Garlic Seed Crop Devastated by Wireless Broadband Tower

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"Garlic Seed Crop Devastated by Wireless Broadband Tower, 300 meters away, Victoria Harbour, Nova Scotia"

In October,2009, Len Levine, Victoria Harbour, Nova Scotia, a grower of organic seed garlic for more than 30 years notified Industry Canada and Eastlink, Nova Scotia of his intention to seek appropriate remedy from the Federal Court claiming that the placement and operation of the wireless internet tower 300 meters from his fields and curing barn will cause irreparable harm to his crop.   Broadsided by Industry Canada's Safety Code that does not include biological effects within the guidelines for safe distances and a non-existant CSA standards system for organic food production in Canada, the case rested on the evidence of a probable harm, one that had not yet happened. The Court did not rule in Len's favor citing that there was no evidence of probable harm to his seed crop.   In March 2010,  tower 312 began wireless  broadband service for Victoria Harbour, a remote rural area on the North Mountain,bordered by the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis Valley. It is a pristine,unique ecosystem of cool, moist Fundy air, blasts of hot Valley temperatures, with a rocky soil, high in minerals and water that is pure and sweet.   For at least 30 years, Len Levine's organic seed garlic has been supplying most of the growers in Nova Scotia,parts of the Maritmes and Eastern Canada.   Av Singh,Perennia Organic Specialist for the Nova Scotian government, believes that Len's contribution to the Maritime organic movement and to the culture of garlic growing in Canada has been instrumental in the development of seed garlic, using only organic farming principles and a four year crop rotation that consistanly produced a superior brand of four clove seed garlic. For more than 30 years, Len LeVine produced a crop yielding 70% ,4 cloved garlic.Then, after the commissioning of the tower for wireless broadband in March 2010 and after only two harvest seasons, July 2010, July 2011, Len's signature brand of 4 clove seed garlic dropped to 35% and then 3 1/2%. Those 3 1/2% were mostly underweight while the rest were 7 and 8 cloved. There were a few 9 and 10's. It was startling to see how quickly this occured.     When the provincial government representitives and agrascientists finally visited Len's farm, Len already had enough field study evidence to show cause. Emperical evidence was gathered from the various growers of Len's garlic in the neighboring regions from 2009 to 2011. This clearly documents and shows the correlation between clove degradation and the commissioning of the wireless broadband tower in March 2010. One of those growers, Preston Ilsley, Berwick, 15 miles away, planted Len's seed in 2009 that would consistantly yield 4 clove garlic for the next seasons. That seed was produced before the commissioning of the tower in March 2010. (See attachment: Emperical Evidence,2009-11.)   Though well meaning, the first suggestion by the NS Deputy Minister of Agriculture at that time suggested protecting the growing fields from the radiation emitted from the tower with a Faraday Cage.That matter was not persued and the issue was dropped politically although another MLA has taken interest since and attempts to bring the issue up at the legislature . Fortunately, Av Singh, the Organic & Infrastructure Specialist, Perennia, N.S government, continued with his investigations and was dilgent in his research bringing in two other scientists for field studies and observation. Additionally,senior academics, Drs Sean Myles, Acadia University, Nova Scotia and  Phil Simon of University of Wisconsin were consulted. They suggested that a change to the DNA of the garlic through a virus or nutrient disorder was very unlikely because of the consistancy and rapidity of expression and believed that an environmental stress was likely the cause.   After conducting yet another field study,Av Singh, Perennia, concluded in Oct 2012 that the only event consistant with the change in the garlic was the commissioning of the tower for wireless broadband, March 2010, 300 meters away. After three years, Av Singh had  exhausted all possible explanations of the rapid change in the clove expression(ie, soil quality and fertility,climate,etc) He was, he said, disappointed to witness one the pioneers of the organic movement in Nova Scotia and a major contributor to the culture of garlic growing in Canada, after 40 years of growing, having the integrity of his Brand devasted by this.   Ironically,Tower 312,Victoria Harbour,Nova Scotia does not provide full coverage and many residents are still without internet access. They have petitioned  the NS Government for another technology option like fiber optics. At the court proceedings in 2009, Eastlink had insisted that to ensure full coverage, the tower could not be moved.   So far, every year, after 30 years of consistant yields, there is a change in his crop. This year, instead of the usual cull of a few plants before harvest, there will be at least 100 culled and maybe more. Generally, his plants are not robust as they had been before the commissioning of the broadband tower.   Although Len continues planting and harvesting his garlic, his sense of stewardship of the land and his personal sense of satisfaction in the integrity of the garlic is greatly diminished.   Carol Fennell Nova Scotia j_car...@yahoo.com   Len LeVine, Farmer, Victoria Harbour, Nova Scotia,Canada- November 3,2011   Emperical Evidence of Garlic Crop Degradation from 2009 to 2011   Over the past 25 years the quality standard for Len's select organic foundation seed garlic was a four clove corm with an average bulb size of 2.5 inches and an average weight of 75 grams. The variety is two types of hardneck Continental. The market for this garlic is seed stock for other growers. A consistant bulb size and clove count is achieved by planting seed  garlic from four cloved corms. When clove count exceeds four there are invariably runt or flat cloves that must be culled out and the result is less and less seed stock. Len's average 4 cloved yield of 5-10,000 plants up to 2009 was 70%. Recently this ratio has taken a sudden and dramatic degradation with 4 cloved yield dropping to 35% in 2010 and 3.8% in 2011. Eastlink's high-speed internet tower 300m from the garlic planting and storage area was turned on in March 2010.   The following is a timeline of events and observations first at Len's farm then comparative results at five other locations all using Len's seed garlic. The seed is described as either pre-tower or post-tower to clarify the timing. This can be considered as reliable field testing.   1) Len Levine, Victoria Harbour October,2009- Planted a typical 7,000 cloves from own 4 clove seed in a pretower environment as he has done over the previous 25 years. March, 2010- Eastlink high-speed internet tower turned on approximately 300 m from the crop. July,2011-Harvested crop with 35% 4 clove yield with average clove count of 7-8 per corm. These cloves are smaller and cannot be considered suitable for seed stock. From a sample of 500 corms,2200 suitable seed cloves were produced with 900 culled flat cloves. Oct,2011- First and only planting of not all 4 cloved garlic seed with anticipated questionable results.   2)Preston Ilsley, Berwick Preston's last purchased seed from Len in 2009 and has maintained a 70% 4 clove seed yield to date using his own 4 clove seed as per Len's instructions. He is 4-5 from any telecom tower. Therefore his garlic had remained in a pre-tower(no tower) environment and no change occurred.   3)Joe Bengivenni, Concession Joe has been growing Len's garlic for 15 years and last bought from Len 7 years ago. He planted only 4 cloved garlic seed as peer instructions consistantly but since 2010 has not harvested any 4 cloved garlic corms. He is surrounded by 4  telecom towers that were recently commissioned.   4)Philip Spinney, Greenwood Planted 31 of Len's 4 clove seed in 2010 from garlic post tower. There is no tower nearby but the seed had been exposed to Eastlink's tower at Len's farm.(2010 harvest)   5)David Lahey, Mahone Bsy Bought 4 cloved seed from Len in 2009(pre-tower) and has used his own seed since then. He has planted only 4 cloved seed as per instructions and has consistantly harvested 4 cloved seed since then. there is no tower near his place.   6)Laurie Lowe, Aylesford Bought 4 cloved seed from Len in the late nineties and continues to grow 4 cloved garlic corms. There are no towers near him.   As a result of this emperical evidence there is a direct correlation between clove count degradation and proximity and timing of a tower. Other input elements of the soil, air and water have remained consistant throughout the years. Therefore it is not hard not to view the close proximity and timing of the electromagnetic radiation as the "smoking gun".     This strain of garlic(Continental) in this location (Victoria Harbour, NS) was affected in this way(suppression of 4 cloved corms) at this time (July 2010 harvest) after a long history of consistant 70% four cloved corms (20+ years) harvest from planting only 4 clove seed annually(October) with a collapse in 2011 of 4 cloved corms to 3.83%.   See the attached chart which illustrates the harm caused to this crop. Informant: Martin Weatherall