Monsanto RoundUp Trial

Monsanto Ordered to Pay $2 Billion to Cancer Victims

Among the many revelations that have emerged from the trials:

* Monsanto never conducted epidemiology studies for Roundup and its other formulations made with the active ingredient glyphosate to evaluate the cancer risks for users.

* Monsanto was aware that the surfactants in Roundup were much more toxic than glyphosate alone.

* Monsanto spent millions of dollars on covert public relations campaigns to finance ghostwritten studies and articles aimed at discrediting independent scientists whose work found dangers with Monsanto’s herbicides.

* When the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sought to evaluate glyphosate toxicity in 2015, Monsanto engaged the assistance of EPA officials to delay that review.

* Monsanto enjoyed a close relationship with certain officials within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who have repeatedly backed Monsanto’s assertions about the safety of its glyphosate products.

* The company internally had worker safety recommendations that called for wearing a full range of protective gear when applying glyphosate herbicides but did not warn the public to do the same.

Pilliod attorney Brent Wisner suggested to jurors in his closing arguments that they consider punitive damages in the range of $1 billion to send a message to Monsanto and Bayer about the need to change the company’s practices.

“The jury saw for themselves internal company documents demonstrating that, from day one, Monsanto has never had any interest in finding out whether Roundup is safe,” Wisner said following the verdict. “Instead of investing in sound science, they invested millions in attacking science that threatened their business agenda.”

Michael Miller, who served with Wisner as co-lead trial counsel said: “Unlike the first two Monsanto trials, where the judges severely limited the amount of plaintiffs’ evidence, we were finally allowed to show a jury the mountain of evidence showing Monsanto’s manipulation of science, the media, and regulatory agencies to forward their own agenda despite Roundup’s severe harm to the animal kingdom and humankind.”

Bayer issued a statement after the verdict saying it would appeal: “Bayer is disappointed with the jury’s decision.

“There is no reliable scientific evidence to conclude that glyphosate-based herbicides were the “but for” cause of their illnesses as the jury was required to find in this case.”

Compensatory Payment Ordered for Alberta Pilliod and Alva Pilliod:
TOTAL – $2.055 billion  

Hundreds of trials are pending in courts around the United States against Monsanto-Bayer.

By selling to Bayer last summer for $63bn just before the Roundup cancer lawsuits started going to trial, Monsanto executives were able to walk away from the legal mess with riches.  The Monsanto chairman Hugh Grant’s exit package allowed him to pocket $32m, for instance.


Studies show that along with promoting illness and disease in people, these pesticides pushed by Bayer and Monsanto, Dow-DuPont and other corporate players, are endangering wildlife, soil health, water quality and the long-term sustainability of food production. We all have to pay for it!

Yet regulators have allowed these corporations to combine forces, making them even more powerful and more able to direct public policies that favor their interests...

What we can do as consumers? Just say NO to chemicals - especially pesticides,
and live a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Regarding your own garden: see 
my former article:
https://garden-dream.blogspot.com/2019/10/easy-sustainable-gardening.html 

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Farms on Southern Vancouver Island

Farmers Market

With Canada’s only Mediterranean climate, there seems to be no limit to what can be produced here. However, it’s not just the land that makes this region a foodie paradise, it’s the passionate people behind the products who work tirelessly to create quality local flavors.

Farms in Southern Vancouver Island
Lakes, hiking, parks, and camping... The Cowichan Valley boasts the highest mean annual temperatures in the region, and the Mediterranean-like climate has made it a mecca of vineyards, orchards, and farms. The outdoor Duncan Farmers Market (open Saturdays year-round) is a great place to start a delicious tour of the area.

It extends from Shawnigan Lake, just 40 minutes north of Victoria, past the City of Duncan and up to Lake Cowichan, 27 kilometers west of Duncan.  Numerous wineries and small communities sit along the way.  A local park - Old Mill Park - contains the remains of a lumber mill when it was founded nearly one hundred years ago.

Alderlea Farm and Café 
The Alderlea Farm and Café is a magical place.  While bees make honey you can put in your tea, chickens lay eggs for cakes.  The owners Katy and John Ehrlich busy themselves, making a difference.  Their shared passion for organic and biodynamic farming led them to purchase the 10-acre farm in Glenora - just 3 kilometers from HWY 1 - nearly 15 years ago.

Farm to Table Cuisine for Everyone
This place takes authentic food to a whole other level. Literally, you are at the farm, eating whatever they’re growing at the moment.  All dishes are made with fresh ingredients from the farm in a casual and cozy environment.  The creative and unique flavor profiles work perfectly, and you can't find the same dishes elsewhere on Vancouver Island.

Wood-Fired Oven Pizza, Every Sunday from 4:00pm
The rustic café bustles Friday to Sunday, from 11:00 - 8:00, spring through fall. Now in its seventh year, the venture adds value to the farm produce and provides a place for people to gather, learn, and enjoy the beauty of biodynamic produce and food on the plate.

Enjoy a delicious home-cooked, farm-to-table, organic meal, a selection of award-winning local wine and beer, and a stunning view of the farm and the animals.

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Easy Sustainable Gardening

Here are some tips to create a more sustainable - and far less expensive - landscape on your piece of paradise:

Shrink Your Lawn
Those expanses of green turf take an enormous amount of resources.  Eliminate some of your lawn and create a more natural landscape.  You will ultimately use less water and reduce chemical use and save some money too.  As well, you will do less mowing and raking.


Gather Rain Water
Harvesting rainwater in barrels helps to conserve water and save money.  Rainwater is soft and pure and requires no treatment.  You can use it to water your garden, your houseplants or even wash your hair with it.


Use Mulch
Mulched beds improve the appearance of any landscape.  But more than importantly, mulch protects the plants' root systems and adds nutrients to the soil.  Mulch slows soil erosion, retains moisture and helps to prevent weeds.  You will spend less time weeding and watering your garden and more time enjoying it.


Compost, Compost, Compost
Composting organic kitchen and garden waste produces rich humus and improves the soil.  By composting you reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sites, thus reducing greenhouse gases.  You also save money on chemical fertilizers.


Choose Native Plants
Native plants are better able to withstand drought conditions and poor soil.  They are also better able to resist pests and diseases, thus reducing the need for harmful chemicals.

Attract Pollinators to Your Yard
By growing a variety of plants you increase the number of different wildlife species that are attracted to your garden.  Insects, bees, birds, and bats contribute to a healthy ecosystem by transporting pollen from one plant to another during fertilization.


Plant Shade Trees
Planting deciduous shade trees near your house will help cut your air conditioning bills in summer.  In the fall deciduous trees drop their leaves allowing more sun to shine into your home and so help to reduce heating costs.  But, trees deliver more than cost savings: they are important carbon sinks and help to reduce global climate change.


Plant Edible Ornamentals
You can produce a beautiful landscape as well as tasty food for the table by integrating edible plants into your garden.  For example, runner beans, ruby chard, globe artichokes, nasturtiums, and garlic chives blend happily with purely ornamental plants.


Use Local Materials
Rather than using exotic materials trucked in great distances for your landscaping projects, consider using stone, salvageable concrete, used bricks, and other recyclable materials found locally. 


Choose Alternatives to Power Equipment
Instead of a power lawnmower consider using a push mower.  Instead of a string weed trimmer use hand shears, a scythe or a hoe.  Instead of a gas blower for leaves, use a rake or broom, or better still allow leaves to remain in place to decompose and add nutrients to the soil.  Instead of a lawn, think about creating a meadow or more flower beds.

Happy Garding : )

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