by Don Fitz
It’s more than food. Decades ago, Monsanto contributed to the contamination of East St. Louis and Sauget, Illinois. And Anniston, Alabama. Its toxic PCBs plagued the workforce and community surrounding Carter Carburetor. There are Agent Orange veterans of the Vietnam War and environmentalists concerned with the effects of pesticides on bees, monarch butterflies and many other species.
The 23rd annual Great Green Pesto Feast will feature guests making brief statements on all of these. But the biggie is what we eat. There will be comments on dangers to the world’s food supply, contamination of organic farms, legal attacks on farmers, patents on life, poisoning of soil and water, creation of superweeds, monopolization of seeds, animal abuse and dispossession of farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia. You can participate in the Pesto Feast discussion at 6:00 pm, Saturday, September 7, 2013 at Brentwood Congregational Church, 2400 South Brentwood Blvd (at Litzsinger/Eulalie).
Since 1990, Pesto Feasts of the Gateway Green Alliance have become well known for the wide variety of vegetarian food, including: Great Green Walnut Pesto, Sharp Lemon Pesto, Cinnamon Pesto, Vegan Pesto, No Nut Pesto and Tomato Pesto. Tomato sauce will abound for non-pesto eaters.
The Greens are seeking additional vegetarian donations. Tickets to the Pesto Feast are $20 at the door or $15 advance purchase. To make a donation, purchase an advance ticket, or get more information, call 314-727-8554. Also, see the Greens’ web site: www.gateway-greens.org.
Do you have a concern about Monsanto which does not appear in the list above? Or, would you just like to add your voice to the discussion? There will be an open mike for everyone to participate. Some will cover fun and interesting activities planned for the coming months.
Food issues that relate to the Pesto Feast discussion will be featured on September Green Time shows. They include:
- September 7, 9, 11: “Do We Really Need Industrial Agriculture to Feed the World?” Stan Cox, of the Land Institute, points out that organic agriculture relies on frequent clearcutting of roots. He believes that the best solution will be developing perennial versions of staple grain crops.
- September 14, 16, 18: “Food Fight — What Are We Eating?” Eleeahsah Ben Israel, of the Hebrew Israelites, and Christine Jackson, of Healthy Effective Alternatives to Live, discuss self-destructive eating and drinking habits and changes that people could make.
- September 21, 23, 25: “How Does Genetic Engineering Affect Agriculture?” Doug Gurian-Sherman, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, explains why he does not believe that the US has a public research agenda and policy that promotes truly sustainable agricultural systems.
Green Time appears in four Missouri areas. See the webpage at greentime.tv. In the St. Louis area it airs at noon on Saturdays and 5:30 pm Wednesdays on Channel 24-1 and at 8 pm on Mondays on Channel 24-2. Watch the shows and come see old friends and make new ones at the Pesto Feast!