“In the seed and the soil, we find the answers to every one of the crises we face. The crises of violence and war. The crises of hunger and disease. The crisis of the destruction of democracy.” – Vandana Shiva

Today, the first day of the International Year of the Soil, I am hopeful.

I'm also thankful.

Let’s start with the thank you.

A sincere thanks from all of us to all of you who helped our organization reach its year-end fundraising goal. Your financial support will be absolutely essential in 2015 as we take on Monsanto and Big Food, while we simultaneously work to grow the organic, regenerative agriculture movement.

We recognize that many of you support us in other ways, too. So I also want to start the new year by thanking the hundreds of thousands of you who sign our petitions, who call their members of Congress, who attend our rallies, and who read and share our work.

Without you, there would be no movement. Without you, there would be no hope.

You, and millions like you, across all generations, from all walks of life, regardless of religious or political affiliation, are rejecting the corporate and industrial agriculture giants and awakening to the fact that nature has provided us all of the tools and “technology” we need to grow healthy food, while at the same time protecting our ecosystem, our home.

The signs of hope are everywhere.

From this recent headline in the Minneapolis Star Tribune—“Millenials’ hunger for fresh foods eats into food giants' profits. To the promising reports coming out of international organizations showing how small, organic farmers, all over the world, are feeding their communities and rebuilding their soil and their economies.

To our own plans at OCA this year to convene the world’s most prominent scientists to expose Monsanto’s lies and to promote a regenerative agriculture renaissance.

The science is on our side. The word is getting out. The corporate profiteers are running scared.

As one of this movement’s most prominent leaders, Vandana Shiva, so eloquently stated, in her new year’s message:

“We are all seeds . . . for a while, we lie underground. But at the right moment, we germinate, and burst out with all of our potential.”

This is the right moment.

We will face many challenges this coming year. In January, the state of Vermont will be forced to defend its GMO labeling law in court, thanks to a lawsuit filed by lobbying groups representing Monsanto and junk food manufacturers, including those companies that sell milk and cheese produced by animals fed a diet of GMO feed.

Early this year we will see Congress do its best to push through a bill designed to preempt states from passing GMO labeling laws, and to allow food manufacturers to label GMO foods “natural.”

This year, the USDA will undoubtedly approve more GMO crops, and probably the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption—GMO salmon.

In the meantime, the mega-corporations will push for more factory farms, most all of them in poor, rural communities, where soil and water will be polluted, and the health of workers and nearby residents will suffer.

But in this, the Year of the Soil, we will dig in. As never before.

Because there is so much at stake. And hope abounds.

From all of us at OCA, happy new year. And thank you.

Let's roll up our sleeves, dig in our heels, and dig into the real solutions to the crises we face.

Ronnie Cummins
National Director, Organic Consumers Association and Organic Consumers Fund

P.S. Nearly 80 percent of our funds come from grassroots supporters like you. If you missed our year-end fundraising campaign, please make a generous donation today to help #EndMonsantoLies. Thank you!