{"id":5842,"date":"2023-05-03T17:25:21","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T22:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/?p=5842"},"modified":"2023-05-04T12:38:19","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T17:38:19","slug":"thank-you-and-rest-in-peace-ronnie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/thank-you-and-rest-in-peace-ronnie\/","title":{"rendered":"Thank You and Rest in Peace, Ronnie"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5843\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ronnie_Cummins.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It is with sadness that the staff of GMO\/Toxin Free USA learned of Ronnie Cummins\u2019 passing in Mexico on April 26, 2023, after recently diagnosed bone and lymph cancer. Ronnie was the International Director of Organic Consumers Association (OCA). GMO Free USA got its start thanks to a shout-out from OCA in 2012, introducing our Founder, Diana Reeves, as a Mom Turned Activist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFew people in our lives have been as impactful and inspirational on so many levels as Ronnie Cummins. At least a small part of his tireless and relentless efforts on behalf of people and planet continues on through the many people like me who he touched deeply. Our condolences to Ronnie\u2019s family and to his work family. Ronnie, you were a force, a champion who made the world a better place, and you will be sorely missed. Forever in our hearts.\u201c Diana Reeves, Executive Director of GMO\/Toxin Free USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you didn\u2019t have a chance to meet Ronnie, learn a little about him in this interview with Dave Chapman on the Real Organic Project podcast\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ronnie Cummins | Connecting Organic Food + Climate Activism | 096\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oK_CV7OZBSQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From our friends at OCA: Celebration of life gathering will be held at the V\u00eda Org\u00e1nica Ranch outside of San Miguel de Allende Mexico, Sunday May 7, 3:00 pm Central, 2:00 pm, Mexico. We invite you to light a candle and join the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@organicconsumer\/streams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">livestream<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ronnie&#8217;s Obituary<br><br><\/strong>Ronnie Cummins (1946-2023), was a leading figure in the global organic regenerative food and farming movement. His enthusiastic organizing skills were infused with passion, warmth, courage and tenacity. He was tireless in his work for justice and peace. Ronnie called three places home. He developed deep roots in Finland, Minnesota, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. His work brought him around the world where he formed close relationships with activists working on organic regenerative food, farming, climate, and health freedom issues. He never gave up his passion for investigating the dangers of industrial food systems, genetic engineering and synthetic food technologies. He fought against the greed of the pharmaceutical, chemical, and pesticide industries, he was also earnest and optimistic in the search for climate solutions. Ronnie was the co-founder and International Director of the Organic Consumers Association, (OCA) and its international affiliates, Regeneration International and V\u00eda Org\u00e1nica. He had a passion for educating young people, and headed up the creation of V\u00eda Org\u00e1nica, an agroecology farm school and research center in Central Mexico. The last few years he dedicated endless time, energy and research to V\u00eda Org\u00e1nica and Regeneration International&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/regenerationinternational.org\/billion-agave-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Billion Agave Project<\/a>; he firmly believed this could be game-changing as a way to regenerate the land, make a major impact on carbon sequestration, the climate crisis, ease rural poverty and heartbreaking forced migration of so many small farmers around the world. Ronnie tragically passed away on April 26th. He grew up in &#8220;Cancer Alley&#8221; but Ronnie thought he had a fair chance of dodging the cancer bullet with the good medicine of healthy organic food, laughter, connection to nature, and time with family, friends, and the inspiration he got from working with those who shared his passion for making the world a better place. Ronnie lost his life to recently diagnosed bone and lymph cancer after dedicating so much of his life&#8217;s work to exposing the connections of disease and the toxins in our environment. We will continue this fight in his honor. Ronnie wrote countless hard-hitting essays relating to the organizations&#8217; campaigns, working to inspire action with information. He edited OCA&#8217;s widely distributed newsletter Organic Bytes and was an engaging public speaker. Ronnie was the author of a series of children&#8217;s books called Children of the World, (Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Cuba) as well as the book Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers. His other books included, Grassroots Rising: A Call to Action on Climate, Farming, Food, and a Green New Deal. Ronnie&#8217;s latest book was The Truth About COVID-19, co-authored with Dr. Joseph Mercola, which were both published by Chelsea Green. Most recently, he was in the process of writing a new book called Agave Power. Ronnie especially loved daily hikes, swimming in the icy tannin rivers on the North Shore that flow into Lake Superior, singing, playing guitar, researching and writing. He enjoyed gatherings with home cooked food in the company of family, friends and activists, always forthcoming with: &#8220;This is the best meal I&#8217;ve ever had.&#8221; Ronnie has touched the hearts of so many throughout his life&#8217;s journey, he will be forever missed but his lifetime of passionate work leaves a legacy for all of us to carry on. Ronnie is survived by the love of his life Rose Welch and son Adrian Cummins Welch, as well as many people he cherished, siblings, in-laws, many nieces and nephews, close friends and work family. A Celebration of life gathering will be held at the V\u00eda Org\u00e1nica Ranch outside of San Miguel de Allende Mexico, Sunday May 7, (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@organicconsumer\/streams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">streamed live here<\/a> at 3:00 pm Central, 2:00 pm, Mexico.) There will also be gatherings in Minneapolis, May 14, and Finland, MN at the OCA AgroEcology Center on May 21. Memorial Donations to <a href=\"https:\/\/donate.organicconsumers.org\/page\/29500\/donate\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Organic Consumers Association<\/a> (OCA) or<a href=\"https:\/\/us.netdonor.net\/page\/8294\/donate\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Regeneration International<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Obituary Guest Book<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/obituaries\/detail\/0000457017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Share a comment or memory<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is with sadness that the staff of GMO\/Toxin Free USA learned of Ronnie Cummins\u2019 passing in Mexico on April 26, 2023, after recently diagnosed bone and lymph cancer. Ronnie was the International Director of Organic Consumers Association (OCA). GMO Free USA got its start thanks to a shout-out from OCA in 2012, introducing our &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post","6":"category-the-non-toxic-sleuth","7":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5842"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5846,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5842\/revisions\/5846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toxinfreeusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}