For a farmer, the day or two after a good earth-soaking rain is much like the moment or two after an orgasm – complete and total relaxation. All is well in the world. The mind and body are calmed like no other time or event can.

Such is a feeling I’m experiencing now after we received two inches of rain on our farm on May 10th. We were getting to the nitty-gritty, desperately needing a rain to make a crop. After the massive drought of 2011, Texas farmers are a little bit nervous before this rain came through. Some areas still need more. We’d all gladly welcome more. And it looks like the skies will bless us with more over the coming days.

It’s hard to explain to most people just how vital rainfall is not only to farmers and ranchers, but agriculture in general – the food chain, life as we know it. From the tiniest of microscopic organisms to bull elephants, from earthworms to humans, we all need rain in order to survive. I’ve often compared timely day-long rains in West Texas to a good dog you never have to train. They don’t come along very often. So, enjoy them while you have them.

Rain brings with it a sense of optimism. The energy heightens your senses, the soothing sounds puts a smile on your face. Flowers open wider. Animals are friskier. Plants perk up like grandparents when they see their grandchildren’s smiling faces.

Rain is like no other experience in Nature or life. And I gladly welcome more to this parched land around me. Thank you, rain clouds. Thanks for saving our asses for one more year. Thank you, thunderstorm, for waking us from our sleep. Thank you lightning for recharging our spirits with newfound energy.

In 2005 and 2006, I talked my Dad into planting about 1,000 acres of Roundup Ready (genetically-modified) cotton on our 6,000-acre family farm in West Texas. It was a way for us to cut back on fuel and labor. Since GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) was marketed as the way of the future, I bought in hook, line and sinker.
But one day while planting the GM seeds in 2006, I began reading the bag. It was covered with one WARNING SIGN after another. There were more disclaimers on the bag of seed than a gallon of herbicide. A asked myself, “What exactly is this stuff I’m planting?” So I began to do a little research into GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) and Monsanto.
What I discovered through ceaseless internet pages and books was that I was severely disrupting the laws of nature. This high-technology seed was injected with genes from herbicides and pesticides. Essentially, I was planting poisonous seed. I read about studies in Jeffrey Smith’s book Genetic Roulette how the GM seed/food was creating severe health issues in mammals from mice to cows. Stomach lesions, organ shrinkage, liver atrophy, higher cancer rates, weakened immune system, sterility, infertility, sudden-death syndrome (SDS), and higher rates of newborn fatalities.
I would wake up in cold sweats during the middle of the night the remainder of that 2006 season, wondering what I was doing to wildlife, pollinating insects, and unsuspecting livestock that might feed on our cotton seed. What was I doing to thousands who would use the vegetable oil from our cotton seed? What was I doing to our soil and all the microscopic organisms needed to feed it?Going into 2007, I informed my Dad I would never plant another GM seed again. He didn’t exactly embrace my stance at first. But as he watched our crops out yield all of our neighbors planting GM cotton in 2007, Dad realized we were on the right path.
Everybody eats. Every living things is impacted by this issue. We are infecting not only ourselves with GMOs, but all living creatures. As farmers, we are the caretakers of the food chain. We make the decisions that impact billions of people and countless other beings.
When three consecutive generations are fed a purely GM diet, they can no longer produce a fourth generation. Thanks to an animal’s sixth sense, they will choose natural feed over GM feed every time. But we aren’t giving them a choice in commercial dairies, feedlots and factory farms. How many farmers, ranchers and everyday consumers buy corn to feed livestock, deer, geese and other wildlife? Ninety percent of corn is now genetically modified, as is cotton, canola, soybeans and sugar beets. This only took fifteen years for billion dollar corporations like Monsanto to dominate these five commodity crops. They now have alfalfa along with experimental plots of rice and a handful of vegetable crops like squash, peppers and tomatoes.
Currently, there are over 165 million acres of GM crops in the U.S. Meanwhile, more than 50 countries across the world have banned GMOs or require labeling on food products. We have neither. Everyone is eating GM ingredients, and they don’t even know it.
I’ve seen local infrastructure in our farming community decimated due to GM crops. Seed delinting companies, grain mills and other seed-related businesses are going bankrupt because farmers no longer support them. Farmers are forced to purchase the Roundup Ready cotton seed every year due to Monsanto’s STEWARDSHIP/TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT. This agreement holds the farmer completely liable for any issues that arrive from the crop, and due to the arbitration agreement the only compensation a farmer can receive is the price he paid for the seed. Companies like Monsanto have patents on these seeds and will prosecute farmers for violating that patent whether intentional or not. Just ask our fellow farmer Percy Schmeiser of Canada. His organic canola was contaminated by neighbors planting GM canola, but that didn’t stop Monsanto from filing suit. Is this a company we want to support?
By supporting billion dollar corporations, we are destroying our local economy. About 80 percent of a farmer’s budget is dedicated to the GM seed and herbicide, which is now costing about ninety dollars per acre. A 50 lb. bag of seed now costs farmers over $350. With our natural seed, we have less than $30 per bag invested. While we take a few more trips across the field each season and spend more on labor, I sleep better at night knowing that I’m going about farming the right way. I’m still a farmer, an extension of the earth and not an extension of a chemical company trying to dominate the world’s seed supply.
I encourage farmers and consumers everywhere to boycott GM crops or biotech companies like Monsanto, Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta, DuPont and Dow Chemical. If we’re going to preserve agriculture for the next generation, we must do so in a natural way. Don’t fall for the snake oil sales pitch. What little money you might save in a couple of years will cost you and your community much more in the short and long term.

Spending a couple more days back in California, my first taste of the Natural Products Expo West show earlier this month was quite a memorable bite. Some 30,000+ plus people attended the shin-dig over that weekend.

Hanging out with Mike Larocca, head of marketing for Beanitos.

A big thank you to all the wonderful people at Beanitos. They are a wonderful food company based in Austin, Texas, producing non-GMO chips. Great people…and chips.

Met so many cool people and saw some familiar faces from the Right 2 Know March to Washington D.C. People like David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s Soap, Ariel, Adam Eidenger, Chris O’Keefe (Right 2 Know) and several others.

Got to spend some quality time with Pamm Larry, who started the Label GMOs campaign in California and is spear-heading the petition for signatures right now in the Golden State. In their pursuit of 800,000 signatures, we’ll find out if Cali will have the right to vote for GMO labeling in just a few weeks. Pamm and I drove to San Diego for a television interview on the local Fox affiliate.

Also, was able to meet Ken Rosenboro, publisher of the Organic & Non-GMO Magazine,

Pamm Larry, of Label GMOs, is the fiery leader in California.

which is a great publication. Not to mention Jeffrey Smith, author and grand-daddy of the non-GMO movement in this country. It was a real treat spending time and getting to know these people face-to-face.

While spending time indoors in the Anaheim Convention Center, which is much larger than my hometown, I was a little overwhelmed. Sitting at the Beanitos booth and not seeing the sun, sky or outdoors threw my mind and body out of sync. But I recovered. The quick dash across the country was well worth the time and energy to meet some of the real courageous leaders in this movement against GMOs.

There is a real genuine concern now with not only consumers but food companies regarding GM foods’ harmful side effects on human health, as well as the environment. More people are starting to realize that companies like Monsanto are washing their hands of any liability so all the blame falls to the farmer and food company. It’s going to take all of us in this fight to not only get labeling but spread more awareness about the dangers of GM foods and their negative impact on life in general. After meeting more of the warriors in this fight, I am hopeful we are gaining ground.

I’ll be speaking at the Expowest event, which is being held this weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center. Join me and Beanitos for a talk on GMOs — a perspective from a food company president and a farmer. Booth #4561 — 12 noon, Friday March 9th. Book signing following talk.

A Texas lake gone dry in 2011

As most people know, the entire state of Texas suffered through the worst drought on record in 2011. Many places in the Texas panhandle are still suffering while others have had some relief in the past six to eight weeks. But water has crept to the forefront of issues in this part of the world. I keep saying in these turbulent times, we need to simplify things. Life boils down to water, food, shelter and love.

Small towns such as Robert Lee (east of San Angelo) ran out of water in the fall as nearby lakes had vanished completely. Three major lakes near San Angelo dried up after record heat tortured us through the summer. Other parts of the Southwest were suffering too, as well as northern states in the Midwest in the past eight or nine months.

Drought persists in some areas

I continue to be an advocate of rainwater harvesting. For many areas, particularly in the arid climates along the Southwest U.S., it may be our only saving grace. Many towns, such as Big Spring are restricting citizens from watering vegetation to once a week…or maybe even none at all. All the while, the same town has rainwater harvesting as a violation of city ordinances. Some laws are meant to be broken…and eventually changed altogether.

You see, the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) had city officials sign a 30-year agreement in 1988, that they would not get their water from any other “outside source.” I wasn’t aware that Nature or clouds were considered an outside source. The infrastructure is in place to solve this problem in Big Spring and every other town. To find out the solution, read this article I wrote for Living Magazine (page 7), published by the Big Spring Herald.

Growing up on a farm, I never really thought it was possible to raise cotton without any form of chemicals. But once I moved back to the farm in 2005, my dream was to pursue organic farming. After years of research which involved reading, searching, digging and asking lots of questions, I began to feel more confident that it was a challenge I could tackle. So, I made that a reality in 2011, as I began the organic transition process on 250 acres.

Last year was the worst year to begin anything, as massive drought consumed all of Texas. The bright side? No weeds. So, I kind of got a break in one area.

I went to my first meeting with the Texas Organic Cotton Growers last week. It was inspiring to be around farmers who’ve been growing chemical-free cotton for 20 years. Meeting many of them, I asked dozens of questions and continue to ask dozens more over the phone and email.

As a newbie into the organic commercial production world, I value the experience of these veteran farmers. Touring one farm 40 miles from me, it was an absolute thrill to see some of the cool innovations made to combat weed issues while cutting back on trips across the field, as well.

Is organic farming doable? Absolutely. I believe it to be the only real future agriculture has in this country, and I’m thrilled to be in the initial stages of this transformation.

Spending a week along the California Coast was a nice change of pace for this West Texas farm boy. However, it wasn’t exactly a vacation of R&R that inspired my travel. Speaking at three different events from Costa Mesa to Los Angeles to Oxnard, my campaign to spread awareness on GMOs led me to the front lines of this battle to get labeling in this country.

Californians have a genuine opportunity to get this initiative off the ground over the next couple of months. Started today, February 18th, citizens have 60 days to gather more than 800,000 signatures. This petition will enable voters the right to vote for labeling GMOs in the coming November 2012 elections. Very important that the people of California takes this bull by the horns. This can and will send a rippling effect across the rest of the nation. Other states such as Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont are already initiating similar petitions and legislation.

I was fortunate enough to tour some incredibly diverse farms, tasting unique citrus fresh off the trees and strawberries straight off the plant. It was inspiring to be around so many genuine souls who are volunteering their time to get this project going. (Go to labelgmos.org for more information.) Groups in L.A., Costa Mesa, Oxnard, Ojai and many other areas are forming a grassroots effort to get enough signatures. Taking part of a panel on GMOs with nutritionists, a member of the Label GMOs, and a 1st generation organic farmer, it was encouraging to see so many people attend and want to know what they can do to steer clear from GMOs.

Awareness and education is key. Put that awareness must transform into action. We need labeling in this country. It’s not going to win the war against genetically-modified foods, but it’s certainly a primary battle that puts the likes of Monsanto back on their heels.

So come on, California. Do what you do best. Lead this country in passing critical legislation on a key issue. As of today, you have two months to help shed some light on our dark food system.