Subscribers, Forgive Me
I'm reposting the link 'cause I want to. And it's my blog. And it well reflects the flightiness of my real life. Plus, if you were the sort to be bored and/or disgusted by repetition, chances are good that you would have stopped visiting this place moons ago.
For those of you who are seeing this for the first time, I wrote the following last night, before I realized that the purchase occurred five years ago. I knew of Monsato and their disturbing practices, but either hadn't heard or didn't remember that they are now the Boss of vegetable seeds, as well. I'm a late learner. If someone else learns the same from my link, great. Increased awareness of what is currently occurring at the root of our food sources can only be a good thing, and if enough people act as Fedco's customers have, then perhaps we can keep seeds from committing suicide.
Because I'm a procrastinator to my core, I just sat down to order seeds, which means I just now learned about Monsanto's buyout of Seminis seeds.
And then I had to post a link for those of you interested in seed saving and/or breaking ties with wicked-- I don't say that lightly-- corporations*. Some may think that this is a lot of fuss and bother over nothing, but seeds are life, which is worth some fuss and bother, don't you think?
I wanted to start saving seed in slow paces so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed, but right now, I feel overwhelmed.
*As I hope is obvious, I don't think all corporations are wicked, but Monsanto seems to fit the bill.
**Also redundant is a request for advice from anyone who's saved seeds before. Any suggestions about easy vegetables to start with? Not too many, though. I already feel like I'm treading water.
9 comments :
I learned of this from you. Thanks for the info. I watched all the netflix movies I could about our food system and didn't learn anything of their move to the vegetable seed market. I suppose it's just a matter of time before they are the sole proprietor of all things food.
Start with seeds that love to self sow any how--lettuce and tomatoes are particularly prone to "volunteer" in the second year. Try heirloom varieties that have been saved for years anyway; you maybe much less happy with the seeds of hybrids (often marked F1 in the seed catalogs).
Seed saving is something I've often wanted to do (or do more of; typically I save flower seeds not vegetable seeds). We'll have to remind each other. . .
Torie,
All things food...
Gosh, I hope not! I'll send you some tomato seeds this fall, so at least we'll have tomatoes. :)
Titi,
I was hoping you'd jump on ship! It's not so much the saving of the seed that's overwhelming but more the spacing and logistics to prevent cross-pollination that give me a headache. What's the use of saving seed if I can't protect the purity of each variety? Have you heard anything about seed-saving in smaller spaces? Is it stupid to plant just one tomato plant far away from the rest to protect it for saving seeds? Sigh. I was directed to this book, though. I'll have to see if the library has it OR I can just wait until you come visit, and you can tell me what you know thus far [and while you're here, you can show me how to draft a pattern and how to make grape pie and how to knit (again) and how to skin a pig]. Pretty, please?
Hi Abby--I was just thinking of calling/emailing you about coming to visit sometime during the week of April 18-22!! I can show you all the things you asked except how to skin a pig, 'cause I've never done it.
As far as seed saving, if you are really, really serious, then you need a book; I've only un-seriously dabbled in seed saving. I certainly wouldn't find it stupid to plant a special seed-saving bed separate from the rest of the garden (though you may need more than one plant for good pollination).
In terms of purity, though, I'm kinda divided. Yes, when I order, say, Brandywine tomato seeds, I want Bandywine tomato seeds. On the other hand, even Brandywine tomatoes come in several strains. . .and some of the beauty of collecting your own seeds is being able to chose plants that have best adapted to your growing conditions (which may not be the same as mine, etc). While you might want to strive for keeping Brandywines as Brandywines. . .you may also be pleasantly surprised by doing what gardeners have done through the years in order to 'find' such fine things: let things happen, and refine for your favorites over the years. You may get something even better.
(of course, this is not advised with the squash family! ;p)
Here's a good place to start:
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/homegard/seedsavr.htm
but I think seed saving is something that must be viewed as a long term project, and a realization that one cannot do it all alone. There are seed exchanges out there for like minded people, and I think that's the only way you can get a lot of diversity and still grow from 'saved' seed. . .otherwise, you have to grow your squash families at least 1/2 a mile apart, and that's a chore!!!
Since when has not knowing how to do something ever stopped you? :)
Nearly all the seeds I ordered are heirloom or open-pollinated, just in case I get any gumption. If not, with God's graces, they'll grow fruit for us, regardless!
I remember researching seed-saving four or five years ago, first in Depew with our chain-link-lot garden and then in Campville, again with limited space, and becoming quickly overcome by the spacing issues (particularly, but not limited to, those darn squashes!). How it's even possible without a garden the size of an airstrip, I don't know.
I don't trust my luck in plants cross-pollinating with anything other than dismal results, either. Call me insecure or call me pessimistic (or both, which may be be the truth), but I'd probably be the poor gardener to cultivate an infamous strain of Brown&Mushy Brandywines.
I know we have family visiting on the 14th, and I'm not sure how long we'll get to enjoy them, so probably the latter part of the week would be better. Hip, hip!
lol, good point about me not being stopped by not knowing what I'm doing!!
I am gradually, and with much difficulty, coming to learn that I can't do EVERYthing, all by MYself. For me, at any rate, that lesson applies to serious seed saving. I would LOVE to save the world of seeds and I would LOVE to not have to pay out copious amounts of money for tiny packets of seeds. . .but I recognize in myself the inability to be that sufficient. I would be happy if I could get to the place were I could save seed from a few selected vegetables and barter/trade/grudgingly buy the rest.
It's not as wonderful a dream as I would like to dream. . .but I think it's more likely to actually (some day, some time) come in to being. . .
(Meanwhile, while walking with Owen today, I told him various far-fetched "dreams" about getting myself a commercial kitchen sometime in the future, and all the trouble I could get myself into with THAT! Just so that you don't have any illusions of me suddenly being grounded in reality, lol!!)
I agree. Thanks for posting it, old news or not! I have no grass to garden here in downtown Seattle, but, I am nonetheless happy to be enlightened about the situation, and try to support local farmers with "real" seeds as much as possible! Best wishes on saving your own seed! Sounds like quite the project!
I can read your posts from my bloglist but not from your blog which makes me sad because I want to COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT on all the goodies there.
Just wanted to let you know in case you had pushed a wrong button or something. Of course...since I know NOTHING about computer stuff, I have no idea what you would have pushed. :-)
I've been trying to squeak in picture-loading for the past week, and I accidentally published some before I was finished. I blame the finger I sliced yesterday while aiming for the bagel. Thankfully, it doesn't affect much more than blogging and scrubbing dirty diapers in the toilet, which is more than you wanted to know.
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