GreenSage E-zine Fall 2009

Ag Execs Plea with Mrs. Obama to 'Dust' the Organic Garden

Editor's Note: for twenty years GreenSage and our founder has been advocating eating organic food. What better way to be sustainable (and maximize your health) than to plant and grow your own. In a bizarre shoot yourself in the foot move, the Ag industry pleas to spray and dust the White House Organic Garden because 'crop protection products contribute to sustainable agriculture.'

The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) picked what is considered to be a "self-serving" bone with Michelle Obama. MACA represents chemical companies that produce pesticides, and they were very upset that Michelle Obama wasn't using chemicals in her organic garden at the White House.

In an email they forwarded to their supporters, a MACA spokesman wrote, "While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made [us] shudder." MACA went on to publish a letter it had sent to the First Lady asking her to consider using chemicals, or what they call "crop protection products," in her garden.

Michelle Obama has done America a great service by publicizing the importance of nutritious food for kids (she's growing the garden in partnership with a local elementary school class) as well as locally grown produce as an important, environmentally sustainable food source.

MACA's letter is part of a larger propaganda effort to convince people that chemicals are a necessary part of produce growth. What? W e certainly know that one's not true.

A petition in support of Mrs. Obama circulated and quickly reached its goal. It said:
"We, the undersigned, write to tell you that we are fully supportive of Michelle Obama's organic garden at the White House. Michelle Obama has done America a great service by publicizing the importance of nutritious food for kids as well as locally grown produce as an important, environmentally sustainable food source. Your propaganda about pesticides is misleading and hurts America. Stop asserting that the First Lady is somehow disserving our nation's citizens by encouraging them to grow their own food locally, sustainably and without your industry's chemicals. We know better and you should, too."

This petition reached 109% of its goal of 100,000 signers! (109,572). Thank you!

Letter to Michelle Obama from CropLife