24 2064

Clare and Dante

 

“ I’ ve been reminded, ” said Stan, “ that I promised to review more recent history and fill in the details. It ’ s been requested I say something in particular about the underground resistance. ” He smiled the wry smile Clare had seen so many times. “Don ’ t you just love that— an underground seed movement ? ” Chuckles indicated the students shared Stan ’ s affinity for wordplay.

The skin on Stan’s face flattened in seriousness, his gray eyes piercing . “ Unfortunately for you younger students, history professors have a way of thinking ‘ recent history ’ includes the last fifty years, so we ’ ll start there. 2028. Raise your hand if you remember. ” A third of the class raised their hands.

Ten years before Mama was born , Clare thought.

“ What was the food situation like in the U.S. in 2028? By then food safety legislation had become so tight that the earlier fresh markets and CSAs—Community Supported Agriculture—had already been shut down. Organic farmers, by and large, were no longer officially in business because the FDA had imposed so many requirements and taxes they were unable to continue. ”

Clare had heard this from Jason.

“ The ‘ authorized producers, ’ ” Stan said, “ grew 100 percent patented seeds, which were also genetically modified. Among the public was a growing awareness that something was amiss with the food supply due in part to the increase in food -related illnesses and allergies. T h e health community suspected GMOs, and when the federal government made no move to protect the people , states tried to pass laws requiring at the very least, the labeling of GMO food, but to no avail . E ven though other countries had required such labeling for years. S ocial media campaigns and protest marches also failed .”

Clare looked around : some students scribbled furiously in their notebooks while others simply listen ed and nodd ed , remembering, perhaps, protests in which they ’ d taken part.

Stan paced characteristically while he reviewed the history. Now he stopped, dead center, hands on hips. He addressed the class directly. “ Let me tell you what did happen: Some organic farmers kept growing the good stuff and selling it illegally . In addition, they began teaching others how to garden. Home gardening made such a comeback between 2027 and 2037 that the big boys got scared. The discount retailers, always on the side of money, actually considered GMO labeling.

“ But the government ’s master plan to ease away from fresh food was already being formed . L obbyists would have the ir way. Expensive advertising campaigns were launched touting the efficiency, nutrition, and low cost of the new food groups. Gradu ally, i ndividual food items vanished from store shelves. Needless to say, GMO labeling never happened, and the vast majority of Americans already eating large amounts of processed food didn ’ t miss broccoli or asparagus when they eventually disappeared. ”

Broccoli, asparagus! Clare had just added these to her growing list of vegetable words.

“ At the same time ” —Stan was pacing again—“legislation was being snuck into the already restrictive agriculture bills designating seed ownership or growing—even for a private garden—illegal. It was a play for power. Documents have since been released showing the long-term three-pronged plan: new food groups, no seed ownership by private citizens, and media control. The media control came last.

“ How are we doing? ” he asked , stopping and looking at the class. No one spoke or lifted a finger.

“ Very well. So the protests throughout the thirties did make a lot of noise. But after their failures and the triumph of big retail, agribusiness, and government, in 2043 the law against seed ownership and gardening was passed. The following year, GRIM—which was just a new name for the FDA, EPA, and Nipungyo holding hands—came into being. It took a few years for them to gain total control, but by 2050 things quieted down and GRIM sat firmly in the driver ’ s seat . ”

Clare jotted down the dates and events, a timeline emerging of why she had never known real food.

But Stan wasn ’ t finished. “ Meanwhile, Monitor access and rights began slowly devolving to what you currently have in the U.S. today. As always, hackers do remain who get around that. ” For some reason, Clare noticed, he looked at Jason. “ However, if you expect me to g et into that, you ’ ve come to the wrong person. I ’ m the history/politics guy, not the tech guy. ” The students laughed, a sign they were still listening.

“ As in any case where a government has overstepped its boundaries and makes too many decisions for its people, an underground movement was born. Seed Savers had always been a rather mundane name for multiple groups of folks who saved seeds for hobby, utilitarian purposes, food security, zombie apocalypses, whatever. Under the new regime, however, Seed Savers became a whole new animal.

“ Most of you probably remember what happened in 2064. ”

Clare’ s heart skipped a beat—2064? Her pencil hovered over her paper. 2064 was the year she was born. She glanced around the room; heads were nodding. A tear trickled down one woman ’ s face.

“ You know as well as I do, however, that you cannot keep a good Movement down. It ’ s why you ’re here.”

What happened ? Clare thought. I don ’ t know . She looked at Jason, his face ston y , his lips positioned in a strange smile.

“ And just in case you’ve been living under a rock: It’s been a year now since James Gardener escaped, and the government still seems to have no clue where he is.”

The class erupted in applause .

Stan pointed at the clock. Folders snapped shut and everyone started stacking their chairs in the corner.

Who was James Gardener? What happened in 2064?