"We first discovered the unintended presence of the Roundup Ready gene in our conventional alfalfa seed in 2005," says the letter. "It was identified in one of our foundation seed production lots grown in California. We tested the foundation seed lot prior to shipping it to a producer who intended to plant it for organic seed production.
The letter goes on to explain that several other foundation seed lot samples in both California and Washington State also tested positive for the GM alfalfa trait CP4EPSPS. And because at least one of those tested samples was from seeds produced in 2003, it is clear that Monsanto's GM alfalfa had been planted and spreading its toxic traits long before the USDA gave it the green light to do so.