The director of the Food & Agriculture program at UCS Margaret Mellon, graciously agreed to do an interview with me while at MOSES. This immediately followed her keynote speech, which I referred to in a couple of my questions. (might be required watching if you want to appreciate it fully.) For instance, she excluded mentioning commercialized GE traits that were not Bt and herbicide resistance, trying to say that that is all there was. I also asked her about Golden Rice, knowing full well that she was a critic of it in its early days. What is the position of the UCS on it today? I also asked about Failure to Yield, and how it was that so many people seemed to think that it concluded that there was either no increase in yield due to genetic engineering, or that the opposite was true. (3-4% estimated increase in yield due to Bt) I ended by saying that although there are a few things that I disagree with the UCS on, they are doing a better job of being critics of GE than pretty much anyone else. And then I expressed something about peer review… and something happened! I thought about editing it to put the goodbye’s at the end, but you know what, I decided that the flow of conversation should be preserved how ever it turned out.

Have a listen, and let me know what you think! (Music by the eminent Carl Winter)

Margaret Mellon at MOSES 2010 from Biofortified on Vimeo.

Almost immediately after her speech I recorded an audio interview with Margaret which I will post very soon. I already had some questions, but the speech spurred several more. What would you have asked her after this speech?

Anastasia has set up a Flickr account for the blog, which you can see on the Photos page! This has made it so much easier for me. I may be smarter than the average corn but all this web stuff is confusing.

You can see the pictures from my whole trip in the Flickr photo album hosted on Biofortified here, on the Flickr site, or read more below.

Seed Swap! I can’t wait!

The fine folks at Vermont Valley Community Farm have got some seed potatoes here of all kinds of colors. Jonnah (holding me) likes the blue ones the best. Their little tubers were selling like hot potatoes!

Jared here just got a Masters degree from UW Madison, and now he works for the Organic Seed Alliance! He is helping people learn how to produce seeds for planting and how to cross varieties together.

Hey buddies, how you doin?
(…) Organic only?
Whoa didn’t know this was such an exclusive club.

Look, I’m “Contaminating!”

Brian grows sweet corn, field corn, wheat, and soybeans on his family farm in Dwight, Illinois, which is about 1/3 organic. He was really curious about how the genetics of sweet corn works, and although he doesn’t grow any GE crops, he was ‘all ears’ about what people are working on!

Strike up the band! But lose that glove, man.

HELP! HELP! Jeffrey Smith has got me! He said I was cute but don’t let me out of your sight!

This is Margaret (“Mardi”) Mellon, who directs the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Food & Agriculture Program.
Psst, is Jeffrey Smith gone? Can I come out now?

Chuck Benbrook works for The Organic Center, and writes about differences in the healthful content of food depending on how you grow it, and also writes about pesticide use with genetic engineering. He’s not as anti-GE as he sounds from what he writes, but he’s still arguing old questions.

Eric Mader from the Xerces Society talked about Native Pollinators and how you can help them out on your farm. Hey Roundup Ready Beet growers – remember to strip-spray and leave some forage for the bees!

Ah, the MOSES organic farming conference is over, and I’ve met a lot of people, some of whom just don’t like me and don’t want me on their farms or in their food…

But at the same time I met many people who are interested to learn more about me. Will Organic Agriculture stop being my enemy and instead be my ally in producing healthier, safer food that is better for the environment?
I’m optimistic, but these things take time.