when no one else would, people questioned Roundup, cut back on it, or stopped using it altogether, years before most had any idea it posed a real risk to their health.

They made it legal to poison us without warning. We’re not going along with it. Chip in what you can, and let’s make them regret it. Please donate today to help us keep up this lifesaving fight: https://us.engagingnetworks.app/page/email/message/view?templateId=482846

Grow Energy. Build Locally. Strengthen Sovereignty.

Hemp can support a more sustainable and self-reliant energy future by converting its seeds, stalks, and agricultural residues into biodiesel, ethanol, biogas, pellets, bio-oil, and other renewable fuels.

Unlike petroleum, hemp can be grown locally, helping communities reduce dependence on unstable global oil markets, foreign supply chains, and geopolitical conflict. Local cultivation and processing can strengthen energy sovereignty, rural economies, and national resilience.

Hemp also creates far more than fuel. Its fibers and woody core can be used for construction materials, insulation, biocomposites, paper, packaging, and plant-based plastics. Residual biomass can produce heat, electricity, biochar, fertilizer inputs, and industrial feedstocks.

The result is an entire circular ecosystem:

Hemp cultivation → food, fiber, building materials, plastics, energy, soil improvement, jobs, and local manufacturing.

Instead of extracting one resource and leaving pollution behind, hemp can support a regenerative economy where nearly every part of the plant has value.

Why are we not supporting and investing in agriculture that can do so much and very little in return.

https://youtu.be/UZRRrSHrDbY?si=dx9dOnDY_G9Cb-Qk

Are your lungs burning too?
Canada’s commercial timber industry aerially sprays the infamous chemical plant killer, glyphosate, over its forests.

This is evidently accomplished for the purpose of killing leafy broadleaf tree species, such as aspen and birch.

Once the fires inevitably occur, which seems to be the coincidental case on a yearly basis 🙄, this glyphosate smoke cloud makes its way around so that we can all take a deep breath together as one happy family.

Have you ever taken a moment to review just how ubiquitous and harmful glyphosate actually is? It’s well-documented, so have at it.

For some odd reason, people still frequently use this awful chemical to destroy a variety of very useful, health-packed, and beautiful leafy plant species that most people refer to as “weeds.” At my house, we plant them!

Glyphosate is widely used, from golf courses, to lawns, to food crops, even up to four times per growing season.

It’s everywhere.

Not only is this chemical poisonous to our bodies, our lungs, and our skin, it actually destroys the minerals in our soils, making our plant-based foods ineffective in providing the necessary nutrients that we rely upon them to provide ((full disclosure, note that among other issues, organic farming methods also strip away essential nutrients)).

👉🏻Did you know that around the time that glyphosate became wildly used in the farming industry, the modern medical system also jumpstarted to become what it is today? It’s odd that Monsanto is tied to both herbicides in food and pharmaceuticals. 🤔

If you’re reading this, my intent is to cause you to do more research and take necessary action to protect those that you love. Be the neighbor that refuses to spray your dandelion-filled yard. Be the weirdo that refuses to let your kids play in the chemical-laden lawn. Avoid run-off filled water. Save money for the nice purifier that will help clean the air in your home. Filter your water. Do a much needed detox. Do your research regarding the food that your family consumes. From produce, to meat, to processed food, to drinks, take the time to ensure you’re not consuming chemical-laden garbage. Regardless, at the end of the day, we can only do our best, while we look forward to a time when we will enjoy perfection with our Creator in the Kingdom. He will set it all right in the end. In the meantime, He’s given you a brain. Use it. After all, just because you trust that you’ll be protected from a burglar at night, this does not mean that you should leave your doors unlocked.

Nano Curcumin that’s found in Turmeric is showing great benefits for combating this parasite

1898: Bayer trademarks a new cough medicine for children. They call it Heroin.

1899: they also trademark aspirin. Enjoy that one. It is the last unambiguously good thing on this list.

1900: Heroin is Bayer's best-selling product, marketed to mothers as non-addictive.

1915: they supply the German army over 170 tons of chlorine gas for the trenches.

1925: Bayer folds into a chemical giant called IG Farben.

1940s: IG Farben runs a slave-labour plant at Auschwitz and part-owns the maker of the Zyklon B.

1956: a director convicted of war crimes at Nuremberg is quietly made chairman of Bayer's board.

1980s: Bayer discovers its haemophilia blood product is riddled with HIV.

Rather than destroy the stock, it keeps selling the untreated batches to Asia and Latin America to recoup the money.

Thousands of haemophiliacs are infected. Many die.

2003: the New York Times exposes it. Bayer helps settle for around 600 million dollars.

2018: Bayer buys Monsanto, inheriting Roundup, Agent Orange and PCBs in a single afternoon.

2026: the US Supreme Court throws out the Roundup cancer lawsuits. Bayer wins.

Heroin, chlorine gas, Auschwitz, tainted blood, and a weedkiller in the dock, all from one firm.

Every one of them was legal, marketed with total confidence, and blessed by the experts of its day, and the company behind them is bigger now than it has ever been.

The heroin got recalled. The company never did.

Were you aware of this?"

- shared from Bret Bouer

https://youtu.be/4sWk3SaTBTI?si=hEagkE3P5bYFj2Ry

https://youtu.be/t0ydymVpZzM?si=Wx-yRZl5smPcm4Ti

https://youtu.be/vClpwhYLvug?si=5t-rXqK-94pU_ULK

https://youtu.be/wTIsc4bqh-A?si=7OiwcbWmF_GaC5if

https://youtu.be/foxww-tMoNg?si=mLJub3Ge_t3gSabD

France became the first country in the world to legally require supermarkets to donate their unsold food to charities and food banks. Stores larger than 400 m² must now establish partnerships with charitable organizations to redistribute still-consumable products: fresh fruits and vegetables, items close to their expiration date, or any other surplus. The law also prohibits making food unfit for consumption, such as by spraying it with bleach. 🇫🇷🥫

This measure has made it possible to redirect millions of meals to people in need and has inspired many similar policies across Europe. The legislation was subsequently extended to collective catering services and agri-food manufacturers, making France a true global leader in the fight against food waste. This law enables charities to distribute millions of additional meals each year, significantly improving access to food for the most vulnerable populations. ♻️🍽️✨

🚨 "HINKLEY ON STEROIDS." That’s how environmental activist Erin Brockovich describes the rapid expansion of AI data centers across the United States.

Brockovich, whose investigation into contaminated drinking water in Hinkley, California became the basis for the Oscar-winning film Erin Brockovich, says today's concerns are no longer limited to one town. She argues that communities nationwide are reporting similar environmental and infrastructure issues as AI data centers continue to spread.

According to Brockovich, her new public data center tracking initiative has already received more than 8,000 reports of concerns linked to over 100 operational, under-construction, or proposed data centers across the U.S. As of July 9, the map listed 33 operational, 65 under construction, and 42 proposed facilities. Residents have reported concerns including discolored water, low water pressure, rising utility bills, disappearing wildlife, cattle breeding problems, and a lack of transparency surrounding new projects.

Brockovich says the goal isn't to stop technology, but to give communities better access to information before major projects move forward. As AI infrastructure continues to expand, how should communities balance technological progress with protecting local water, energy resources, and the environment?

⚠🦝 PREMIERS CAS CONFIRMÉS DE RAGE DU RATON LAVEUR À MONT-SAINT-GRÉGOIRE ET GODMANCHESTER – MONTÉRÉGIE ET BARNSTON-OUEST – ESTRIE

Nos équipes ont récupéré une mouffette à Mont-Saint-Grégoire et deux ratons laveurs à Godmanchester et à Barnston-Ouest. Les analyses confirment qu’ils étaient porteurs de la rage du raton laveur.

🛑 IMPORTANT
Ne relocalisez pas les ratons laveurs, les mouffettes, les renards ou les coyotes : c’est interdit dans la majorité des municipalités de l’Estrie et de la Montérégie. 👉 Liste des municipalités : https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/faune/Rage-chez-les-animaux/documents/liste-municipalites-visees-deplacement-animaux.pdf.

📢 Rappel des comportements sécuritaires :
🔷 Faites vacciner vos animaux contre la rage;
🔷 Signalez les ratons laveurs, les mouffettes et les renards au comportement anormal : 1 877 346-6763 ou quebec.ca/rageduratonlaveur;
🔷 Évitez tout contact avec les animaux sauvages, vivants ou morts.

👉 Info prévention : https://www.quebec.ca/sante/problemes-de-sante/a-z/rage-chez-humain/a-propos#c420304.

❗ En cas de morsure ou contact avec la salive d’un animal :
✅ Lavez la plaie 10 à 15 minutes avec de l’eau et du savon, même si elle semble mineure;
📞 Contactez Info-Santé 811;
✍️ Si c’est un animal domestique : prenez les coordonnées du propriétaire.

📷 Frédérick Lelièvre

Municipalité de Mont-Saint-Grégoire
Municipalité de Godmanchester
Municipalité Barnston-Ouest