On the road between the corn and soy...

If I ever write a book about this adventure, I'm using the above phrase coined by Gautier for the title, because it sums up our travels fairly well. The more I plunge into the center of this country on my bike, the more cropland I fly past, the more train tracks I pass over and tractor-trailer trucks I see, the more I understand how this country functions. We are keeping a record of all the corn and soy seed companies we have noticed, because it seems that for any large-scale farmer buying hybrid or GM seed varieties, they must advertise so by placing a company sign next to the field. In the past two days, this is what we have seen:

DeKalb
corn and soy
Pioneer Johnston, IA
corn and soy, sporting the catchy phrase "technology that yields." http://www.pioneer.com/web/site/portal/ (DuPont company)
straight from the website:
"Pioneer is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers worldwide. We seek to increase customer productivity, profitability and develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. Innovative and customer-focused, Pioneer is a leader in the agriculture industry and upholds the highest standards."
Also provides hybrid varieties for alfalfa, canola, sorghum, sunflower, and wheat. Pioneer estimates "that over 80% of our genetics eventually find their way into livestock rations," meaning that these crops are intended for animal feed, not human food.
Golden Harvest corn and soy, with the phrase "take control"
AgriGold corn and soy
Sunrise
Beck Atlanta, IN
corn and soy
LG
DoMark (not sure if this sign was for soybean or for a fungicidal spray) "Don't just fight rust. Domesticate it."
Dairyland Seed corn and soy
Croplan Genetics corn and soy
Great Lakes Seed
DK

Associated with many of these seed company signs were signs advertising a particular herbicide or pesticide as well. I wonder if the farmers are required to display these signs, or if the company simply asks them to do so? Free advertising for the company. The interesting thing is, I know that DuPont and Monsanto are the 2 largest seed sellers in the nation, and we have not yet seen a single sign advertising the two companies. However, we have seen signs advertising "Round-Up Ready" seeds, which is patented by Monsanto. I am on a search for more information concerning these seed companies, including who owns what, how much a farmer must pay for these seeds, the situation concerning advertising these seed brands, etc. What blows my mind is how few options there are for farmers. So few seed companies provide all of the seeds these farmers are allowed to grow. And they do not even have the ability to save seeds from these crops, since they are hybrids and do not pass on the desired traits pumped into them my agribusiness geneticists.

Ah-yai-yai. We passed through a town yesterday called "Independence" Ohio. Is the U.S. truly independent, when we rely on few companies for our food production and foreign countries for the fuel which powers our economy? To me, independence is the ability to provide for myself all that I need to live (food, water, shelter, safety, physical and mental health) by myself. It is not the ability to own a gun or to buy a car at age 16 so that we can drive ourselves all across the country. According to my definition, very few people in this nation can truly call themselves Independent.