It’s planting season in Oregon. What better time to fight for the protection of our seeds and our farmers? Tomorrow, Oregon lawmakers will consider two bills that would do just that.

HB 2469 would restore the right of local farmers and communities to, among other things, protect their specialty crops and farmland by establishing GMO-free zones.

HB 2739 would protect farmers and communities from contamination by genetically engineered crops by holding patent holders responsible.

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Tell House committees to support these bills!

Please send an email with the subject “Support HB 2469” to Misty Freeman (misty.freeman@oregonlegislature.gov), the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources administrator.

Please send an email with the subject “Support HB 2739, to Channa Newell (channa.newell@oregonlegislature.gov), the House Committee on Judiciary administrator.

*Be sure to include name, date and where you live and if you have a farm or related business and ask the administrators to distribute your comment to committee members.

Click here if you’d like to call and email members of these two committees individually.

Hearings for both of these bills will be held at the state Capitol in Salem tomorrow. The hearing for HB 2469 is at 8 a.m. in Hearing Room D. The hearing for HB 2739 is at 1 p.m. in room 343. Email elise@ourfamilyfarms.org if you can attend a hearing!

HB 2469: Restore farmer’s rights. In 2013, the Oregon legislature took away the right of local government to regulate agriculture. Since then the legislature has failed to provide any meaningful statewide regulations to protect family farmers from the risks of genetically modified (GMO) crops.

HB 2469 would restore the ability of local farmers to address their diverse agricultural needs at a community level by allowing communities to create measures such as GE-free zones to protect family farmers and specialty non-GMO crops.

HB 2739: Protect Oregon’s agriculture. Over the past decade, repeated episodes of contamination by genetically engineered plants have cost U.S. farmers billions of dollars. Oregon farmers grow many high-value or specialty crops that are at significant risk of contamination by GMO crops. Creeping Bentgrass, a GMO grass, continues to spread in Malheur and Jefferson counties.

GMO crop contamination usually pits farmer against farmer. HB 2739 would hold patent holders, instead of farmers, responsible for contamination events.

ACTION NEEDED TODAY! Tell House committee so support these bills!

More information at OurFamilyFarms.org