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 From our families to yours, we wish you a very Happy Holidays!

We wish everyone will rest, relax and cherish their families.We also wish you healthy and happy holiday gatherings! 
Here are some Mom-Tried-and-True-Holiday tips:

1.Always ask what the ingredients are in each dish, (never assume Aunt Josie made her banana bread the same way!) before you serve it to your child with allergies. We have spent one too many holiday gatherings in the ER. It's better to be safe than sorry! 

2. Bake and bring your children's favorite GMO free dessert to gatherings so you know they can enjoy a treat.

3. Ask your family to buy organic food ahead of time! If we don't ask they might not think it is important! Let them know where they can buy organic in your neighborhood and what is most important to avoid GMOs and toxic chemicals: corn, soy, canola oil, squash, potatoes, carrots, and sugar. 

We thank you for continuing to share with your friends and family about GMOs and Glyphosate (and associated toxic chemicals) in our food. They may think they don't want to know, but most likely now, everyone in America loves someone who has health issues. When they find out about GMOs and associated toxic chemicals like Glyphosate, you give them access to health and freedom. Thank you.

 We also ask that if you are able to donate to Moms Across America, we are stepping up our efforts in the coming year and all resources are needed.

I just spoke with a school nurse in Arkansas and she said 50% of the children in her school have allergies or asthma. 170 out of 600 are in Special Ed  and this does not count the numerous children with Autism. She said her student's health is being devastated.

This is a national crisis. We need to take actions in the coming year to make GMO info and GMO free solutions available to every American. One of the best ways we know how is to be in every 4th of July Parade we can, with thousands of people in home towns and millons nationally, able to see our message. Our goal is 400 parades signed up by FEB 14th,"Share the Love, Sign Up Your Parade Day,"because we love our families! Invite your family to plan ahead and join in a parade with you this summer!

We hope you will support getting GMO info flyers to 5000 people at each parade. Just $15.00 reaches over 200 families, and $50.00 nearly 700. 

Thank you for giving generously!!! Every dollar counts!

We can create a healthy and happy New Year for all!

Happy Holidays!!!

Zen, Kathleen and the MAAM Team

Watch Dr. Pang at 8:18 speak about one of the reasons why the government wants the USA and other countries to have genetically modified foods.

Just in case you cannot view it, what is shown is Dr. Pang from Hawaii describing a few ways in which the government is trying to stop us from talking about or stopping the spread of GMOs. They may to pre-empt our right to know with several arguments. One could be that it is a "Homeland Security Issue."

In other words, a national security issue. Dr. Pang describes how, in Hawaii, after 911 they had several homeland security talks and some Homeland Security men visited them from Texas, to talk about food security. There was "one guy who looked like Dick Cheney" he said, "that I spoke to and he said," "Mono crops, GMOs, are the most dangerous thing of all." and Dr. Pang, asked lightly "Can I quote you?"

The Homeland Security representattive said "Oh yeah, mono crops are very dangerous, when the crops get wiped out, you get wiped OUT."
So Dr.Pang asked, "You'll speak against them, here on the islands?" 
He said, "You don't understand...we want the enemy to have it, Iran and China, so you never have to invade them, you just say "I'll turn off your seed...or your seed is going to expire in 3 years."
So Dr. Pang asked "But then why do we have it?"

The Homeland Security man said,"We kinda have to have it so we can show them, and they will think it's ok for them to have it."

As an American I am outraged.

Our American  farmers get wiped out from GMO mono crop problems with increasingly resistent weeds and pests. For example, the entire orange industry in Florida right now is plagued. They are genetically engineering the orange trees with pig genes to "protect" them from the problem. (I wonder how our Jewish, Hindu and Muslim Americans feel about that?)The entire orange industry is being told that they are now dependant on one company for GE seeds when they used to have a thriving industry for generations before. (The truth is the issue can be resolved with Bio Dynamic farming some are actually doing that.)

As a mother I am horrified.

Our children are collateral damage in a war for world power.

The health implications of GMO foreign proteins and glyphosate sprayed food are overwhelemingly increasing. The 400%-1500% increase in childhood illness such as allergies, autism, asthma, auto immune disorders and the number one killer of American children now, cancer, have all been linked to GMOs and glyphosate (sprayed on GMOs and does not wash off). An yet this is acceptable for the government because we "need" world power.

As a human being I am unstoppable in my stand for health and freedom.

Our human population is being experiemented on for the wealth and power of the elite few. Now the concept is nothing new, world leaders have always been vying for world power and the little people have always been collateral damage. There is an acceptable level of collateral damage.

But what is new about this global movement is that they are controlling the USA media to stop us to find out about this and they are putting this dangerous crop in 80% of our food. It's not just a few. We are being experimented on in a national nd global scale and the top scientists and government officials have all been brainwashed to think that these crops are safe under the guise of national security. Our children's health, and our country's future is being impacted and yet this is acceptable for national security?

How do GMOs make US secure?

These GMO crops are engineered to withstand Roundup (glyphosate) and are heavily sprayed with this chemical which has been shown to break down the blood-brain barrier and allow toxins into the brain ( which is what impacts children with autism). 1 out of 2 of our children will have Autism at the rate we are going in the next 20 years. That is 50%. HALF our kids or grandkids. And thats's Homeland Security?

These GMO foods have promoters which "turn on genes" and could very likely be "turning on" latent cancer or lukemia genes in our children. Cancer is now the number one killer of our American children. And that's Homeland Security?

These GMO crops, fed to pigs have shown an increase in miscarriages, birth defects and the same gut issues which are present in babies who die from SIDS. 46-54% of our baby formula is made of GMO soy. Our American couples now have a 30% failure to conceive rate, the lowest ever in history. And that's Homelend Security?

GMO crops like sugar beets are sprayed with glyphosate which has also been linked to destroying our gut bacteria. Our gut is the only place where Tryptophan can be made in our bodies. Without Tryptophan our bodies cannot produce Seratonin, without Seratinin our bodies cannot regulate blood sugar. Diabetes is the result of unbalanced insulin and now costs our nation helath budget 279 billion. Compared to all of Medicare, which costs us 514 billion, diabetes is taking over our national budget. At this rate we will have no healthcare system money left in 13 years. None. Not for cancer, Alzheimer's, preventative health, pregnancies, none. Diabetes wil have eaten up all the money. And that's Homeland Security?

These GMO crops are mono culture, wiping out our small farmers, over 17,500 farms in the past five years and 690 acres a day in Colorado are lost to mono culture. These crops increase the profit for the top CEOs but not for our working class. They are heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals and heavily controlled by Big Ag and Big Banks. When the pests and weeds develope resistence to the chemical sprays they spray more chemicals, like 2,4-D which was in Agent Orange and caused birth defects in 500,000 babies in Vietnam and killed 400,000 people. And they want to spray that on our American food? That's Homeland Security?

This mother does not feel safe with the staus quo. This is not secure.

I realize that I may be targeted, as many others have, for speaking out seemingly against my government, but I want to be clear that I am speaking up our FOR OUR PEOPLE, for our American children and for all the children all over the world if their countries accept these crops. I do not want the world they are creating where one corporation can turn on or off a country's access to seed and food. I do not want that for children in any country.

I am speaking out FOR OUR FUTURE. Besides being dangerous, these GMO crops DO NOT WORK.

We DO NOT NEED their GMO SEED.

Our farmers have grown crops and fed people around the globe for  thousands of years. We owe our existence to their ingenuity and hard work. Yet in the past 20 years, all of a sudden they and we are being told we, as a human race, "cannot survive withut GMO seed". That's a lie. We can. 

I have FAITH in our FARMERS.

I ask all famers to grow non-GMO seed this coming season and get out of the mono culture GMO trap.

As a farmer, BE as STAND for our own Homeland Security. In fact, YOU ARE our Homeland Security. 

We have faith in you. Please protect our American culture, our families, children and economy.

And if you need a job, be an organic or bio dynamic farmer. Be the one to secure America's future.

Thank you.

Zen Honeycutt

31 Million GMO meals are served each day to our children in public schools, paid for by government subsidies.

GMO foreign proteins, and the pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on these foods (and on 160 other non organic foods' soil) are being fed to our children without safety testing, without labels and without conclusive proof that they are not linked to the skyrocketing rise of our children's health issues. 1 out of 3 of our children now have autism, allergies, asthma or auto immune disorders. 1 out of 2 children who are obese or have diabetes also have one of these additional A's. Scientist, doctors and farmers have linked these GMOs and chemicals to our children's health issues (plus miscarriage, infertility and birth defects)  in rats, pigs and most likely in humans in studies and papers ( see our blog for Samsel interviews or "Proof of GMO Harm" article).

What are we going to do about this?

A small but mighty band said ..."We are going to take on the food in the California schools. WE are going to do something about this."  Three MAA supporters went to the California School Nutrition Conference, where 1000 food directors and school officials go to decide which food will be served to our children next year. Three people said NOW is the time for our food directors to find out about GMOs and the possible health impact on our children. This is their story.

"It was beautiful weather in Palm Springs. Driving out there, it was raining, hard at times, all through Moreno Valley, Beaumont, and Banning. And I was thinking this was not a good sign. But once I got to Cabazon, the sky cleared, and it was GORGEOUS!!!!!

It was fun gathering at the Forever Marilyn statue. Not to be missed if you get out to Palm Springs (it's there only temporarily I was told). We were a band of THREE for today - small but mighty (Mike H., Don David Y., and me). We took photos with our "Moms Across America" banner (hand-painted by Sharon K.) in front of the Marilyn Monroe statue.

Then we headed over to the convention center and we handed out flyers, and put them under windshield wipers for cars on the public street.  Standing on the corner of a parking lot across the street from the convention center, we handed a lot of flyers directly to people. A few even stopped to chat and ask questions. 

One of the vendors I talked to told me this convention will be in Sacramento next year (not so handily close). We need to look at getting a booth, and maybe offering to be speakers for a panel explaining GMO foods.

I met Kevin Stong of "Tofu Yu". He told me he was one of only 5 vendors there with non-GMO foods. He sources non-GMO soy for his tofu. If you'd like to connect with him, his email is: [email protected] and the website is www.tofuyu.com

Another vendor I talked to also provides to Whole Foods. They are working on becoming non-GMO (didn't get their business name, sorry).

Mike took the flyers we had left over (a stack of about 3 inches high) and was going to return tomorrow morning to finish handing them out.

Thanks to Mike and Don David for their help today. Overall, I think we did some good (hopefully some people will actually read the flyers). And I got in a good walk in gorgeous weather. Afterwards, Mike and I ate lunch at Palm Green Cafe, the only organic restaurant (according to Mike) in Palm Springs. Very good food, and quite reasonable. I really enjoyed the lavender lemonade and salmon tacos I had.

--Christine

These three wonderful people reached  THE 1000 people who decide the food in our schools with clear GMO info and Mom testimonials how their kids got better when they got off GMOs. This is huge. We will never know the results or reach of their generosity and commitment. We will never know which children will be impacted and how many people will begin to reconsider not only the food they serve their own families, but in the cafeteria to hundreds as well. We will never know if this will be the catalyst for change or just one more step in the direction for change down the road.

But we DO know that there are caring, generous people out there who will drive through rain, stand for hours and reach out to complete strangers because they care about health and freedom in America. This moves me to tears. I can't thank you enough Christine, Mike and Don.

Take a look at the book "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell. There are advantages to being the few, the "small" or the "disadvantaged." In this case, the advantage is that we can reach many with only a few. And the benefit is that we connect with amazingly kind and commited people. Our faith is renewed in America and we make a difference with uncountable thousands. All because we care.

I know we "lost" WA last week. But I say our movement is winning.

Zen Honeycutt

P.S. We will be acknowledging the WIN by Kauai in another blog- who's City Council overturned the Veto by their nincompoop Mayor and passed the GMO/Pesticide bill for their island. YES!!!!! Another great win by a small group of people with a mighty love for their people. Thank you ALL.

P.P.S PLEASE look up the School Nutrition Conferences in YOUR state today and get your flyers to pass out from www.momsacrossamerica.com/products. You can download or purchase ( probably cheaper because we print large quantities) We have a new one just for schools.

"The bottom line, there will be no money left for anything else by 2026 because diabetes will have chewed through the health care dollars. There WILL BE NO HEALTH CARE here in America in 13 years of we do nothing." -Dr Lutzdig at 39:54 of this video by CBC News The Fifth Estate

What does this have to do with GMOs? 

EVERYTHING!

The majority of our sugar sources, beets and corn are GMO, 90-100%. They are directly sprayed with Roundup which contains Glyphosate because they are genetically engineered to withstand Roundup. Sugar cane and stevia, which make up a much smaller percentage of our sweetener sources, but are still used, are directly sprayed with glyphosate as a drying agent during harvest. So ALL our sugar sources except for organic crops, are contaminated with glyphosate, especially GMOs, which are repeatedly sprayed.

According to the Samsel and Seneff paper on Glyphosate and Modern Diseases, glyphosate is directly connected to diabetes.

How?

Glyphosate has been shown to destroy our beneficial gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria is the only place in which essential amino acid Tryptophan is produced in our body. Without Tryptophan we cannot produce seratonin (which regulates blood sugar) and insulin. Without insulin we develop diabetes. See 2:00 on this video interview of Anthony Samsel.

According to the NY Dept of Health:

"In type 1 diabetes, the body no longer makes insulin because the body's own immune system has attacked and destroyed the cells where insulin is made*. The cause of this isn't entirely clear but it may include genetic risk factors and environmental factors. 

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should."

*Do they know about the connection between glyphosate (which attacks the beneficial gut bacteria which makes Tryptophan/Seratonin and Insulin?) My guess would be no....

So 80% of our food contains GMOs, which are sprayed with Roundup repeatedly as they grow, and have high allowable levels of glyphosate. See list here. Also on this list you will see non-GMO food crops which have toxic allowable levels of glyphosate for us to consume, because the soil is sprayed with glyphosate.  There are also non -GMO food crops like wheat, sugar, quinoa, dry peas, and beans  which are sprayed with glyphosate as a drying agent during harvest and you will notice those levels of glyphosate are even higher: quinoa 5ppm, dry peas 8ppm etc.

To put it in perspective .1 ppm was shown to cause organ damage in a European animal study. That's point one. And a  fraction of a part per TRILLION was shown to induce growth of breast cancer cells in a south east study. See study here.  Shocking! So in addition to harm from glyphosate due to gut bacteria damage and impaired ability to produce Tryptophan and insulin, likely leading to diabetes, we are also extremely concerned about organ damage and cancer. 1out of 2 American men and 1 out of 3 women are expected to get cancer now. In 2010  the US spent 195 billion on cancer care and 90 billion on cancer research.  One can see that these costs will only rise with increased use of GMOs and glyphosate.

GMOs have been shown to cause organ damage in animal studies all on their own, without pesticides or herbicides. But we now know that we also have this HUGE problem with glyphosate on our GMOS ans non-GMO food crops. The problem is systemic. The problem is affects all humans.

The solution is clear.

Label existing GMO foods immediately  ( shelf talkers) so people can choose until ingredients are replaced with non-GMO ingredients.

The government bans the use of glyphosate ( Roundup) and puts a moratorium on GMOs.

Stores  and distributors stop selling them.

Farmers stop using them.

People stop buying food that is not organic ( not so easy but we are working on it).

But before any of this will happen we need to share this information. Send it to your media. If you are media and you ignore this, you are part of the problem. And the problem, let's be clear, is the projected collapse of the American economy.

Share this with your doctors. Email your congress.  Stop eating any food that is not organic. We are the only ones that say what goes in our mouth.

We also say where the money goes. If we let our money go to conventional food and Big Ag, which uses 5 billion pounds of pesticides/herbicides, including glyphosate a year, then we are also contributing to our nation's increasing diabetes and the foreseeable bankruptcy of America. We have a choice.

Bankruptcy or Organic? Choose wisely. Choose for the future of our children and our country.

Zen Honeycutt

Regarding an recent article on Dr. Marc Van Montagu's winning of the World food Day Prize and his comment that people who oppose GMOs "can only be due to “irrational fear” and not sound science. 

http://www.biotech-now.org/food-and-agriculture/2013/10/2013-world-food-prize-laureate-praises-ag-biotech-supports-gmo-science#

Dr. Marc Van Montagu,

Perhaps you are unaware that we Moms have seen our children's health issues, allergies, autism, auto immune disorders and asthma, plus obesity and diabetes, get BETTER when they avoid GMOs and eat only organic food.

We do not have fears about GMOs because we are alarmists or are irrational. We have fears about GMOs because we are realists. What we SEE right before us are many health conditions, my own son included,  like life threatening allergies being reduced to simply a mild allergy before our eyes by avoiding GMOs. This means reduced long term chances of stomach cancer as well.

We fear GMOs because we LOVE our children and we want to protect them. The fact is that your ideas may be good IDEAS, but they do not work. They are hurting people, especially children, and we have hundreds of testimonials telling us so. That is quantitative data last I checked.

As a mother I ask you and your fellow scientists to STOP promoting ANYTHING that has any possibility of harm to our children immediately and START testing the connection between GMO foreign proteins, Glyphosate sprayed on GMOs (which breaks down the blood brain barrier, impairs the liver's ability to detox, and destroys the beneficial gut bacteria which comprises 70% of our children's immune system*) in conjunction with the environmental toxins our children are now exposed to. Glyphosate breaks down the blood brain barrier and lets toxins like pesticides, herbicides, vaccine toxins, pollution etc. into our children's brain and bodies.

1out of 2 children are projected to get Autism in the next 20 years if the current trend continues. Do you want to go down in history as being partially responsible for this? Our will you take responsibility, take precaution, and stop and test? If you did , THAT would be worthy of a prize.

Mother of Three, 

Zen Honeycutt

Moms Across America

Some of our Mom's testimonials:

http://www.momsacrossamerica.com/mom_s_testimonials

Studies proving harm:

*Glyphosate and Modern Diseases:

http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416

As a Mom, I feel deeply betrayed by our government and our governmental health groups which are supposed to be protecting us. Rather than just be angry, in light of the recent papers connecting glyphosate ( in RoundUp, sprayed on GMOs) and numerous skyrocketing health conditions, I decided to ask the CDC if they are in fact, looking into this alarming connection. 5 billion pounds of RoundUp is being used per year on our parks, gardens, soil and food. Diseases caused in connection to this chemical cocktail would certainly be a national health issue.

But the response from the CDC shows once again that the biggest problem we face is not just one particular corporation, but the overwhelming lack of integrity, responsibility and accountability in our entire system. We Moms and supporters MUST speak up, we must protect our families and we must not stop holding them to account for their responsibilities. Please see my inquiry and their answer below and then please sign our petition! Thank you.

Moms Across America Founder's Inquiry to CDC

To :[email protected]
Date :2013-09-04 15:39:49
Subject :CDC-INFO: Inquiry

Subject: Glyphosate ( RoundUp), GMOs and connection to Autism, Allergies, Autoimmune +

From: Educator

Email Address: [email protected]

Your Question: Has the CDC investigated a possible correlation between glyphosate ( Roundup) and genetically modified foods with autism, allergies, asthma, auto immune disorderes, alzheimers, Chron's disease, Parkinsons, IBS, bi polar, obesity and diabetes?
Or at least Autism? 1 out of 3 of our children now have asthma, allergies ( which can lead to stomach ulceritis and cancer) , auto immune disorders or autism. 1 out of 2 are now overweight or obese with 52% of those that are hispanic or african american having one of the four A's just mentioned in addition to being obese.
Most horrifying is that 1 out of 2 of our children are expected to have autism in the next 20 years at the rate we are going. This is an epidemic. This is urgent. This an emergency for an entire generation of children.
Scientific paper by Samsel and Seneff points to a direct correlation between glyphosate (sprayed on GMOs and consumed in 80% of our foods) and all of the skyrocketing diseases and illnesses above, especially autism. Please see http://www.momsacrossamerica.com/needless_tragedy_for_autistic_child.
Moms Across America has over 350 testimonials from Moms and over 1 million supporters a month who say that their kids get better when they get off GMOs and eat organic ( no glyphosate). Please heed this warning of a national crisis. We moms know that scientist SAY GMOs and glyphosate are safe, but we also know that Moms are SEEING that their kids health improve when they avoid them That is science enough for us. Please respond with a statement: Is the CDC investigating whether or not there is possible harm from GMOs and glyphosate? Is theCDC willing to mandate glyphosate testing in the urine or blood of people with various illness or support a study? In the meantime is the CDC willing to advise that precaution should be taken regarding the consumption of herbicide Glyphosate and GMOs?
Thank you for your statement.

Moms Across America appreciate your partnership in protecting Americans.
Zen Honeycutt

Contact: ZEN L HONEYCUTT, founder, Moms Across America

RESPONSE: October 23, 2013

Dear Ms. Honeycutt:

Thank you for your inquiry to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  We sincerely apologize for the delay in responding.

Glyphosate is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. The pathway upon which glyphosate acts is specific to plants and some microorganisms. 

Several studies investigating the chronic toxicity potential of glyphosate in humans and mammals have been performed. Research on glyphosate and its main breakdown product has not revealed any definitive evidence of adverse endocrine-related effects in humans or other mammals. Glyphosate has been studied to evaluate its potential to induce cancer formation and has not been found to be a cancer causing chemical. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not consider glyphosate to be a human carcinogen. Some questionnaire based studies of farm workers exposed to glyphosate suggest there is a possible correlation between glyphosate exposure and late term miscarriage in pregnant workers, however, this is not definitive.

CDC is not currently investigating any link between genetically modified foods and glyphosate exposure and the development of the listed diseases including autism, obesity, allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, bipolar disorder, and diabetes. The above disorders have other associated risk factors which can contribute to the development of that particular health issue. Due to the multiple known risk factors for development of these diseases, it would be very difficult to create a study that could isolate and characterize glyphosate’s specific contribution—if any—to the development of any of these diseases.

CDC does suggest that people wash foods such as fruits and vegetables prior to eating (http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/prevention.html).

The CDC is not a regulatory agency, but rather a research focused agency and does not have the power to regulate any substance. CDC cannot mandate chemical testing on people. At this time, we know of no CDC-planned studies looking at GMOs, glyphosate exposure and any of the aforementioned health conditions including autism. The EPA is responsible for regulating pesticides and a link to their information on glyphosate can be found here (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/pdfs/factsheets/soc/tech/glyphosa.pdf). 

We hope this information is helpful to you.

 Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects

 National Center for Environmental Health

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

See scientist Anthony Samsel discuss the paper he and Dr. Stephanie Seneff wrote and the devastating effects of glyphosate on our human health. Why isn't the CDC investigating this? What are we going to do about this?

 San Francisco Chronicle

Pesticides' effect on generations of field-workers

Long-term study looks at how widespread chemicals affect generations of field-workers in Salinas Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

A portion of this article is being re publisehd with permission of the author

By Stephanie Lee

September 23, 2013

Health problems prevalent

Good health is precarious for many of Monterey County's 422,000 residents. One-third of adults are uninsured; a quarter of children are in poverty. From 2002 to 2012, the percentage of special-education students with learning disabilities fell, but those with autism, intellectual disabilities and speech impairments increased, according to county data. Researchers wanted to understand the health problems that might be getting overlooked.

Then there were the pesticides. About 9 million to 10 million pounds were used annually throughout the county during the late 1990s. The amount has dropped slightly, though the county still ranks sixth in the state for pesticide use.

Eskenazi submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health to study low-income pregnant women and environmental effects on their children, and won the funding.

Now she just had to find moms.

Gonzalez moved to Salinas from Michoacán, Mexico, two decades ago, landing a job in the fields. She was among thousands of farmworkers in Monterey County who rise before dawn to gather an estimated three-fourths of the nation's salad greens.

In late 1999, Gonzalez became pregnant with her fourth child, a boy. During a checkup at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, a volunteer with Eskenazi's study talked her into enrolling.

So began a series of annual or biannual visits to the researchers' trailer outside the hospital. During her pregnancy and delivery, Gonzalez gave them samples of blood, urine, cord blood and breast milk, let them inspect her house and answered dozens of questions about her lifestyle. She was among 601 pregnant women in the initial stages of the study.

Gonzalez's son, Richard Luna, was born in July 2000, one of more than 500 infants in the Chamacos project born between 2000 and 2002.

From the time they were 6 months old, and every one to two years after, researchers analyzed their urine, blood, saliva, teeth and hair. The kids had physical exams and took tests that assessed their motor skills and intelligence.

Much of what the scientists later reported was troubling. They found, for instance, that mothers in the study have higher traces of pesticides in their systems compared with the general U.S. population. Children with high prenatal exposure to pesticides show greater signs of developmental delays than those with low prenatal exposure.

There are limits to what researchers can learn. They can know Richard's blood pressure, IQ scores or pesticide levels. But they don't have enough information to link those factors to his poor eyesight or asthma, or tell his mother whether her time in the fields played a role in those issues. None of their research attributes a health problem to a single direct cause, and they stress that not every potentially harmful factor is equally dangerous in everyone.

"People aren't exposed to one thing," Eskenazi said. "They're exposed to everything around them, including air pollution and alcohol and smoking."

First focus: pesticides

Still, researchers have a lot of educated guesses.

They began their study by examining organophosphate pesticides, a commonly used type known to harm the human nervous system.

One of the researchers' first findings, in 2005, showed the chemicals' presence in the urine of the women in their study group in greater quantity than women of child-bearing age in the general U.S population.

Scientists also noticed that the higher the mother's pesticide levels prior to delivery, the higher the chance their baby would demonstrate abnormal reflexes, such as passive leg movements, after the first three days of life.

The finding preceded many others. At age 5, youths who had been exposed to high levels of pesticides in the womb were more likely than others to score high on tests that determine the likelihood of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

When the children were 7, researchers noted a 5.5-point drop in overall IQ scores for every 10-fold increase in the mothers' pesticides level during pregnancy.

The findings may resonate beyond the valley and across the nation, other researchers say.

"They're helping us understand the links between early exposures and health outcomes that are significant not only in terms of children's functioning and well-being in their early years, but also ... over the entire life course," said Frederica Perera, director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health in New York, which has collaborated with UC Berkeley.

Other scientists have reached similar conclusions about the same exposures. In a 2011 study of New York City children, for example, Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that those with prenatal exposure to pesticides were likely to lag in mental development in their early years.

More than just a study

More studies will follow. Right now, the UC Berkeley team is examining baby teeth for traces of banned fungicides that contain manganese, a chemical element toxic in high doses.

Eskenazi's intent is not to scare residents, but to give them meaningful knowledge. "In my heart, this is more than just a study for me," she said. "This is a population I deeply care about."

The professor plans to keep up the studies as long as there is funding - and Gonzalez and her son plan to keep showing up. Maybe, the mother says, they can help their neighbors understand what is all around them.

"We are all breathing it in," she said.

This article was produced for The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships (ReportingonHealth.org), a program of USC Annenberg's School of Journalism. Stephanie M. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @stephaniemlee

Please click here and watch this video of a CBS news report on an autistic boy.

This is a photo of the boy's stomach lesions.

Then look at this photo of hog's stomach that ate GMO feed. Note that 80% of our American food is now GMO.

The grief and outrage I feel is compounding. A mother kills her own autistic son and attempts suicide with her partner because she feels they would all be better off dead. No one knew what to do with their previous cries for help with his erratic behavior besides restrain him for days. The system failed them.

Earlier this week the parents of the girl who died from a peanut allergy, even though her father was a doctor and injected her with three epi pens, spoke out and asked for the system to do something about allergies. The system failed them.

The mothers of babies with 4-8 X more anacephaly,  ( warning image is disturbing) severe brain birth defects, in Washington state, who are downstream from the orchards sprayed with glyphosate, are not speaking up. Their grief and struggle may be too great.They may not have any idea how severely the system is failing them.

If you have read any of our previous blogs about glyphosate, GMOs, autism, allergies, stomach ulcers, cancer, IBS  and skyrocketing other illnesses, you know where this is headed. You may say that we can't blame everything on GMOs and/or glyphosate, but as a mother, for me, the correlation is clear. The autistic boy's behavior, thrashing and biting, was according to his mother, believed to be due to gastric pain. Her suspicions were confirmed when gastric specialist discovered that he had hundreds of lesions in his stomach, just like the pigs who ate GMO feed and also behaved erratically. We know now that GMO feed has this same effect on pigs: inflammation and lesions on their stomachs and fighting and biting. Scientists also know that pigs have very similar digestive systems to humans. See the pig study by Dr. Judy Carman, Howard Vlieger and other scientists here.

But not once in the news piece do they address WHY are these lesions on his stomach. Not once do they look to his food. For most of us mothers of children with allergies, autism, asthma or auto immune diseases, WHY these symptoms are occurring is not something most of our western medical doctors address. They only prescribe medicine to alleviate the pain. They do not know why.  The system fails to ask and it fails to act.

Here is the thing about failure. It is not the "be all end all", it is not conclusive. Failure is simply a failure to take action. Actions can always be taken. We always have the opportunity to take new actions.

When we Moms ask, and try to take action to get our children or ourselves tested for glyphosate the labs will not perform the test. They say "They do not do that test." We can imagine asking to be tested for "GMO foreign proteins" would get the same response. It all seems futile though, unnecessary even, especially to Moms like me who have read stacks of books to take care of our children's illness this past year... in our guts, we know...

It does not take another two year study for this mother to see that GMOs and Glyphosate, (which GMO's are doused with), are something to avoid. What outrages me is that our system is failing to ask WHY and they are failing to act NOW to protect our children, especially of the mothers who do not know about GMOs and Glyphosate.

We will do a petition...to the CDC or the EPA or the AAP...yes we will, and we will get the wording fine tuned so that they just might start to wonder if there is something to our request. But in the mean time, Moms, we need to keep sharing. Because in the end, it is up to us. Our children's lives are literally in our hands.

We need to support our millions of American Moms who are struggling every day and let them know about GMOs and Glyphosate as well. We need to support them. We can call, meet with and email our friends with kids with autism, allergies, auto immune diseases and asthma. Ask them  to watch Anthony Samsels's interview on autism and the glyphosate link and watch Howard Vlieger's DVD on how GMOs affect pigs.  Listen to his radio interview with Melinda Hemmellgam here.

We need to share how important it is to eat organic and non GMO. We Moms see our children's allergy, autism, autoimmune disorder and asthma symptoms improve in a matter of days or weeks after eating organic and non GMO. Click here for testimonials.This and many other horrific tragedies are avoidable, they did not and do not need to continue to happen. We must eat organic and non GMO.

The future of our families and country depends on it.

Just ASK your friends and community to take one or two ACTIONS that will change the course of their children's lives and their lives forever.

They are worth it. Every child is.

Thank you.

Zen Honeycutt

To share with your community, host a World Food Day Community Outreach Week Oct 12-19th, get free flyers, give them to your local supporters and you all just hand them out during the week everywhere as you run your errands or together on the weekend.

Dear Friends
The last week or two were weeks of what looked like insurmountably bad news. Daunting. Unbelievable and disheartening.

1) The EPA RAISED the glyphosate levels to unbelievable amounts. We know now that breast cancer cells proliferated upon the introduction of only parts per TRILLION of glyphosate ( see our blog  "Proof of GMO Harm"). We know that the chemicals in Agent Orange caused hundreds of thousands of birth defects and deaths.  And yet the EPA has granted Monsanto's and Syngenta's requests to raised the levels of these and other chemicals by double, triple, quadruple and higher amounts in the part per million. For example:  2-4 D and other chemicals have been increased in the feed crops that the animals we eat , eat: barley hay from 1.4 to 30 ppm and aspirated grains from 30 to 108 ppm.
Glyphosate levels were increasd in Sunflower seeds to  85 ppm,  Tea 5 ppm, Beans 5 ppm, Quinoa 5 ppm, Bananas .2 ppm, Sugar Beets 25 ppm, Dry Peas 8ppm, Pork 5 ppm etc. 

Image from Occupy EPA

2) Moms Across America Zen Honeycutt was able to interview Anthony Samsel and found out that 160 of our foods are contaminated with glyphosate. See the full list here.

3) Birth defects in babies are a reported 4-8 X higher down stream from three orchard areas in Washington State that use heavy glyphosate sprays. See article here.

4) TPP: Many of us found out that an international trade agreement called TPP ( Trans Pacific Partnership)  that could threaten everything we are working for by fast tracking ( and keeping secret) trade agreements between nations that could eliminate GMO labeling, allow corporation to sue countries for blocking sales of GMOs and force more sales of GMOs. Go to www.flushtheTPP.org to find out more and support the cause by hosting a Meet the Congress! event on MAA website.

We believe that some of the worst news a mother could hear is that the food we eat is causing harm to our family and the toxins in our environment that have been deemed safe by our own EPA are causing birth defects. On top of it our own government appointed officials may take away our rights to be able to choose our food and protect our families from these toxins. This is unacceptable.


But there MUST be Good news right? 

Of course there is! Moms and our fantastic supporters are an undauntable bunch! 


1) The biggest good news is that we are now creating PARTNERSHIPS between organizations that will expand and support all of our intentions nationally and around the globe. Moms Across Africa, Moms Across Canada and Moms Across Ireland have Facebook pages and we are working on developing an international coalition! We are connecting with several other orgs and will announce partnerships soon!


2) Moms Across America's Kathleen Hallal spoke at the  Justice Begins with Seeds Conference in Washington State last weekend and I spoke in my CT home town in front of 62 people, 20 teens from FRESH, a gardening program, who are out to transform the food industry! We are continuing the global movement for Moms, who buy 85% of the food, and supporters to be the ones to make a change in our health and freedom.

3) 14 year old Rachel Parent from Canada went on national TV and stood her ground debating Kevin O'Leary. Click here for the link. Inspiring! If she can speak up, we all can too!!

4) Kauai Hawaii and NY made giant steps forward in labeling GMOs and eliminating toxins from our environment and bodies. 

5) Moms Across America is just getting started! Our next endeavors are:

 GMO Free Shopping Day! Sept 7, 2013 GMO Free Moms and YOU Moms Across America supporters are the perfect candidates to host a GMO Free Shopping coaching session at your local grocery store! More info on www.gmofreemoms.org. Please post any and all of your events on www.momsacrossamerica.com so your local supporters can find you!

World Food Day  Oct 16, 2013 Moms Across America GMO FREE SCHOOLS Educational Outreach. Gather a group of Moms to hand out flyers at drop off or pick up and educate your entire school about how they can make GMO free lunches! Flyers coming soon. Post your event soon!

RECALL ROUND UP: Date: ASAP- Glyphosate information door hangers to distribute in neighborhoods.

GMO Free DINING : Date: ASAP- Flyers to give to restaurants to encourage them to go GMO Free. Chef Patrick Stark supporting us with great tips!

We are disturbed by the bad news...but the good news is you. 
Moms Across America is an international coalition of unstoppable moms and we have tremendous reach and power because we buy 85% of the food. It's up to us Mommas and our tremendous supporters.
The Good news are our Dads. The good news is our Teens. The good news is our kids, doctors, nurses and politicians who supports this effort. The good news is that we are not alone and we are growing!
We are continually and deeply inspired by the people like you who know this situation is daunting and huge and yet KEEP GOING ANYWAY.
Thank you for being unstoppable!

Zen Honeycutt
Kathleen Hallal and the MAAM Team

P.S. We need your help. We need professionals..a non profit developer, social media gurus, graphic designers, writers, researchers and media support. Please also donate and encourage your favorite organizations to donate and support the Moms who buy 85% of the food to go GMO free and Organic and eliminate toxins from our food supply. Every dollar helps!