Would you take anyone's money?

[shroomgirl]

I just had a conversation wiht oldtime dear friends that have a radio nad television show....they are talking about approaching Coke to be sponsors since they've been kicked out of the schools.....the mind set I hear from good agencies do good work....is if the money is from a company doing biz in a way that is trully offensive to your soul, would you take their monies to "do good"?
I would not, it would be as if they are getting positive PR to offset the bleeeech.So where would you stand....macheavellian or not?
It was an interesting decision , there is a garden group in town that does amazing work and has spread throughout the community rapidly, but they are based at Monsanto....they have some organic plants but some ofthe grants come from Monsanto.....it would be so easy to plug into their programs....aw well.

[Jim]

Not really an answer, but....

Do the means justify the ends? Do you kill one to save many? Do you endure the lesser of two evils?
Is it a moral debate? Morailty, afterall is defined as knowing the difference between right and wrong. If you are a vegetable farmer, do you accept the donation of a new plow from a neighboring cattle ranch? What if the plow came from a neighboring potato farm? Does that make the plow any more suited for the job? Does it still accomplish the same task?
Does poor = proud? Or do opportunites present themselves in may forms?

Like I said, not answer, but insight nonetheless.

[shroomgirl]

It's not the quiet transactions amoung a few it is the marketing of large coprorations that in some minds are distorting the food system of the world for monetary gain. Proud does not equal poor, and I erased that statement., for it did not really equate.

I am talking to BIG boys about sponsoring the Heirloom tomato Fest and running advertising through the grocery stores....they are really not competition, if you shop the market you still have to get laundry soap, and other shtuff. I gotta tell you that when someone has a clear association with the market they know or will learn quickly about the importance of supporting local farmers.

[shroomgirl]

I guess even more it goes to the heart...if you buy or support something it has more of a chance of flourishing, for a company that is practicing poor environmental practices or human rights practices to jump on the marketing bandwagon of a entity that is "doing good"> It gives the larger one a appearance of also doing well in the communities....which unless you dig deeper which for most Joe Smoes is not on the agenda, what you see is the positive face...
Hopefully there are enough fiscally advantaged donors to support the "cause"...finding them and being selective is WAY more difficult than taking the easy money.

[RitaFajita]

I've thought a lot about this post in the past 24 hours.

Like- what am I doing when I take catering jobs for drug reps giving a "free lunch" to doctors. Am I contributing to the high cost of health care in accepting those clients?

Sometimes "big" starts small.

I'm not sure what that means, but it's something I'm thinking on...

RF

[shroomgirl]

Interesting correlation.
If enough people said this matters to me and I will spend my money in this way, change will happen...I had a good friend say that he does not respect "star chefs "as much anymore it's the farmers....he asked if I knew the farmers that sold their products to Alice3 Waters...I said yeah, the chinos, Neiman ranch, Riverdog, etc...they are well known because she talks about them. There is almost a seal of approval if you have a farmer that sells at Chez Panisse.

[chefboy2160]

I agree shroomgirl , support those who you feel are doing things in the proper way but remember , this universe is built upon interconnected polarities . When you choose this as right you have immediatley created a wrong . Good and bad , beautiful and ugly , male and female . Well this is our life . My advice is to continue with your beliefs and just do the best you can . We humans continue to contaminate this planet which gives us life but unfortunatly most people dont think about this but only of there own comfort . My concept is that organically grown is from a farmer who is not adding to the pollution and chemicals we have allready placed upon this planet ,but the chemicals are allready there . Tests at the polar ice caps have detected our presence as a dominating species for years now . I used to live in Bakersfield California and I swear you could feel the chemicals used in farming,oil fields, and trucking in the air and even in the soil .
YUK ! Just do the best you can for what you believe in and do not worry to much about the rest . Who knows , maybe humans will actually start to care about there home which gives them life instead of creating practices for greed of the individual which destroy it . I agree with your saying , support your local farmers and let us eat fresh food . Peace my friend , Doug..........