September 26, 2017

A ruling that invalidated a GMO ban in Oregon’s Josephine County has been affirmed on appeal.

The Oregon Court of Appeals has affirmed that a prohibition against genetically engineered crops in Josephine County is pre-empted by state law.

Voters in Josephine County approved the ban in 2014, nearly a year after state lawmakers passed a bill barring local governments from regulating genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

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Aug 12, 2017

OSU students win fellowships

Roskilde, Denmark & Cape Town, South Africa                                                            June 19, 2017

DLF Seeds A/S (“DLF Seeds”) and Zaad Holdings Limited (“Zaad”), announced today that they have formed an alliance and agreed to enter into a joint venture, which shall be effective from July 1, 2017 (“Joint Venture”). The Joint Venture shall be known as DLF Seeds (Pty) Ltd. The objective of the Joint Venture is to expand the marketing and sale of temperate forage, turf grass, clover and alfalfa seed to wholesale customers in the Southern African market by introducing superior genetics and solutions through local testing and technical support.

With the Joint Venture serving as sourcing and supply vehicle, Zaad will continue to distribute and market forage and turf grass seed through its well established Agricol and K2 Klein-Karoo Seed Marketing brands and DLF will continue to serve its wholesale clients.

Truels Damsgaard, CEO of DLF Seeds, commented: “We are looking forward to grow our seed business in Africa with Zaad being a strong partner, not only in South Africa but also in other neighboring African countries. Our new joint venture is a market leader in forage and turf grass seed and holds a strong portfolio, combining the best products from DLF and Zaad.”

Antonie Jacobs, CEO of Zaad said: “With DLF’s dedication and commitment to forage and turf grass seed, our new joint venture will provide access to the latest developments from DLF global research programs and will enable distribution of high quality forage and turf grass seed through our global sales network.”

About Zaad:

Zaad operates in the specialised agri-inputs industry and currently owns, develops, imports and distributes a broad range of agri-seeds in Africa, Europe, Middle East and other international markets. The specialised agri-inputs market, and in particular the seed segment in Africa, remains attractive and Zaad is well positioned to benefit from growth opportunities that it offers. Through its extensive sales channels, Zaad and its subsidiaries distribute seed to 28 African countries and has subsidiaries and/or affiliated companies in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Angola. To learn more, visit

www.agricol.co.za, www.seedmarketing.co.za, www.bakkerbrothers.co.za, www.mayseed.com

About DLF Seeds

DLF Seeds is a global seed company dealing in forage and turf seeds, and other crops. The company is a leading player providing grass and clover seeds to more than 80 countries. DLF Seeds’ headquarters is in Roskilde, Denmark. DLF Seeds has a strong focus on science and plant breeding, with approximately 10% of the company’s 800 employees dedicated to research. The company is owned by a cooperative of 3,200 Danish farmers. To learn more visit www.dlf.com

For more information, contact:

Zaad: Antonie Jacobs , CEO, e-mail: antonie@zaad.co.za  phone:0027 83325 8691

DLF: Stig Oddershede, Communications Manager, e-mail: so@dlf.dk, phone: 0045 40303248

You have all heard of the field of dreams?  Not so very long ago we had a vast field of weeds and grass growing out of a swampy, muddy pool in the center of the play area at Cloverdale Elementary School.

This was supposed to be the main game and activity area designated for our students. The potential for baseball, soccer and other games were obvious and tantalizing for our students, who for years attempted to venture out into the wet morass, often finding themselves sinking into the dark, sticky goo that oozed up their legs as their shoes slowly sunk into the mud.

Having a large usable filed seemed like a hopeless dream that would never come true. The extensive work required to make the field a suitable place for children to play was too expensive.

Eventually, we had to ban students from going near the field so children were confined to a very small play area.

Then, what I consider a miracle occurred.

Tom Lovell, our facilities director, reached out to a few community members and organized a small army of generous volunteers who came together to turn our field of weeds into a beautiful field of dreams.

In addition to Tom’s efforts in organizing and supervising the work on the field, several other folks need to be acknowledged. Gordon and Noah Hilton provided several workers, materials and equipment needed to install the drain tiles. Dennis Bethel donated a backhoe, truck, bulldozers and two of his employees — all at no charge.

Baker donated his tractor, tools and two workers. Mike and Brian Everitt brought in their personal tractor and the equipment needed to prepare the field to plant the grass seed.

Finally, Stacy Kuenzi donated 800 to 1000 pounds of grass seed on behalf of the company she works for, Mountain View Seed.

This is a wonderful example of what a community can do when they come together for a common purpose.

It’s difficult to put into words how grateful we all are for the kindness and generosity of the very special people who transformed our field from a swamp to a field of dreams. A field filled with happy children playing, learning and growing. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

Christy Wilkins is the principal of Cloverdale Elementary School in the Cascade School District. She can be reached at 503-749-8050 or cwilkins@cascade.k12.or.us.

See the original article published by the Statesman Journal here.