Pictured (l-r) Dr. Jim Quigley, Bob DeLuca, Eileen Weilbacher, Linda Stasiak, Matthew Doris, Steve Storch, Moderator (standing): Clean Food Earth Woman
Thursday, November 19, 2009, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY. The GMO FREE FOOD COMMUNITY ADVOCACY program sizzled in the Avram Theatre, to a lively crowd of some 150 participants. As I facilitated a panel of community experts, student volunteers passed petitions throughout the audience, and ran the mic through the crowd during a thoughtful and provocative Q & A, after the screening of acclaimed film, "The World According To Monsanto."
Veteran environmentalists and health practitioners, Dr. Jim Quigley, professor of both Environmental Planning and Political Science at Stony Brook University Southampton; Bob DeLuca, President of nonprofit environmental organization, Group for the East End; Eileen Weilbacher, Be Healthy Now, Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Artist; Linda Stasiak, Organic Cosmetics Holistic Esthetician and Certified Holistic Health Teacher; Matthew Doris, Food Service Director / Chef, Tuckahoe School K-12, Bridgehampton, NY and graduate of Culinary Institute of America; Steve Storch, Halsey family Green Thumb organics and biodynamic CSA Farm founded in 1640, and organic garden work Stony Brook University Southampton campus, fielded questions ranging from the local to the sublime from the community.
"Where is the outrage in our community about our food?" Stony Brook Student, Caroline Dwyer, called out from up front. "What about people who cannot afford to pay more for organic produce," another guest asked. "Are organic foods really organic?" "When are we going to dissolve our arrogance and recognize our relationship to all other organisms on this planet?" "How do we get our food back in our control?" Spirited feedback flew out and back from the panel as the Power Point screen flashed info on Food Bills in the Congress, Non GM Foods, Organic Food Producers of Meat, Dairy, Baby Foods, Snack foods, and an array of vital tips and pointers to unite our community to bring collective legislative action.
I send a huge, embracing shout out of my gratitude to the relentless effort and tireless ass-kicking of my brilliant and priceless Writing and Advocacy Independent Study Advisor, resident genius, Professor Heather Dune Macadam, who kept me focused, had me rolling on the floor in stitches, silly string, and saw this charter food project through with meticulous detail, aplomb and timing.
One more shout out to Professors Marc Fasanella (for in the nick of time know-how), James Corrigan (musical and pix support), Bill Burford (Bat Phone call from Texas to ask what he could do to help the day of the event) and Dr. Jim Quigley!
Thank you for the overwhelming support from communities across the globe (shout out to MADGEAustralia http://www.madge.org.au/index.php ) and to the unsurpassed support of the Stony Brook University Southampton Student Activists, Faculty, Administration, and Library for groking the entire vibe!
Onward to future adventures and merry prankster food events!
Stay tuned…
We're on a misssssssiooooonnnnnnn from Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhddddddd. -Clean Food Earth Woman
I am a student at Stony Brook Southampton, as well as an advocate for the labelling of GMO food. I have been researching and advocating the issues for over a year and a half at this point and in that time have spoken to a number of county and state level representatives to educate them on the issues. It saddens me that given all the research I have done and the care that I put into my advocacy, others are running around talking a lot of 'smack' without the facts. The truth is I am on your side, at least we want the same outcome, yet I can not agree with the tactics used when you skew the truth and mislead the public with gimmicky lines. This issue is a human rights issue and people should know it! But, to make statements with no truth to them is counterproductive at best, and more likely just plain insane. Please consider this before you make statements like "GMO foods have caused more pollution than all the automobiles on the planet". GMO foods can cross contaminate other crops, but to call GMO pollen a pollutant (while I may wish it was considered one) is not going to win you the support of anyone with a decent head on their shoulders. (How do you make the argument that car pollution is less damaging than GMO pollen, that is seriously far fetched) If you measure success with the amount of pure hype you can generate, you are fooling yourself.
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