A lawsuit brought about by 83 food and agriculture groups will finally face off with Monsanto at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. early next year.

A new report released by the USDA's Advisory Committee of Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture received condemnation by the National Organic Coalition-- an alliance of organizations focused on maintaining the integrity of organic standards.

A group of farmers have appealed a judge's ruling that dismissed the group's case filed against Monsanto in March 2011. The case, brought about by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, challenged the multinational seed and chemical company's patents on genetically engineered seed technology and the ongoing threats to farmers who frequently face lawsuits from Monsanto for patent infringement.

Arysta Lifescience, manufacturer of Midas, the controversial methyl iodide fumigant used in California's strawberry production, recently announced that it is suspending further sales of the product in the U.S.

A major victory came for Monsanto last week as a Manhattan judge hearing the case brought about by a group of organic farmers ruled in favor of the chemical and seed giant by dismissing the allegations from the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association.

In the wake of major proposed recent farm budget cuts as part of the Obama administration's new deficit reduction program ("Living Within Our Means and Investing in the Future") that will pull more than $33 billion in agriculture subsidies from the nations' farmers, lawmakers and farm lobbyists are attempting to route that same money under a new name right back to the nation's big-ag farmers rather than small-scale or family owned farms.

The next generation of organic farmers are hitting the road on an Organic Valley sponsored 3-week tour of the Pacific Northwest in the Generation Organic 2011 "Who's Your Farmer" campaign aimed at connecting people with their food, their local growers and to discuss how personal diet choices affect not just our own health, but the health of the planet and of future generations.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled last month that chemical pesticides used by conventional farmers that cross property lines contaminating neighboring organic farms could be considered trespassing, nuisance and negligence, entitling organic farmers to retributions.