If you follow local news, you’ve heard that Monsanto recently purchased WestBred of Bozeman with the intent of furthering their pursuit of GMO (aka RoundUp Ready) wheat right in our back yard. As bakers who buy, use and consume lots of local flour this is an issue of great interest to us. We can’t think of anything more important within a community than being free to feed ourselves food of our choosing.
Our letter to the editor on the subject was published in the Sunday Chronicle and, since it’s not available online, we are re-posting it here in order to further the conversation in broader circles. Let us know what you think, and also be sure to read the Farmers’ Blog from the Bozeman Food Co-op for a producer’s point of view. It’s important we’re all well informed, and that we keep talking about challenges to a safe food supply.
Here’s the letter:
After reading Monsanto has come to Bozeman to build us better wheat, we wonder what is wrong with the wheat simply grown here. Why, when we have locally-produced GMO-free grains, would we “upgrade” to a strain that requires gene-splicing to tolerate a heavy pesticide bath?
We are not scientists or farmers; we can’t speak to the benefits or pitfalls of GMO wheat. As bakers engaged in the purchase and use of local agricultural products it is clear that big business is hindering the ability of Montanans to feed ourselves.
The struggles of producers to compete against feedlot beef and subsidized corn syrup are well known. A recent article detailed the consolidation of the dairy industry fueling the loss of 126 local producers since 1994. Recently we lost access to local cooking oil after Montola of Culbertson was bankrupted by a corporate parent more interested in profiting from biofuels than in our food security.
In contrast, witness the purchase of the Sacajawea Inn by the owners of Wheat Montana. They have found success with a a business model that doesn’t require any funny stuff: providing quality foods at fair prices. As successful local businesses often do, they have invested in the community that supports them.
The new Sacajawea will return jobs to Three Forks. It gives small businesses an outlet for products and services absent for two years. If we book two events there this season, those sales will cover our flour budget for a year, completing one cycle of a positive feedback loop in the economic health of our community. We are confident in drawing a literal connection between buying local flour and the outcomes described above, because the two endpoints are just 30 miles apart.
So, Monsanto, welcome to town. We hope your intentions are good. But given the choice, we will support local options which have clearly demonstrated they share our interests.
Seth and Carrie Ward, owners
Sweet Pea Bakery
