Bee SAFE Accomplishments, Tours and Workshops.

[8]Bee SAFE Accomplishments:

Like a tiny seed, it began as an idea that grew and blossomed into something big.  The Bee S.A.F.E. movement, although still young, is not just alive, but flourishing.  It is hard to believe that only 4 months have passed since the Bee S.A.F.E. office, sponsored by SENS (Sustainable Environment Network Society), threw open its doors to enthusiastic supporters.  The brainchild of Huguette Allen, Jane Emlyn,  and Carla Vierke  Bee S.A.F.E.  has been an active and welcome addition to Lumby and surrounding area.  With the work of some stalwart volunteers and the support and endorsement of the people in the area and beyond, Bee S.A.F.E. has accomplished much, but not nearly as much as it plans to do over the next few months! Read it all here.

Once the seed was planted the organizers worked quickly to grow their idea.   In a surprisingly short period of time they established office space, developed informational material and fundraising ideas, planned activities, and reached out to the community.  
The sale of the now familiar “no GMO” signs was one of the fund raising proposals and it has proven to be very successful.  So far over 300 signs have been sold and over 40 area residents have come in to the Bee S.A.F.E. office to colour in their properties as GMO free.  If you haven't come in yet, please do! Mason bee houses, generously donated by Will Gutzke, have also sold well.  And, local organic seeds provided by Morgan Price and Ron Thomas of Greenstone Farm and Tom Vangement  were snapped up.  
A number of free workshops have been offered including topics such as seed- planting, mason bees, and permaculture.  In addition, a number of local gardeners have graciously invited interested participants to their green houses and gardens to share a wealth of information.   The Bee S.A.F.E. movement has been a presence at the Enderby Seed Sale, various environmental film activities, the Lumby Chamber of Commerce display and Lumby Days.  Anyone wanting to know more about Bee S.A.F.E. or about sustainable gardening has only to consult local expertise.  Bee S.A.F.E. puts out a regular newsletter with a readership of 340.  As well, Huguette Allen writes a regular column in Country News, and Jane Emlyn writes a gardening column for the Lumby Valley Times.   Bee S.A.F.E. is also now happily sharing office space with the Monashee Arts Council.
The future looks likes even brighter.  In addition to continuing with the present activities, the Bee S.A.F.E. group is busy working on ideas for more fundraising, partnering with other groups and offering more workshops.  We are also very excited about a Bee S.A.F.E. boutique offering local organic bee related products and other local organic goods. Drop in often to see all that is on offer.
 
When all is said and done the greatest contribution of Bee S.A.F.E. may be how it has raised awareness of the issue of GMOs and getting the community, whatever their opinion, to talk about it.  
 

Click here to see Greenhouse Tour in Words and Pictures. [8]

Book a Workshop or a Tour: Contact Bee SAFE to:

• learn how to grow food even if all you have is a little space 

• recognize safe and unsafe seeds, and solve problems without chemicals 

• get in touch with others to share skills, tools & equipment to grow, process, or prepare local food

• get seasonal menus and recipes based on local affordable ingredients to keep more of our food dollar$ local

• attend a workshop to learn how to store, preserve, prepare local seasonal food, compost wastes, save seeds

• need help planning a business related to building our rural economy? book time with our business analyst who will help you get started free of charge!

Let's grow local! Every dollar spent locally has 3 times the impact of a dollar spent globally!

 

Bee SAFE signs

Place a Bee S.A.F.E sign on your property to show you support the vision of safe agriculture. The more Bee SAFE signs there are, the clearer the message that we want to be GMO free. Signs cost $10 each.

Together we can create healthy communities, one garden at a time.

To order this 12" x 12" Bee SAFE sign send an email to beesafemonashees@gmail.com [9]  or call Bee SAFE at 250-547-0272 or 250-547-9460

Signs can be picked up at the office as well as at most SENS events as well as seed related events. We can also arrange to meet you at a place and time that is convenient, so call or email today!

Donate! Donating to Bee SAFE is the most effective way to protect ourselves against local GMO and pesticides. Please donate whatever you can. Every dollar helps. You can send one or many postdated checks (made out to Bee S.A.F.E) to Box 1104, Lumby, BC, V0E 2G0. If cash is your preferred method you can call Jane Emlyn at 250-547-9460 and drop it off at 1951 Maple St. Lumby.

Bee SAFE is entirely staffed by volunteers and financially supported only by our dollars.  To volunteer, email beesafemonashees@gmail.com [10] – Bee SAFE  is entirely run by volunteers.
 

Collaborate.

At Bee SAFE we try to make it easy and fun for everyone to grow safe food and to plan seasonal menus based on local foods. If you need or have equipment, products, skills you can share or trade with others, let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you.

For example, honey extractors, juicers, oil presses, are costly equipment we can share in our own communities. We also have Bee Safe supporters who can teach how to make your own cheese and yogurt, how to preserve vegetables and fruits, how to save your own seeds. Some need help to garden while others have time and skills but need land. By putting people in touch with others, we want to help create a strong local food economy that benefits all who believe in a safe agriculture.

If you have organic products or services that could benefit from a presence in our office, let us know and perhaps we could help by displaying or using your products in our workshops.

250-547-0272 - beesafemonashees@gmail.com [11]

 

Donate.

Donating to Bee SAFE is the most effective way to protect ourselves against local GMO and pesticides. Please donate whatever you can. Bee SAFE is entirely staffed by volunteers and financially supported only by our dollars. Every dollar helps.

You can send one or many postdated checks (made out to Bee S.A.F.E) to
Bee S.A.F.E, Box 1104, Lumby, BC, V0E 2G0. If cash is your preferred method you can call Jane Emlyn at 250-547-9460 and drop it off at 1951 Maple St. Lumby.

To volunteer or find out more, email beesafemonashees@gmail.com [11]
Together we can create healthy communities, one garden at a time.

GMO threats

GM crops are dangerous yet are taking over our rural communities and our food system. It is difficult if not impossible to find local soy, corn and canola crops that are Non-GMO. Canada also grows GMO sugar beets. As you can imagine, most foods on store shelves contain some GMO in the form of sugar, corn syrup, corn, soy or canola.

Yet, a recent study in Argentina called "Argentina's Roundup Human Tragedy - GM Soy a Death Sentence for Humans and the Environment" proves that GM crops should never have been allowed. See: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/argentinasRoundupHumanTragedy.php [12]

Genetic Modification plays with the building blocks of life, yet this technology was allowed in Canada without any longitudinal studies ever being done. The first longitudinal study ever done occurred in Russia in 2010 and linked GM soy to infertility, infant mortality, slower growth and disrupted dna functions. How will these crops affect humans after 2 or 3 generations? see: http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/04/16/6524765.html [13] and for a more detailed analysis: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html [14]

Because GMO plants cross-pollinate with traditional and organic crops in the same families, and GM crops require drenching with glyphosate pesticides, GMO crops take away our freedom to grow safe non GMO foods. For example, canola is in the brassica family, affecting turnips, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc...  We have written, petitioned and begged all levels of goverment to take action and protect us, to no avail. Canada still refuses to label GM foods and no other level of government has acted. This is why it is crucial to have a Bee SAFE movement now, to show that we want a SAFE agriculture while we can still protect ourselves from this destructive agriculture.

What are GMO?

GMO stands for “Genetically Modified Organisms”. GM plants are banned in Germany, Ireland, Hungary and many other places. Many US and Canadians regions are now declaring themselves GE or GMO Free. Canada still refuses to label GM foods.

Farmers are not allowed to save seeds from GM plants so they must buy seeds and pesticides every year. GM plants cross-pollinate with other plants, giving control of our food to corporations and taking away our ability to grow, sell, and eat organic food. When corporations rule our food, we lose food security, plant diversity, small family farms, and the choice of what we grow and eat.

Do they feed the world? Or make us sick?

Monsanto and governments said GM crops were needed to feed the world. GM crops have not increased yield but have increased the use of pesticides tremendously. Some GM plants even generate their own pesticides. GM foods are linked to cancers, organ failure, obesity, sterility, birth defects, autism, and allergies.

GMO crops depend on heavy use of pesticides proven to affect our health, pollute water, air and deplete soils.

38% of agricultural lands worldwide are designated degraded.

GMO and pesticides pollute underground water, streams, the air, and the soil.

Harm from Pesticides

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide and over a hundred other commercial formulations. It is a cause of great concern as evidence of its harmful effects keeps piling up. Independent scientific studies in recent years link pesticides to endocrine disruption, DNA damage, reproductive and developmental toxicities, neurotoxicity, cancer, and birth defects.

"The European Commission approved glyphosate knowing, as Monsanto did, that it causes birth defects, while the public were kept in the dark, the herbicide must now be banned" Dr Eva Sirinathsinghji [15] and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho [15]

see: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/EU_Regulators_Monsanto_Glyphosate_Toxicity.php [16]

Glyphosate is absorbed through the leaves and spreads throughout the plant, including the roots and seeds.  Glyphosate is systemic; it can’t be washed off because it’s inside the plant.

The Argentina experience is dire - it is called "Argentina's Roundup human tragedy - GM Soy, a death sentence for humans and the environment" shows how 10 years of GM soy and glyphosate have escalated the rates of cancer and birth defects - see: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/argentinasRoundupHumanTragedy.php [12]

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/blog/glyphosate-public-health-vs-profit-in-argentina [17]

In addition glyphosate has now proven to cause yield reduction and crop damages in other crops. See: http://www.gmfreecymru.org.uk/pivotal_papers/glufosinate_drift.html [18]

Less guilt, more Action!

KEEP AGENT ORANGE OUT OF OUR FOOD:

There is undeniable proof that pesticides are harmful.  Organophosphates are linked to ADHD [19]. Glyphosates are linked to birth defects [20], cancers and deaths of livestock. Nicotinoids [21] are linked to the global bee crisis and are now banned in the EU.

Weeds and insects have now built tolerance to these pesticides so now chemical companies want to bring stronger, banned chemicals [22] such as agent Orange back on the market while Monsanto is genetically engineering soy and corn seeds so they will survive applications of 2,4-D, a major component of agent Orange. 

Pesticides and GMO are issues that CAN NO LONGER be ignored. Bee SAFE can provide you with documentation so you can inform others about the dangers of these poisons and how to avoid them. We also give presentations on request. Contact us [23] to book a presentation on GMO, pesticides, chemical-free farming or any related subjects at 778-473-3029 or info@beesafemonashees.org

ACTION AGAINST GMO:

GM alfalfa could mean the end of organic as shown in this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlbtIEVF77Q [24]

TO STOP GM alfalfa: http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/GE-Crops-and-Foods-Not-on-the-Market/Alfalfa [25]

STOP GM salmon: http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/GE-Fish [26]

STOP GM pig: http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/Enviropig [27]

SENS has actively campaigned local government, as well as provincial and federal government representatives to become GE-Free for years. We have given private and public presentations and handed MP Colin Mayes written bills urging him to present them in the house of commons. We have given RDNO directors as well as various mayors and councils motions that would make it public they do not welcome GM crops in their community. None of this has yet been done which is why we felt we had to start the Bee SAFE movement.

You can help by sending your mayor and council, your MLA and your MP, an email telling them you understand the dangers associated with GM crops and urging them to please act in their capacity as elected leader to rid your community of these crops. Please copy BeesafeMonashees@gmail.com [28] so we can keep track of the support for GMO free communities.

Local Action against Pesticides:

RDNO is developing a pest management plan that covers the whole of the North Okanagan using Cultural, Mechanical, Biological, and Chemical methods to control noxious weeds. The draft pest management plan can be viewed at the office or online at www.rdno.ca [29]. 

Supporting Bee SAFE is the most effective way to protect ourselves against local GMO crops and pesticides. Please volunteer or donate if you can. Every dollar helps. Bee SAFE can issue income tax receipts for your donations because we are sponsored by SENS, a registered charity.

You can send one, or many postdated checks (made out to Bee S.A.F.E) to Box 1104, Lumby, BC, V0E 2G0. If cash is your preferred method you can call Jane Emlyn at 250-547-9460 and drop it off at 1951 Maple St. Lumby.

Bee SAFE is entirely staffed by volunteers and financially supported only by our dollars.  To volunteer, email huguette.allen@gmail.com [31] – Bee SAFE is entirely run by volunteers.