Seedy business

I'm like a little kid in the spring when my first seedlings emerge ... you'd think I'd never seen it happen before. Kale's first this year; I bought Beedy's Camden last year from Fedco, and it has so much vigor that it nearly bursts out of the soil in just a few days. Delicious, too, once it's grown. Lettuce and broccoli are coming along nicely, too.

While I tend to buy most of my seeds from brokers who pledge not to sell GMO and/or Monsanto seeds -- Fedco and Baker's Creek, for example -- inevitably I fall prey to the seed packet displays at various stores in the springtime. And this morning, having read yet again of the amazing and outrageous punitive behavior of Monsanto, I am thinking that I simply will not do that any more. Here's a link to a page of the Organic Seed Alliance, warning organic vegetable farmers of their possible inadvertent "agreement" with Monsanto that can result in unannounced searches, seizures, and lawsuits -- thousands of which have been brought already:
http://blog.seedalliance.org/

This isn't the place for any extended conversation about the politics of seed patents, but it's a deep concern of mine. One corporation having near-complete control of our food supply is a frightening thought -- not to mention the genetic manipulation of said seeds. Since the beginning of agriculture, centuries ago, farmers have been collecting and saving seed, and now that is increasingly becoming a criminal offense.

The simple answer for the home gardener is this: buy organic seeds. Go online and buy seeds from Fedco. The bonus is that they're less expensive than seeds you'll find anywhere else. Or buy seedlings at your farmer's market from your friendly local organic farmer. Even my local Agway now sells organic seedlings every spring. Organic isn't just about how they're grown any more ... it's also about the future ownership and control of our food supply.