Grassroots Pressure Forces Large Cheese Company to Ban Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone

Yesterday Portland, Oregon's KGW TV reported that the board of the Tillamook
Creamery voted to ban the use of artificial growth hormones. For a link to the report see:
www.kgw.com

Below is additional information, including a report on Monsanto's response,
from Rick North of the Oregon Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility:
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Tillamook Board Votes to Go rBGH-Free!

Monsanto Fighting Decision, Meeting Ahead
KGW TV Continues Story Tonight at 6:00 p.m.

In a stunning decision, Tillamook Creamery Association's Board voted unanimously
to require all 147 member dairy farmers to go rBGH-free.

According to a story broken by KGW reporter Vince Patton last night, "A
barrage of consumer questions and complaints has convinced the Tillamook Creamery
Association to force all of its dairies to abandon the use of genetically
engineered growth hormones in its cows."

That's us, folks! We started contacting Tillamook a year ago about rBGH and
began a full-scale postcard, phone call and e-mail campaign about six months
ago. Combined with other people independently asking questions, Jim McMullen,
Tillamook President, concluded that "When eight percent of your customers
are talking about that issue, that's substantial and we need to listen."

According to Patton, the Three Mile Canyon dairy in Boardman, Oregon that
supplies a large amount of milk to Tillamook has also signed an agreement to
go rBGH-free. The dairy is not formally part of Tillamook's co-op. At this
point, the precise date of going completely rBGH-free isn't known, but it may be in
the next few months.

But don't start celebrating yet-this isn't a done deal. Monsanto has been
doing everything possible to derail this decision and reportedly sent one of its
lawyers to Oregon to organize dissident Tillamook farmers who want to continue
using the drug. He has succeeded in getting 10% of the membership to request
a general meeting of all 147 members to vote on overturning the board's decision.
This battle is still raging and we won't know the outcome for sure until this
meeting is held, probably by the end of this month.

According to the latest ratings, KGW's 6:00 p.m. news program is viewed by
over 95,000 households. It will air the second segment of the rBGH story tonight
at 6:00 p.m., and will most likely concentrate on the Monsanto angle. Vince
Patton told me this morning that he has NEVER had a story in Portland reviewed so
thoroughly by station lawyers-no surprise there!

Tillamook sells cheese nationwide, butter throughout the western U.S. and
ice cream, yogurt and sour cream in most stores in the Pacific Northwest. It is
one of the oldest, largest dairies in the country.

Rick North, Coordinator
Campaign for Safe Food
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Oregon Chapter
Phone 503-968-1520
Email: hrnorth@hevanet.com
Web: www.oregonpsr.org/programs

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