After watching The Future of Food, it becomes even more clear the importance of supporting local CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and also local seed banks. Here's the story summed up:

Back in 1978, before anyone was allowed to buy a patent on any living organism like certain seeds, bacteria, or genes, there was a determined group stubborn guy at General Electric who were determined to claim ownership over their new grime-eating bacteria. It could eat through pipe gunk in their equipment, and they took their case all the way to the Supreme Court. Ironically, just after they won the trial, they discovered this bacterium ate through the pipes themselves, and they never used it again. But the floodgates were opened, and bit agriculture companies then had sway in the patent office declaring that they owned particular strain of corn, wheat, soy, and other staple crops. Problems brewed as biochemists used bacteria and virus genes to break down the structure of certain corn seeds, injecting antibiotics, and foreign genes that would allow for pesticide impenetrability, and in later years even sterility after one planting.

Studies are inconclusive on who the effects of this practice will change our food system, but that is mostly because university research departments are funded by the very companies that hold the patents, and the corporate officials at these companies, like Monsanto, flip flop between top positions in their corporations to leadership roles at the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

That's a heavy situation for America, and the whole world, to be in. It means that sterile seeds (ones that don't reproduce after one harvest) could leak into our fields and wipe out entire crops of key grains, and in the case of genetically modified fish, which is effected by these same circumstances, the escape of just 6 "salmon" could make our natural populations extinct in just 40 generations. It is a scary idea that companies can own certain genes, types of seed, and can use whatever chemical processes they like to affect the world's crops. After all, biodiversity is what prevents against things like the corn blight of the 1970s, and the potato famine generations ago in Ireland.

But the good news is that you can vote with your pocketbook. You can support local seed companies like Kitazawa Seed in Oakland, who harvest their own rare varieties of mostly Japanese fruits and vegetables. You can buy a share in CSAs like Full Belly Farm, People's Grocery, and Farm Fresh to You, all of which grow organic, non-genetically modified bounty. You can harvest you own seed after planting something in your garden by leaving at least one plant to go seed. You can order seeds and plantings from the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, or plant heirloom varieties of plants (get them from J.L. Hudson Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Native Seeds Seed Bank, Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Botanical Interests Seeds and more) and you can join the Seed Savers Exchange. All of these outlets promote bio diversity, which means food for more people, for more generations. Wouldn't you say this should be moved to the top of your eating To Do List?

Lets bring back the days where there were thousands of varieties of apples growing across America, rather than the dozen or so available to us now.