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Contact: Amy Shollenberger (802) 793-1114
Doyle Canning (802) 999-7502

Full Page Ad in Times Argus slams
Douglas’ Right-to-Factory-Farm Bill;

Calls on Montpelier to Protect Farmers from
GE crop contamination lawsuits.
See the Ad online at http://vce.org/ruralvermont

Montpelier, VT-Central Vermonters and Vermont lawmakers awoke this morning to a full-page ad in The Times Argus depicting a Vermont farm family being displaced by the Douglas Administration’s pro-corporate agriculture policy. In the illustration, the classic "American Gothic" farmer and daughter are the victims of a GE crop contamination lawsuit, and their farm has become the "Future Site of Douglas Corporate Hogs."

The Douglas Administration has been furiously pushing the so-called "Right to Farm" provisions in their "Miscellaneous Agriculture" Bill, which currently is under review by the Senate Judiciary Committee, after last week’s decision by the Senate Agriculture Committee to take the "Right to Farm" provisions out of the bill. Today’s ad, placed by the family farm advocacy group Rural Vermont, urges Vermonters to "Stand Up for Family Farmers and Say No to Corporate Control."

"The right-to-factory-farm bill spells double trouble for Vermont’s family farmers," said Amy Shollenberger, policy director at Rural Vermont. "This combination of deregulation re-writes the rules of agriculture in our rural state, rolling out a red carpet for corporate factory feed lots to move in and pit farmer against farmer in a race-to-the-bottom."

Today’s Ad depicts a "sold" sign explaining, "Must Sell: Family Farm to cover legal fees from gene patent lawsuit. Small family dairy farm, circa 1777, recently contaminated by genetically engineered corn," illustrating the economic impact of inaction on GE seed liability for Vermont’s family farmers.

"Genetically engineered pollen drifts, that’s a fact," said Dexter Randal, a 7th generation conventional dairy farmer from Troy. "GE seed labeling doesn’t protect farmers from the liabilities of GE contamination on our farms. The House needs to act now before we’ve got Monsanto suing Vermonters for patent theft and it’s already too late."

Attorneys, Farmers, and environmental advocates will be testifying to the Senate Judiciary committee Wednesday morning against the so-called "Right to Farm" provisions of the Miscellaneous Agriculture bill. GE crop opponents plan to continue to pressure lawmakers to pass the Farmer Protection Act and the Time Out on GMOs.

Rural Vermont is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to defending small family farms, and has been working for economic justice and a sustainable future in Vermont’s rural communities since 1985. For more information: (802) 223-7222 or amybeth@together.net