Where to buy seeds?

Keep Monsanto Out of Your Garden this Spring

There are plenty of good reasons to avoid Monsanto: Roundup, genetically-engineered beets, corn, and other crops, the fact that they sue farmers after their seeds (a monopoly of their own) contaminate the farmers' own fields, Agent Orange....we could go on and on.


What some people may not realize is that Monsanto also now owns approximately 40% of the home garden vegetable seed market -- making them the largest seed company in the world.


They bought the seed company Seminis in 2005, as well as several smaller companies. Seminis seeds are carried by many popular garden catalogs, including Burpee, Park Seed, Territorial Seeds, and Johnny's Selected Seeds. You can find more catalogs that sell Seminis seeds by checking out Seminis' website (Am I the only one who finds the "if you've eaten a salad, you've eaten a Seminis product!" statement a little ominous?) Some companies, such as Johnny's, are phasing out Seminis seeds, and, in the meantime, labeling those seeds so consumers can avoid them if they choose to.


If you're trying to avoid giving Monsanto even one red cent of your money, and you're a gardener who plants seeds (or buys vegetable starts) it pays to know which varieties are making money for the company. A complete listing of which vegetable varieties Seminis grows can be found on their website. This list includes popular tomato varieties, such as 'Celebrity,' 'Early Girl,' and 'Better Boy,' as well as a host of other common home vegetable garden varieties.


What Can You Do?


1. Find out if your favorite seed catalog carries Monsanto-owned seeds. If so, they will be able to tell you which varieties they carry, so you can avoid them.


2. Patronize seed and catalog companies that have taken the Safe Seed Pledge that they have tested their stock for GMOs. A list of companies can be found here.


3. Buy, plant, and save seeds from heirloom varieties. Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and Landreth's all specialize in heirlooms. There is a (better) heirloom option for all of the varieties Monsanto owns. It's just a matter of trying them out and finding your favorites -- not a bad way to spend a summer.

Disappointed that Johnny's is listed - though also listed as taking the Safe Seed Pledge.
Here in Connecticut there are several sources I have to consider:

Butterbrooke Farm
78 Barry Rd
Oxford, CT 06478
Tel: 203-888-2000

Comstock Ferre & Co.
263 Main St.
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Tel: 860-571-6950
Fax: 860-571-6595
www.comstockferre.com

John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
23 Tulip Drive
Bantam, CT 06750
Tel: 860-567-6086
Fax: 860-567-5323
www.kitchengardenseeds.com

New England Seed Company
3580 Main Street, Bldg 10
Hartford, CT 06120
Tel: 800-783-7891 or 860-724-1240
Fax: 860-724-1273
Email: newenglsee@aol.com
www.neseed.com

Select Seeds Company
180 Stickney Hill Road
Union, CT 06076
Tel: 860-684-9310
Fax: 860-684-9224
Email: info@selectseeds.com
www.selectseeds.com