Does the most widely used weed killer in the world cause cancer? Into the Weeds: Dewayne "Lee" Johnson vs. Monsanto Company follows the story of groundskeeper Lee Johnson and his fight for justice against agrichemical giant Monsanto (now Bayer, which bought the company in 2018), the manufacturer of the weed killer, Roundup. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate -- the active ingredient in Roundup -- as "probably carcinogenic to humans." A year later, Lee Johnson filed a lawsuit claiming that Ranger Pro, a commercial-grade variant of Roundup, was a substantial contributing factor in causing his Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rated NR, 1h36m.
Join us for a post screening panel discussion with:
Carey Gillam: Carey Gillam is an award-winning, veteran investigative journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering US news, including 17 years as a senior correspondent with Reuters international news service (1998-2015). She is the author of “Whitewash - The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science,” an expose of Monsanto’s corporate corruption of agriculture.
Dr. Don M. Huber: Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology at Purdue University, has researched the ecology, epidemiology and control of soil-borne plant pathogens, nutrient-disease and pesticide-disease interactions, and the physiology of host-parasite relationships. Dr. Huber is author or co-author of over 300 scientific journal articles, Experiment Station Bulletins, book chapters and review articles; six books, and 84 special invited publications; and is an active scientific reviewer; speaker; consultant to academia, industry, and government; and an international research cooperator.
Joseph Heckman, PhD: who runs Neshanic Pastures LLC in Ringoes, NJ. He is a Rutgers University professor of Soil Science and teaches courses in Soil Fertility and Organic Agriculture. He writes The Soil Profile newsletter.
Mike Rassweiler is the co-owner operator of North Slope Farm, in West Amwell Twp, established in 1994, and first certified Organic in 1997. They have for almost thirty years provided organic farm products to our communities.
Mary Parr, L.Ac is a food as medicine activist, teaching and leading over 2,000 people in the last decade to connect to our planet through baking their own sourdough bread using organic local flour. She is a heart-centered light worker, Acupuncturist, speaker, and herbalist, and her work has been praised in the Los Angeles Times and by Slow Food Nation. She is the founder of Sourland Wellness and Sourland Bread in central NJ.
Sponsored by The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA NJ), a 35+ year-old nonprofit 501(c)3 organization focused on supporting organic & regenerative farming and food systems in the Garden State. NOFA NJ provides hands-on training and resources to beginning and experienced farmers and gardeners, advocates for policy that supports farmers and protects the environment and engages the public to support healthy and organic food systems throughout NJ.