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The Four Steps Required to Keep Monsanto OUT of Your GardenGardening
Seed catalogs for the upcoming growing season are arriving in mailboxes across the Northern Hemisphere with home gardeners everywhere starting to plan which seeds they will sow in their spring gardens. A positive trend in recent years is the growing number of gardening enthusiasts choosing to plant gardens using organic and/or heirloom seeds.
What most of these home gardeners don't realize is that corporate behemoth and GMO titan Monsanto has been gobbling up the seed market faster than a caterpillar can munch a tomato plant! With one fell swoop in 2005, Monsanto grabbed approximately 40% of the US vegetable seed market with its acquisition of Seminis.
This means that a home gardener could unknowingly be supporting the development and proliferation of genetically modified crops if the seeds used are from Seminis. In addition, Monsanto now apparently owns the trademark for many of the names of the heirloom seed varieties themselves!
Planting a sustainable home garden is much more than just choosing certified organic seeds and seedlings because Monsanto has cleverly positioned itself to make money off the home gardening trend.
Does this mean that even if you buy organic or heirloom seeds from a completely independent company some of your purchase might be supporting the bad guys?
Yes, it does.
Home gardeners would do well to bone up on where to purchase their seeds so they aren't inadvertently doing business with companies that maintain a working relationship with Monsanto-Seminis or were acquired by them.
Buying Organic or Heirloom Seeds Without Supporting Monsanto
Here are the recommended steps for the 2014 growing season for those who want to truly strike a blow for sustainability in every way with their home gardens:
- Avoid buying from the seed companies affiliated with Monsanto. Here's a list of these seed companies by location (click under "Where to Buy" and select your location for a list of dealers to avoid): http://www.seminis.com/global/us/Pages/default.aspx
- Buy from companies Monsanto HASN'T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis: The graphic to the right indicates numerous companies that are worthy of your patronage as compiled by the International Seed Saving Institute. Please note that this many not be a complete list. If your seed company does not appear, just be sure to clarify with the owner about any potential affiliation with Monsanto-Seminis before buying from them.
- Avoid buying heirloom varieties for which Monsanto owns the trademark: http://againstthewall.info/2013/04/09/monsanto-owned-heirloom-seednames-to-watch-out-for
- Ask seed companies if they have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. Here's a list of companies that have done so: http://www.councilforresponsibegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?
Background on Monsanto's Quest for World Seed Domination
Monsanto's corporate quest is clearly to make money on each and every one of us whether we choose to eat supermarket frankenfoods produced with abominable, patented GM crops or carefully plant and tend an organic garden at home. Here's some background information on the subject you may find interesting as well as enlightening:
If you are a home gardener and have information to contribute regarding these steps, please add to the discussion in the comments section. Also, please spread the word via gardening forums you may participate in that folks need to be very careful when seed sourcing for their spring gardens this year else they might be unknowingly supporting Monsanto.
Let's make this the year when Monsanto's grip on the worldwide seed market loosens and the movement to seed sustainability gains momentum!
**Update: The day after this article was originally published in 2013, the CEO of a large GMO soybean seed company in the Midwest emailed me complaining that the article was short sighted and insisting that Monsanto is helping feed the starving people of the world. He even went so far as to say that GMO crops are "proven safe". Click here for the text of this CEO's entire email plus my written reply.
I have also received email complaints from two other seed companies, one in Canada and one in Arkansas, that do business with Monsanto-Seminis and were offended by what they viewed as inaccuracies in the post. In response, I have adjusted the text slightly and moved linked sources to within the text rather than only listed at the end to make the message of the post as clear and precise as possible so as to not result in any consumer confusion over the information.
I have received no complaints about this article from seed companies completely independent of any affiliation or ties to Monsanto-Seminis.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
More Information
Why I Avoid Organic Hydroponic Produce
Our New Organic Garden Box with Rain Barrel Irrigation
The Hydroponic Invasion of USDA Organic
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Comments (588)
How in the world did we ever allow a corporation to "own" a seed?!? I get that they own a complex freak of nature frankenseed that they developed in a lab, but heirlooms too? Weren't these around far before the seed companies?
Please someone help me understand this: on a website of a seed company i read the following "Vesey's Seeds Ltd. does not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered or modified seeds or plants. Vesey's has also signed the safe seed pledge and we continue to encourage healthy gardening practices for all of our customers." Then below that "In the event that an organic product is not available, we will substitute with untreated seed of a similar variety, unless you specify that you do not want any substitutions."
So when I read the article, and saw that one of the four ways to keep Montsanto out of a garden was to buy from a company that has taken the "Safe Seed Pledge", is that in itself now adequate?
Great article except for the fact the Seeds of Change is owned by Mars which is a pro-GMO company. Don't buy Seeds of Change seeds if you don't want to support the bad guys.
If you want to know more about Monsanto, do your homework and take some time watch these videos:
How it started…
Who they are…
What they are doing…
Search Monsanto and the honey bee colapse (Colony Collapse Disorder). Just search Monsanto and their history to get a real understanding of who they are. It doesn't take a rocket scientist, just a little common sense. You might find it interesting, or likely disturbing, at what you find.
Bottom line any company trying to create seeds that don't produce seeds is a very bad thing. The only end result to this is a company that has totally rid the earth of what God had created, which are seeds that keep producing a next generation to feed humans of the world. PEOPLE DO SOME RESEARCH! You don't have a right to create a monopolizing genocide "New World Order" by deleting all of Gods natural seeds for profit or control. It is every humans duty to stop companies such as these who secretly pass seeds and food to unexpecting people for all future generations. We don't need genetically modified seeds that hurts the world. God already made them perfect. Plant will and have always naturally evolve. And for you disinformation spinsters on this site who work for these companies where are your morals? Is profit worth more than future generations of children who will have to live on this earth or have you already sold you soul? Yea you may not be 100 years from now but your children and grandchildren will. I couldn't imagine a world where you can't buy seeds unless it's through the one company that covered the world with suicidal seeds. I can promise you one thing God will not stand for this and neither will humans who actually care about the earth. You've been warned.
Wow! Thank you for that very well put comment. I agree and sometimes I feel as if it really couldn't be true because it seems soo diabolical but isn't that what the native Americans thought as well I guess we should all beware of this dangerous convenience for it really is too easy to get strawberries in December
Greetings Sarah! I am from east coast Fl! ;-). I have been following your blog for quite some time, but I had a question! The graphic of all the seed companies that are good(?) looks like it is paired with companies Monsanto has bought…mountain rose herbs and territorial seed company are two of my faves…they are not owned by Monsanto right?
Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Mountain Rose Herbs is good … not sure about the other one.
Hello, does Donald Trump's support Monsantos?, and since Monsanto produces so many seeds which turns into food why are there still people starving to death in the world?
Where can I find organic non gmo soil?
Hi Danie,
Have you tried organic compost? I have previously used lobster compost. Very great product.
Where do you live? Are you talking about potting soil or replacing soil in the ground?
– Mantis
we need to petition the gov on … neighbors and the gov NOT being able to use weed killers and lawn chemicals where other neighbors are trying to grow food. When neighbors use these chemicals they don't stay put they drift and runoff onto neighboring properties … if second smoke is regulated, so should first hand poisoning.
Brande Plotnick
It is getting increasingly difficult to keep these guys out of the garden, and there is so much confusion out there. I have written about it as well on my blog, Tomato Envy. Some of the confusion is about GMOs vs. hybrids – people think they are the same. And, some don't realize that home gardeners cannot buy GMO seeds, but instead they could be financially supporting GMOs based on who they buy from. Thanks for this article and your helpful site!
I don't think that most home gardeners would opt for a GMO seed anyway. At least I hope not. The USDA also states that a more correct term for GMO is GE (genetically engineered), so do we now have to wonder about products that say "NO GMO" on the package but the genetically modified trait still exist because of a loophole in terminology? Nothing would surprise me with our unregulated food system. Just like the USDA states about the "USDA ORGANIC" logo seen on packaging… "It is a marketing tool, it is not a statement about food safety, nutrition, or quality".
Maria Lopez
Gardening is really good specially if you have your own space or plot to take care the veggies in the backyard. It is sad that a blatant act of aggressive control of the world's supply is very rampant nowadays, one day there will be chaos in this planet. Monopoly even in food production is very visible wherever you go, I just hope that organic farming will be more prioritize than giant companies who use chemicals.
Home Gardeners Can't Even Buy Genetically Modified Seeds
American Seeds (This is not the Plantation Products Co.)
Audubon Workshop
Breck's Bulbs
Cook's Garden – % of Monsanto Seed
De Ruiter
Dege Garden Center
Diener Seeds
E & R Seed Co.
Earl May Seed
Fielder's Choice
Flower of the Month Club
Garden Trends
Gardens Alive
Germania Seed Co.
Gold Country Seed
Heritage Seeds
HPS Seed
Hubner Seed
Johnnys Selected Seeds – 4% Monsanto seed
Jung Genetics
Kruger Seeds
Lewis Hybrids
Lindenberg Seeds
McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
Mountain Valley Seed
Natural Gardening Company – % of Monsanto seed
Otis S.Twilley Seed Co.
Park Bulbs
Park Seed – % of Monsanto Seed
Park's Countryside Garden
Pioneer Seed (a DuPont company)
R.H. Shumway
Rea Hybrids
Rocky Mountain Seed Co.
Roots and Rhizomes
Seeds for the World
Seeds of the World
Seminis Companies
Seymour's Selected Seeds
Spring Hill Nurseries
Stone Seed
T & T Seeds, Ltd.
Territorial Seed Company – small % of Monsanto seed
Tomato Growers Supply
Totally Tomatoes
Vermont Bean Seed Company
Wayside Gardens
Western Seeds
Willhite Seed Co.
Thank you Joe – I needed a map! I bought a lot from Johnny's recently…unfortunately! ugh – maybe I can return them.
I'm confused. I have "Black Beauty Eggplant" by "Seeds of Change" but Seeds of Change is not supposed to support Monsanto but the seeds are named using the Monsanto trademark?
Seeds of Change is owned by Mars Foods Inc which is a pro GMO company.
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Paul W.
You have depicted the logos of the best seed companies in the U.S. and described them as such: Avoid buying from the seed companies affiliated with Monsanto. Here's a list of these seed companies by location (click under "Where to Buy" and select your location for a list of dealers to avoid):
Are you deliberately trying to cause confusion?
Allison K
I believe if you read the text, what she is saying is that Monsanto actually owns those companies.
Monsanto does not own Territorial Seed. My uncle, Tom Johns, does. Territorial is organic, non-gmo.
You apparently read this wrong. Territorial Seed is in the section that says:
Buy from companies Monsanto HASN'T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis.
But they do deal with HILD which is owned by Bayer CropScience…developers of Liberty Link GMO and pesticides.
Sylvia H Percy
After finding certified organic seeds, has anyone found a way to prevent cross pollination by GMO crops? Corn is especially vulnerable to this contamination. It seems to me you would need to enclose your corn crop in a greenhouse or a filtering-type of fabric to prevent cross-pollution by GMOs.
Also Baker Creek is on the good list above in the article, upper left of the company names to buy from.
Here is a link to a video on pollinating corn(maize) from the Univ of Wisconsin
Easy to do with corn and I sure you can modify it to fit your needs.
Good Luck &
God Bless
Cherie Doudna via Facebook
oh thank you sooo much for the list……we just planted a garden a few months back…….and I was scared (weird to say that) that our seeds were going to be bad……but they are fine…..so happy to have found your site and this list!
Connie Parker via Facebook
Where can I get these catalogs ? Thanks for info.
Lori Swain Maier via Facebook
Awesome article!
Does anyone have a compiled list of Safe seed & fruit tree companies? and how do u know if your fruit trees u have are safe or not?
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Try a local source! You would be surprised how many people actually save their seeds. On Long Island we have Salt of the Earth Seed Co. They stress the importance of open sourced seeds and transparency on where there seeds come from. http://www.northforkseed.com
Marquita Luciano via Facebook
Where can you buy fruit trees or actual bushes or plants verses the seed?
Great article! Does you or anyone know where I can buy actual GMO & Organic Plants. Its too late for seeds at this point.
My friend knows a small organic farmer in Utah that sells non-gmo heirloom seeds on cleanseeds.org
I bought some from him last month and started my first garden and so far every seed I planted has sprouted!! They were harvested last season so they have a high germination rate.
He sends a ton of seeds in his seed pack, so if you are thinking about planting a garden here's a small local farmer you can support
No offense intended here, but please know that just because a seed company has taken the "safe seed pledge" does NOT mean that it is "Monsanto-free". At all!
Still must dig deeper.
I agree. Baker Creek Seed sells Black Beauty which is shown to be owned by Monsanto. So who does one actually believe.
Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist
They may do business with Monsanto though … many folks don't even want to do business with an independent company that does business with Monsanto.
Baker Creek isn't the only one. Multiple companies that have taken the pledge carry it and advertise it as "organic." Regardless of being organic or not, I do not want ANY of my money making it's way to Monsanto. So now I have several seed companies…Bonnie Plants, Vermont Wild Flower Farm, Burpee, Park, My Patriot Supply, to name a few. I am writing emails to all of them telling them why I won't be doing business with them. If they are carrying one Monsanto product, they are carrying more….
Andrea Juhasz via Facebook
The sad truth is that Monsanto is in fact in Hungary. They are just not allowed to sell GMO seeds. I would be the proudest of my country of origin if they banned them completely….
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James P. Pace
Surprisingly absorbing points you have mentioned, thanks for writing.
For those that want to try a different supplier, give us a try. We are 100% California based and have been in business for over 5 years supplying organic & heirloom seeds of all kinds. Her'es our website:
You carry Monsanto products too. When you stop, I will do business with you.
Kim Owens via Facebook
Good article for you Beth!
Scout Payne Gibson via Facebook
Nicole Hoffmann
Christine Dubay Lovett via Facebook
you forgot to mention to people that Scotts Miracle-Gro that people oh so love to use is the principal agent for Monsanto and a huge supporter as well
Francesca Accardi Jackson via Facebook
Helen Rosner McDonald via Facebook
I save my seeds as much as I can… some from over 10yrs ago… and I buy from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company , I'm only 45 miles from them ….
I used to love Baker Creek. But, as long as they carry ANY products from Monsanto, I will not be doing business with them.
Baker Creek Seeds are NOT owned by Monsanto. I had opportunity to visit their farm, and they are very hands-on and conscious of the quality of their seeds being organic, non-gmo and mostly heirlooms. If you are ever in that part of Missouri, it's worth taking a day to visit…and eat lunch in their restaurant made entirely of goodies from their gardens.
Arleene Keel Martin via Facebook
Well this just totally ruined it. My favorite heirloom seed company was bought out? NOOO!
Jennifer Addeo Arbach via Facebook
Thanks for sharing!
It's all so confusing. All I want is to have truly organic garden. Does anyone know where I can buy organic (non-gmo/GE) vegetable plants? I found one place on the list (the natural gardening company) but the shipping is astronomical in comparison to what I had been paying with my old companies! I don't mind naturally crossed hybrids, just no genetic "fiddling". Also, has there been a determination about Bonnie plants and any association to Monsanto??
Bonnie Plants carries Monsanto products.
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Anne Thomlison via Facebook
I am finding this very confusing. Which seed companies belong to Monsanto and which do not?
Yeah, the graphic needs to be moved to point #2.
Also, am I safe to find a type of vegetable that a Safe Seed Pledge Company has on their website and buy it from my local farm supply store? Ex. Danver and imperator carrots are listed on a company's website that's taken the pledge. Does that mean all danver and imperator carrots are safe or just from that certain company?
Hi! I am totally new to gardening and want to start right. I just returned from my local farm supply store in my town and when I asked about organic/non-gmo seeds the man said, "oh you mean seeds that haven't been tinkered with?" He took me over to a section and said that these seeds were antique and hadn't been messed with. This sounded pretty good to me, but I was a little unsure. He gave me a small paper booklet of Wax Seed Company a local company 30 miles away. I've been going through it and comparing it to your list and the only time a Monsanto name pops up is under their list of hybrid seeds. I called Wax and the lady told me that other than hybrid seeds they don't sell any seeds that have been genetically modified. So my question is can I trust that, and would these seeds be ok:
Danvers half long carrots
Cucumbers- Ashley, long green improved, space master
Romaine lettuce
Zucchini dark green or black beauty
Tomato- Rutgers, marglobe
Any help would be SO much appreciated
He also mentioned Bocto soil which he said was chemical free?
James T Huckaba via Facebook
The less Monsanto the better.
Craig Wille via Facebook
i am 95% sure all the seeds I have germinated for this season is monsanto's own now
Bethany Leisure via Facebook
James T Huckaba
Celia Dvorachek Zimmerman via Facebook
Can anyone point me to a great tasting organic (non-GMO) Sweet corn seed? Seedsavers didn't do it for us last year.
Deborah Lowry
I found this site on here – lots of seed companies to go through, some offer one thing, others offer more.
They also have flowers and herbs, a few fruits
Scott Pedry
I've have great success with Clear Creek Seeds. Grew their Golden Bantam corn last well that did well.
It's non-gmo, non-hybrid. Other places also carry it but they also had the peppers I was looking for.
Botanical Interests out of Colorado, they are on the non gmo committed list attached to this aritcle
Cheyenne Lachele Kelly via Facebook
Craig Wille, this may be interesting to you.
This is an interesting article, but it doesn't go far enough. Knowing about seed companies is great if you start seeds, but what about the people who go to WalMart or the Home Depot or their local nurseries and buy plants for the gardens? What about the bags of manure, compost and mulch that you purchase for your garden? did you know that many of the cows that your manure comes from have been fed GMO corn? Some of the soils, mulches and compost has been treated to prevent weeds? You need to delve more deeply into the subject.
Check with local farmers and we have a local zoo that makes compost.
I try to be careful about where I buy seeds and what ones I buy. Thank you for your listings. I have a question. Totally Tomatoes and Tomato Growers say they have no GMO seed but I don't see them on your list. Can you tell me if I should be concerned buying from them? Thanks.
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Sandy Rees via Facebook
This makes me so sad. Thought we could avoid all this nonsense by growing organic. Now this. Would it be a smaller task to list what companies we can buy from? This is wrong on so many levels. Monsanto is evil
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J.c. Loy via Facebook
I order seeds from http://www.seedsnow.com
Jill Tyndall Dial via Facebook
I ordered my seeds from Sow True Seed
JedandChelsee Cravalho via Facebook
Donald Sutherland
My wife and I are organic vegetable farmers.
Hybird seeds are being Genetically Engineered by Monsanto and the Big Six Seed companies using a genetic cell fusion technique within same species (Cisgenic) to avoid the transgenic (intermingling of different species) GMO backlash.
The USDA NOSB board is meeting at the end of April and they will be reviewing the current permitting of Genetic Engineered (GE) cisgenic cell fusion in organic production.
Do you know of any organic/environmental/science/farm organization who opposes GMOs and opposes the USDA NOP GE/GMO cell fusion standard who will be attending this meeting?
I am attaching my statement on the matter for your review.
Donald Sutherland
Monsanto in the nineties got the USDA to agree GMOs are significantly equivalent to natural forming plants.
Monsanto and the Big Six Biotech seed companies create and patent most of the world's Genetically Engineered hybrid seeds using cisgenic and transgenic cell fusion methods.
IFOAM bans cell fusion in their organic standards production because it is GE and hybrid seed made with GE cell fusion are GMOs.
USDA NOP Organic production standards permit GE cisgenic cell fusion.
Monsanto and the Big Six Seed companies believe their untreated patented GE cisgenic cell fusion hybrid seeds qualify for organic farming under USDA NOP cell fusion regulations.
Organic seed companies and organizations not opposed to GE cisgenic cell fusion and using GE cisgenic cell fusion in their seed production are significantly equivalent to those GMO Biotech Seed companies and organizations who endorse GE cisgenic cell fusion as significantly equivalent to current USDA organic production standards.
Best Wishes,
Donald Sutherland
Long Life Farm
Hopkinton, MA USA
Wow thanks Donald! It's all so confusing. All I want is to have truly organic garden. Does anyone know where I can buy organic (non-gmo/GE vegetable plants? I found one place (the natural gardening company) but the shipping is astronomical in comparison to what I had been paying with my old companies! I don't mind naturally crossed hybrids, just no genetic "fiddling". Also, has there been a determination about Bonnie plants?
Loved this post and shared it on my blog's Facebook page. Bought my seeds from Baker Creek this year Thank you!
There was an error and it didn't post my website. wwwcrunchyinthesuburbs.com
Deana Tankersley
I'm with you Michelle,bought our entire garden seeds from Baker Creek this year..and this way we can help keep the pure seed line going.. (y)
Baker Creek is owned by Monsanto. It's on the do-not-by list.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Where do you get such a crazy notion? First you blast Monsanto then you pick on a small seed company like Bakers. Did you actually call the owner of Bakers before making this statement? Where is your proof? Monsanto wants nothing to do with independent companies like Baker, also they want nothing to do with OP varieties and little in retail seed sales to home gardeners – there is no money in this. They market a few old hybrid varieties from the Peto/ Seminis era to home owners – but nothing new in 10 years. Monsanto is a pure capitalist American company.
FYI…Baker Creek Seeds is NOT owned by Monsanto!!!
Sarah Austin via Facebook
Baker Creek, aka rareseeds.com, is listed as one of the offenders. There is no way possible that is true. "We do not buy seed from Monsanto-owned Seminis. We boycott all gene-altering companies. We are not members of the pro-GMO American Seed Trade Organization! We work with a network of about 150 small farmers, gardeners and seed growers to bring you the best selection of seeds available! Many of our varieties we sell were collected by us on our travels abroad." Please research and edit as needed. Thx.
Abby Heubner Ritchie via Facebook
Peggy Heubner
Sharon Rodeffer via Facebook
Do you know if all grass seed is Monsanto? Can't find any in the stores without Monsanto on it….
Ryan Ballantyne via Facebook
Nah…Monsanto isn't the devil. The Devil is the one who gleans ideas from Monsanto.
; )
Amber Hoover via Facebook
Christie Riordan
Debbie Jacko via Facebook
Monsanto is the devil.
I didn't read ALL of these comments to see if what I am about to say is already listed here but I must say or add. We all need to understand that even if we try to have an organic garden as long as it is NOT under cover ie. A GREENHOUSE we will not have organic! Reason being is the Chemtrails! If you have not heard of Chemtrails, Google it. Go to You tube and type in What in the world are they spraying! I would love to have a Greenhouse. Then we must not use rain water either but deep well water. Thanks for this Web page and the posts. I'm sharing on Facebook which is owned by the corporations trying to control us anyway. Just do the best we can. ;o)
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Marci Sudlow
Buy your organic, heirloom, open pollinating seed from whatever company. Then save your own seeds each year. That's what I do..
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I am not sure where you are getting your info,
but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more
or understanding more. Thanks for great info I was
looking for this info for my mission.
Thanks, it was a bit confusing. We love Botanical interests…great local company…grows at altitude.
Curtis Jones, co-Founder
Thank you … made my rough day!
Just a guest
Wow, that is a whole lot of comment and argument and a free for all. Discussions are nice when everyone can play nice. My post here is for the author…though y'all can feel free to have fun with it too. I believe something was left out. I believe there should have been some mention of finding out what your neighbors are growing. It does little good to to enforce a no Monsanto, no GMO buying policy with regards to seeds if your neighbor is growing stuff that is GMO; cross contamination will occur with pollination and may contaminate your plants and future seed. I believe I read that the common pollination zone is up to 10 miles in radius so even if you are growing organic heirloom seed and saving the seeds they may not be pure if the guy 5 miles down the road, the old lady across the street, or the guy with next patch over at the community garden is not as judicious in his seed choice. So far as I know there is no way to control what is planted around me.
The article lists "habanero" as being an heirloom variety whose name has a trademark held by Monsanto. I highly doubt this is the case as their is no mention of it on the USPTO website, and the fact that the name "habanero" has been used for centuries for this variety of pepper. It is a generic name. "Red Savina Habanero" is in fact still trademarked though.
I searched for a few other names in the USPTO trademark database, and none of them came up as valid trademarks.
Cecilia Barnard via Facebook
Thank you for this vital info Sarah!
J.c. Loy via Facebook
http://www.seedsnow.com this is the site I buy our seeds from!
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Suzy Cooper via Facebook
Bobbye Cooper
Sara Perry via Facebook
Sow True and Bake Creek Heirloom are amazing.
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Gloria Cotton via Facebook
Don't forget your glass dome and a little pixy dust never hurts. '-)
Valerie Munoz via Facebook
Sheila Marshall
Melissa Taylor via Facebook
Yay, Thank goodness I ordered my seeds from Annie's.
Bethany Leisure via Facebook
Laura Cortes via Facebook
Great I could of used this list the other day!:(
Already planted
Lisa Taylor Cowdrey via Facebook
Lynn Taylor
Lynisha Weeda via Facebook
Relyssa Weeda ﺕ maybe you saw this?
Kate Sharp via Facebook
So livingston seed company is good?? It says non GMO. But the place I bought them from might be helping Monsanto?
Pearls Page via Facebook
Like the way your thinking! Thankful you've written a shareable article. We are Growing Home family living a sustainable, plastic free life 😉
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I buy my seeds from Territorial Seed Company and Botanical Interest. Solid companies.
Curtis Jones, President
Thank you! 😉
What if you buy plants at a nursery? How can you make sure you are not buying those plants?
Michael Jacobs
I appreciate these steps and they'll surely come in handy over the coming weeks. I've just recently gotten into gardening and eating healthier, now lets see how my greenthumb is.
Curtis Jones
Hi! We have had several calls from people who think we are associated with Monsanto because our logo in the box of non-Monsanto companies is across from the Associated with Monsanto paragraph. We ARE NOT associated with Monsanto! I founded the business along with my beautiful wife and have dropped varieties – non-GMO varieties – that were sold by companies owned by Monsanto. Just thought you should know some people are misinterpreting the graphic! Thank you! Curtis Jones, co-Founder, President, Botanical Interests, Inc.
is Botanical Interests associated with Seminis in any way?
No answer huh, guess that is the answer!!!
Katie R.
Wow I just watched a documentary on Netflix about Monsanto a few nights ago. It was pretty crazy with the amount of control they seem to have. Thanks for this info!
Isabel Johnson via Facebook
Thanks for the update. I was hoping that you would do so.
Heya we are to the principal time frame below. I found this mother board and that i to find It genuinely useful & this solved the problem out there lots. I'm hoping to produce one thing again in addition to assistance some others as you reduced the problem.
Marcy Coppola Skehan via Facebook
Thx. an informative read and so scary that it has become so difficult to buy "healthy"!
Carmen W Jones via Facebook
Nice reading!
RogerandBrenna Iverson via Facebook
Anne Marie Grimaldi via Facebook
How does one find plants ready to buy that are GMO free?
I just wanted to say that the picture on this blog post is beautiful. Is that your garden?? It is a gorgeous scene and it's where I want to be!!
Lucinda Hayes via Facebook
thank you
Teresa C. Orso via Facebook
Lauren Joy Orso
Lisa Schriever Fulsom via Facebook
What about keeping them out of our schools? Went to a school expo for science and math recently, and there was a speaker there from Monsanto. And our district was recently awarded $100,000 grant from them. It doesn't help that I live in the city of their headquarters.
Trav-Jen Niederer via Facebook
Faith Walker
MaryAnn Scafidi via Facebook
Just in time for Spring…
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Bob Jackson
It's even in the supplements. Even when you are trying to be healthy, by taking vitamin supplements they could have GMO's and aspartame. It's ridiculous. Enough of factory farms we have to come together as communities and start growing share gardens in our neighborhoods.
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This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Simple but very accurate info… Thank you for sharing this one.
A must read post!
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Dar Brooks Helwig
This information from your article is no longer accessable…. Buy from this list of companies Monsanto HASN'T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis: http://occupymonsanto360.org/blog/monsanto-free-seed-companies/ – See more at: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-four-steps-required-to-keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden/#sthash.o9d9gihC.dpuf
I'm definitely anti gmo. This topic is informing, but I'm concerned at how many people are quick to judge without thinking of the consequences. I'm a faithful customer of William Dam Seeds. My grandma was and still is a faithful customer as well. They have consistently given excellent customer service and high quality. They work hard, and have worked hard for decades. Their grandad was a poor immigrant who built up this business from scratch, lacking many advantages established businesses had. Now years later, along comes a careless, thoughtless blogger who doesn't think about what damage her words will do. She doesn't think about how her article could ruin a family business that has taken years to establish, and tarnish their reputation for years to come. It's easy to see why any owner of a small seed company might get frustrated, or even angry watching years of hard work and earned trust go down the drain with one little article. Oh, they shouldn't sell Monsanto seeds or administration seeds you say. Okay. Where do you work? Who owns your company? Which companies is your company linked to? How much waste does your company generate? Does your company support in any way any of the following: deforestation, unfair wages, slave labour, child labour, water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, soil erosion, oil industry, plastic industry, pharmaceutical industry, agriculture industry, factory farming, etc. See what I mean? It's easy to say you buy organic, they can too. But how are you getting the money to BUY organic? Have you gone after the company you work with for supporting and contributing to any of the above? I thought not. It's easy to get on our high horse and ruin another person's life. But you would sing a different song if it happened to you. I'm not saying it's okay to buy administration seeds or support gmo companies. What I wish people would realize is the damaging affects their words can have on people, especially today.
Wow, so you really haven't given any solutions but rather just added another layer to the problem.
Why not give the author a hand for for all of the research and presentation of an important issue that affects millions of people. Sure maybe her company or yours has immoral dealings and practices, but is the author "Super Woman"? Should she research her company, her bank, her grocery store, deparment store, and perhaps her neighbors and family too? Come on now, be realistic, a person should be allowed to focus on one thing at a time and do it well. Stop trying to make people multitask themselves into a nervous breakdown. Remember… "Jack of all trades and Master of none".
So how many Super human feats have you accomplished this week?
; )
To inform folks about what companies sell GMO free seed's is not a crime. If the seed company you use decided to work with Monsanto then maybe they will change their minds and go with GMO free seed's in the future.
As far as supporting other companies that are big polluters, I make it a point to not do my research and not do business with them a well. I would urge others to, for example, not buy anything made by Georgia Pacific. Owned by the Koch family and one of the biggest polluter's of our country. That's just one example but do some research.
Kudo's to the blogger for doing the research and sharing this important information.
What exactly are you saying. That despite the facts we shouldn't do our part in exposing these companies. Small or not and I'm sorry for them but if they chose to buckle under the big guys propaganda and what should be illegal in the US then so be it for them. If we don't shut them down and I'm not sure we can since they own so much and threaten so many farmers then what is the alternative. As you say in your post what about all the others. Well let me tell you that if we all do our part in some way that adds up to a big part in the scheme of things. These people are evil and they are convincing even the small people that they are the way to go either by schmoozing or by arm twisting. Either way is wrong and if they can't be stopped then we must stop buying from them.
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Mike Hill
Many of the links to the non-GMO, non-Monsanto companies are no longer working. However, I just called today, 9/24/13 and this company in Ashland, OR has only non-GMO seeds, has signed the Safe Seed Pledge, and is not owned by Monsanto nor it's affiliates. They are called Restoration Seeds http://www.restorationseeds.com/
or you can call them at 541-201-2688
I found them through the following link http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261
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I keep seeing posts addressing what seeds are currently GMOs. While they are correct in that the GMO seeds sold are only being sold commercially, you have missed a big one. While you all list corn, wheat, soy and canola you have ignored the fact that ALL the sugar beets grown commercially are GMO. So, whenever you purchase a processed food that contains any sugar, you are buying GMO containing food. As someone else noted, the only way to guarantee what you eat does not contain GMO products is to buy organic and, preferably, buy fresh organic and prepare your meals from scratch.
As for companies now owned by Monsanto or a subsidiary of Monsanto (which means it really is owned by Monsanto), no, they are not selling GMO seeds to consumers (yet). However, to say this makes it ok to do business with these companies is disingenuous. If you buy from them you are STILL supporting Monsanto. Period. No way around it. The only way to not support Monsanto is to buy from companies that have NO connection with the monster.
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Chris Rodgers
In an article I read about this problem, it was pointed out that a seed grower/producer who had been providing seeds to a company that actually sold seeds to the public and had been bought by Monsanto would need time to establish a business relationship with a seed selling company that was not owned by Monsanto. Many of these small seed producers have worked hard to produce healthy organic and/or heirloom varieties of plants and never intended to have their seeds sold by Monsanto. If we all immediately stop buying from companies owned by Monsanto these seed producers will be hurt before they have time to find someone else to sell their seed.
This is a serious problem because Monsanto bought a company that had developed business relationships with and supported small specialty seed growers all over the country, maybe even the world. We need to stay abreast of what these seed growers are doing to develop other ways to make their produce available to home gardeners without going through Monsanto. I wonder if some of them even know their seed is now being sold through Monsanto. We the public should be willing to help in any way we can.
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Kristen DirtGoddess
Hi there!
I started an organic seed company, Dirt Goddess Super Seeds. My seeds are organic and I've got several heirloom varieties.
What makes them unique is that they're inoculated with mycorrhizae and
beneficial bacteria, which creates a super strong root system for the
plant and helps fend off pests, temperature extremes, drought, nutrient
deficiencies, organically.
The website is http://www.DirtGoddessSeeds.com.
Thanks so much!!
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Nice post. I was checking continuously this weblog and I am inspired! Extremely useful info specially the final part I care for such information much. I was seeking this certain information for a long time. Thanks and good luck.
Lynn Lepisko
Thanks so much for keeping me informed. Trying to feed a family on a budget gmo free is hard. Thought growing our own was best, only to find out they have their hand it that too! Thanks for the list of non Monsanto/seminis related companies.
Their website link is http://www.SeedsNow.com I checked and they are 100% NON-GMO and full supporters of the safe seed pledge.
Here's more info about other reputable seed companies to check out: http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2012/02/3-sources-to-buy-your-vegetable-seeds/
We LOVE SeedsNow.com! Great article by the way.
I read a lot about the importance of buying local. How do I know local growers haven't used GMO seeds or supported Monsanto?
Thanks for this great information BUT/AND who is going to tell all the bees, birds and insects not to cross breed monster seeds?????????????
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Penny G
I have tried multiple times to acces the Non Gmo Seed list and that page is no longer available. More Censorship and domination on behalf of the 1%.
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Robin Howell
Okay, so I have been trying to view the list from link #2 and link #3 and cannot get them to open. Does anyone have a better link?
I have some Ferry Morse Organic seeds and want to know if they are on either list.
Deb Fergen
The links in numbers 2. and 3. above do not work.
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David O'Daniel
Just seeing this article today. Thank you. Unfortunately, I am unable to connect with the occupymonsanto360.org links. From what I can tell from facebook, the site isn't available, possibly due to hacking. Shame, would really like to see that information.
M.W. Chaudoin
What I do with mail I don't want to receive is put it right back in the 'enclosed envelope' and send it back to them!! IF it has postage paid. They love to receive their envelopes back with no order inside and THEY paid the postage for that.
thank you so much for this valuable information, and here is the current link to the non-GMO seed companies: http://occupymonsanto360.org/2012/03/06/monsanto-free-seed-companies/
Robin Howell
This link doesn't work either.
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Salut tous le monde,
The link for Monsanto free seed companies is broken. Please help us fix it….I was just about to look up a company so I can purchase some seeds. Thanks!!!
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William A. Pitsker
What bothers me most is that it is a blatant act of aggressive control of the world's food supply. Why have no governments taken a stand on the issue? Might it be that they are all bought and paid for by these monsters? Just who are "Monsanto," anyway? They pose a "clear and present danger" to the liberty and freedom of people all over the world. They must be stopped (eliminated?).
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So what does this mean? When I purchase seeds I am just inadvertently giving my money to Monsato, I am I purchasing seeds that may have GMO material in them, or both?
Chris Rodgers
Monsanto has bought a company that had established a relationship with and supported many small organic and heirloom vegetable seed producers. These seeds are still organic and/or heirloom. For the most part, fruit and vegetables are not GMO. At this time, the most common GMO crops are wheat, corn, soy and cannola and these are the ones that are used in factory produced foods. Avoid these. I use organic wheat or spelt flour, don't eat any foods containing corn, soy or cannola oil. Organic, heirloom and even regular vegetable seeds should be fine, for now.
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Jean | Delightful Repast
Glad I found this post today addressing some of my concerns. I've been delaying getting my garden in until I could do some research. And here it is! Maybe I'll have a garden this year after all!
Hi Sarah! I found the heirloom seed company I do business with on list #4 from MO. I have been buying from them since last summer. You should see my spring veggie garden….God bless Sarah…..
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I went to check online for a seed company located in Kentucky, and found one. Ferry Morse is the one I found, the only one. I found an article shortly after talking about how their seed factory terminated all their employees right after lunch, some who had been there for 40yrs!
Turns out that Ferry Morse had been bought out by Jiffy who is owned now by Plantation products of Mass. Well, I just went looking and quickly found that Plantation belongs to MONSANTO. So please dont buy anything from any of these companies. Unfortunately Burpee is also owned by Monsanto.
Sherry, alittle knowledge is a dangerous thing – Burpee is not owned by monsanto it is owned by Ball family. Watch what you read on the internet
Burpee is privately owned by the Ball family – do not believe everything on the internet
Correct, Burpee is not owned by Monsanto HOWEVER, they do sell Seminis seeds so, you have to be careful what you buy from Burpee. If you buy Seminis seed, regardless of WHO you buy it from, you are buying from Monsanto and thus, putting money in their pocket.
So buy from Burpee, but be very careful WHAT you buy….
So if you are boycotting companies based on what they sell and who they do business with does this mean you do not drive a car and you do not use technology? Oil companies are destroying our planet and technology companies are creating vast ewaste which is also hurting third world countries. Monsanto may not be an angel but what makes them your target and not others?
I am boycotting Monsanto. Where does it say that I am boycotting companies that sell Monsanto?? I just won't buy Monsanto. Why? Because I choose to not put GE foods in my body if I can avoid it. I also don't eat Agent Orange or DDT.
As for driving and technology…kind of a stupid question, don't you think since this discussion is on a computer. Yes, I drive, out of necessity. Yes, I (obviously) use technology, again, out of necessity. It isn't necessary for me to put Monsanto's poison into my body because there are alternatives. The purpose of boycotting is to make sure Monsanton doesn't take those alternatives away.
Sometimes you gotta pick your battles.
Rebecca Kipe (cookingamidchaos.com)
Where can I buy monsanto free seedlings? like for tomatoes etc?
Katherine Haag
Monsanto-free seedlings: Not sure about where you can get them, but as a clue to where you might look, I know sometimes I can get organically-grown seedlings from a local farmer's market. Also, there's a local garden store that sells only organic plants, seeds, and such.
There's also a non-profit company in town that has 14 school gardens associated with our local schools (on school property). Volunteers teach school children after school how to garden organically and use only non-GMO seeds and organic practices. Kids learn to grow plants from seeds. As part of both the kids' training and their fundraising activities, they sell organically-grown plants at a big plant sale in May. I bought some plants through them and they were both of great quality and helped a good cause.
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Richard Rehsler
I have a number of friends who are fanatic about a soy-based product known as Visalus. They are promoting it as a weight loss/health/nutritional supplement. I read that because of cross-pollination that there is no longer such a plant as non-GMO soybean being grown in the USA. When I ask the company to back up their claim that their product is non-GMO, all I get is 'our assurance'. Would someone please test this product because we could have an epidemic of very ill people as their sales are quite high.
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Donovan LaFond
Can seeds be declared organic? You know Monsanto is going to find a way to corrupt The Safe Seed Pledge
Yes, seeds can be certified organic. They are produced from plants grown in organic conditions, and must be kept at safe isolation distances from contamination (pesticide/herbicide drift, GMO pollen, etc.).
Here are a few organic seed companies to source from:
all the best,
Donovan LaFond
PLEASE CHANGE NAME OF YOUR AMAZING ARTICLE! It's barely showing up on facebook. A better title would be "Keep Monsanto out of your garden, the four easy steps"
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Thank you for this article! Confirmed that my long time supplier of awesome seeds, Victory, is a good one! Sooooooo happy:) Monsanto can keep their scummy hands off my food! I read labels at my local Coop too and avoid any boxed food that does not have the GMO free logo on it. I am also getting better at propagating my own seeds, one day I will be a very good gardner!
Would it be o.k. if I put a link to this web page on a blog page of mine? It's a very well thought out and informative article!
The seedsavers exchange is a non profit collective of heirloom farmers who have taken the safe seed pledge. The seeds for sale in thier catalog are grown at Heritage Farm and have no ties to Monsanto. They do not appear on any of your lists.
I've been using Baker Creek for all of my seeds for the last few years. My garden has transitioned to all heirloom seeds over the last 4 years and I love what I grow! I will stick with Baker Creek (rareseeds.com), because I'm SURE that Gerre Gettle will NEVER sell out to the corporate food killers.
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Amanda @Natural Living Mamma
This is a wonderful post full of great resources. Thank you so much for putting it all in one place. I am definitely sharing it on FB and hopefully linking it in a blog post soon! Thank you for all your hard work and research.
I only saw one mention of Territorial Seed Co. in the comment feed. This comment indicated Territorial is A-OK, but it is not listed on the GOOD list. Any information out there? Thanks.
Territorial is an awesome source for some great varieties. They do, however, source a small amount of conventionally-grown (not organic) seed from Seminis, a subsidiary of Monsanto. That is why they are not on the list. Nothing they sell is GMO.
hope this helps,
As of their 2012 catalog, Territorial no longer sources seeds from Seminis.
Susan Hamilton Bruss via Facebook
Oh, dear God, what next?
I don't have to read a thing to know I want nothing to do with gmo's..I want to read who else wants nothing to do with them
Diane Jasmine via Facebook
I like this Laura but if we live in communiities that do not allow gardening this is not an option, Yes, it is a wonderful thing to do but we can still keep the push on our government to label foods by writing, callings etc, see the video from last night?
Corina Rice Campbell via Facebook
Seedsnow.com is also a good one
You must be doing something right if the big wigs are calling you. Keep doing it.
Jack burgess
followed site containerseeds. com, this site is some kind of joke, links to see what seeds they offer lead no where. waste of time don't you check out the sites you recomend? see if they real work?
I was beginning to doubt that it was possible to find some intelligent content for once, I was getting tired of the retarded
drivel I find on a daily basis, thanks.
Dawn Shepherd via Facebook
Tammy Jacobs Clark via Facebook
I have already bought seeds for my garden from "Seeds of Change in CA and "Vegan Seeds from FL" Do you know anything about either of these companies?
Seeds of Change is certified organic, but is owned by Mars Inc., the candy company. They supported the fight against labeling GMO's, and their company has really gone downhill over the past 10 years. They are dropping their heirloom varieties left and right.
I have not heard of 'Vegan Seeds.'
I would suggest buying organic from these trusted sources:
Sergio Carlos Bahamondes via Facebook
Janet L Beckham via Facebook
Good resource
Kayla Saadeh via Facebook
Jody Strom
Kelly Seibert via Facebook
Thanks so much for the lists and keeping us informed!
Shana Mc via Facebook
I LOVE rareseeds.com
Jerilea Hendrick via Facebook
A few weeks ago Sarah posted an awesome list of seed providers on her website! Check it out
Jerilea Hendrick via Facebook
A few weeks ago Sarah posted an awesome list of seed providers on her website! Check it out
Eileen Foster via Facebook
Chris Hemmings via Facebook
Well I read one of the above (from Chelsea Nord), who turned out to be a Libertarian-pro-big-corporations-sort-of-a-guy. Biased? Well, just maybe: to save you the effort, here's the last paragraph:
"Anti-GMO conspiracy theorists should stick to quack science and retreat from their misguided foray into regulatory analysis. GE food poses no threat to human health or the environment. The absurd reaction to this provision shows how desperate the anti-GE crowd has become."
Not exactly a neutral, objective observer, eh?
Stephanie White via Facebook
Also, the point is not whether or not you're a shill; the point is that you need to consider the source.
Joy Baisden via Facebook
I cant believe this even happened. We can no longer trust our government. I did hear that Obama was looking in to veto this but there was a certain rider missing that would have allowed him to do so?
Tressa Romeo via Facebook
You can just collect seeds from your organic fruits and vegetables and use those seeds for your garden and know that they are free of GMO.
Lisa Reina Gruich via Facebook
Is it safe to buy seedlings and how would you know what you're buying?
Cindy Kazenas-Ibbotson via Facebook
Julie, I had no idea. I thought just grabbin some seed pkts at Walmart and planting my garden with no pestisides was good enough. Ahhhhhhh
Chris Rodgers
The seeds will be OK. No one, including Monsanto is making genetically modified vegetables and their seeds yet. This article is pointing out that Monsanto is now selling vegetable seeds although the name on the package will be from a company that is buying seed from a company that is owned by Monsanto. See how complicated things can get? Those who have developed and grow good healthy organic and/or heirloom seeds to sell to a company that in turn sells the seeds to another company such as Burpee or Seeds of Change, finds that now somehow Monsanto is in the mix and making a profit from their seed. I would like to see an article that helps educate the public about how seeds are produced and marketed to the public.
Melissa Kelly via Facebook
I'm totally on board with this, but I keep hearing this thing he passed is completely untrue and doesn't even exist. Snopes.com and badskeptic.com said its not true.??? Either way I wish everyone would wake up! I am lucky to live in a great community that is very aware of GMO's and their danger.
Kathy Schroeder via Facebook
what a disaster- shame on congress and the prez.
Stacey Gorham via Facebook
So sad we have to go to such lengths to even find seeds that are not tainted.
Silvia Alexandra Hudson via Facebook
Zena Morency, pretty crazy that I find this post today after asking you about it yesterday!!
Stephanie White via Facebook
Chelsea, the rider only 'protects' farmers if farmers are trapped within a system that offers few options. Monsanto has a monopoly on a number of crops and they protect that monopoly with legislation such as this. USDA is complicit in protecting that monopoly, which obviously reduces agrobiodiversity and puts our food system at risk.
Jennifer Holdridge Black via Facebook
Chelsea…I hear what you are saying. The issue is that Monsanto needed to "protect" the farmers so that they would feel "secure" in "investing" in next year's seeds. This is the issue.
Rebecca Gill via Facebook
Please stop tearing each other down. Educate gently and without arrogance. There are many cancers in the world, only some come from bad foods.
Kristin Rose via Facebook
We bought a bunch of heirloom seeds to do exactly this from seed savers exchange.
Chelsea Nord via Facebook
I didn't say it all makes it better, but you also aren't understanding the point I was making. I am not defending Monsanto. It is more about protecting that farmer's investments for that year. (And please don't think that I mean the money Monsanto gets for their investments) I am saying that a farmer's crop is their livelihood. The investment costs to raise a crop, regardless of whether its GMO or Non-GMO is astonishing and pulling a crop out from under a farmer without proper proof that it is dangerous for consumption, or without something to protect them from losing that investment for the year (similar to crop insurance) – could be devastating to not only that year's profit, but their whole farm's security.
Hanna McCown via Facebook
Rareseeds.com seedsavers.com. Are two sites for safe seeds.
Chelsea Nord via Facebook
Actually, I honestly didn't know it was on their blog. I got it from a corn growers organization site and thought it was from them. But those links are from separate places on the internet, Monsanto didn't write those posts or force people to write them so they are independent sources.
Christy Saffold Freeman via Facebook
Thank you Sarah!!!!
Christy Saffold Freeman via Facebook
Thank you Sarah!!!!
Hanna McCown via Facebook
We're all doing the best we can. Thank you for this information.
Jodie Hummel Godush via Facebook
Snopes has their own interests as well, and they make plenty of "mistakes." Think about it: if they were so accurate, they would be the ones delivering our news. Don't rely on them like they were gospel…they're not.
Sergio Carlos Bahamondes via Facebook
I just built a garden and I would like to know where to buy good seeds. I am a first timer. 😉
Good call on that response you wrote to the CEO. The truth is that their GMO products are poisoning a huge portion of the population who develop allergies and food sensitivities to their monstered varieties. Feeding the world while killing it, more like it. Excellent topic, dear friend.
Nicola Herring via Facebook
We need to get some press on this situation (like you did with kraft) to get this thing yanked outta there!!
Nicola Herring via Facebook
so so sad. *sigh*. And to think that it got in there anonymously. If you believe so much in something then don't be afraid to back it up with your name. The victory garden is a GREAT idea
Brandy Mills via Facebook
Kristine, isn't that a documentary? My husband and I are shoveling dirt into our raised bed gardens right now….I guess I better go back outside and help!
Courtney Wiemann via Facebook
Or don't buy cereal in the first place and eat WHOLE foods for breakfast. 😉
Sandra Fraser Maurer via Facebook
if only the government would stop subsidizing corn and soy… and start subsidizing organic produce. that would cause the price to be able to go down Cindy
Audrey Hussey via Facebook
Cindy, find a food co op, or buy by the case from Amazon. Whole Foods is overpriced.
Kristine Smith Cocchiarella via Facebook
I hate to point this out, but we were always on our own. The government wants us fat, sick and nearly dead as there isn't any money in the alternative…
Jennifer Holdridge Black via Facebook
Lol. Chelsea – protect the farmers? The farmers who plant Monsanto seeds. Interesting how that makes it all better. How about it protects Monsanto's future shares because now the farmers will continue to plant their seeds with the additional protection this provision has afforded them!
Audrey Hussey via Facebook
The problem with the rider is that the so called studies can take a very long time, meanwhile, who is conducting them? And please stop quoting snopes. Do your own research. They cherry pick articles just like everyone else.
Cindy Gallo via Facebook
Mayb we can all eat healthier if whole foods can reduce their prices and/or these companies can enlarge the quantities of their packages. A very small box of cereal for $5? Ridiculous! I have three kids to feed. They need to lower prices or make their servings bigger.
Stephanie White via Facebook
@ Chelsea, interesting that you took your language directly from monsantoblog.com. Hmmmm. http://monsantoblog.com/2013/03/28/3-links-on-the-falsely-labeled-monsanto-protection-act/
Donna Grzesik via Facebook
Amy Lemmon via Facebook
Thanks for this article. In light of this weeks (and the on going) control of our food chain … I have been thinking so much of what changes need to be done. I try to talk to people but am so often faced with people just not knowing how to make change. So I am reaching out to very knowledgeable and articulate people like you … I think not only do we need education about what is happening to our food chain and what we should be doing BUT how to do it! It is so difficult to change everything we do … buying groceries (especially on a budget and for big families), cooking, planning new meals, finding local sources, etc… all without supporting Monsanto and other big business. Would love to hear your ideas!!!!
Danielle Michael via Facebook
Amy Renner Whalen via Facebook
So glad I have my High Mowing catalog in front on me
Chelsea Nord via Facebook
I saw a post about this bill being passed and have seen a few people quickly getting upset about it. Here is another post where they actually read the provision and found that it doesn't protect Monsanto, it actually protects the farmer. Check out this post to get both sides of the story.
From Illinois Corn: On the so-called "Monsanto Protection Act," has anyone who's upset about it actually read the provision itself?
Here's NPR's Salt on what it is and isn't: Did Congress Just Give GMOs a Free Pass in the Courts? http://n.pr/14rhfy3
A blogger in Oregon actually has read what's contained in the provision: Falsely labeled "Monsanto Protection Act" doesn't protect Monsanto, it protects farmers http://t.co/0YTTAXjir1
Ag Professional had a story on the provision in July of 2012 (yes, it was around in July of 2012; so much for being "snuck through the system") http://bit.ly/14rgEMP
Kerri Convertito Lato via Facebook
Horrible…why don't we ask Monsanto and president Obama what's on their dinner plate tonight??
Laura Truelove
I have seed packets that are made by:
– American Seed
– The Page Seed Company
– Burpee
None of these were on either the Monsanto affiliated or the non-affiliated list – how do I find out if they are?
Thank you,
March 28, 2013
hey guys. does anyone know if these seeds are safe?
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Fun Wood Projects
Hi there, after reading this remarkable post i am also delighted to share my know-how
here with friends.
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Thompson & Morgan claim to have taken the Safe Seed Pledge… not sure how to verify that, though.
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gypsy b
This is a good article, BUT listing the names of the seeds does not do justice to the people independent from the companies, who try to keep heirlooms pure. Many of those names have been used long before monsanto got in the game. My advice is to know you're supplier. I deal with private gardeners who know the history of their seeds.
I just tried opening these links and the only one that works is the seminis one. Please update!
Has anyone else had trouble getting the occupymonsanto360.org website to open?
Robert L
I see that Southern Exposure has signed the pledge. The seeds are sold at MOM's. I hope they are independent from Monsanto.
Linda Parker
It amazes me that the seed companies associated with Monsanto actually believe the lies they're being told. How is Monsanto helping to feed the starving people of the world? The only way they would care about any starving people, is if they are profiting off of them by feeding them their toxic foods grown with their genetically modified seeds. It's not natural and it's not healthy and any seed company that refused to see that is as bad as Monsanto. The FDA approves whatever is in their best interest to approve. They could care less whether what they are approving is safe or not. They have proven that over and over again. The day that people in bed with Monsanto open their blind eyes and see what's going on, will be a wonderful day. I don't know if it will ever happen though, so I can only hope that enough people can stand together against these big corporations who care nothing about the health and well being of anyone but themselves. I hope they enjoy their big bucks while they are destroying a large part of our food supply. THEY MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!!! I sure hope it happens soon, before they get an even stronger grip on our food supply.
leon pendleton
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Check out this article about Seminis and Monsanto – maybe we are jumping to conclusions. Here is someone who took the time and called Monsanto.
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Christy Stewart
It must be nice to be able to have principles and live the life one wants. When you live below poverty level, and can only afford the cheapest foods, GMO's come along with the program. And buying seeds is out of the budget as is the cost of creating a garden, then paying the water bills to keep it all alive in hot zone 10. I wish I could live a perfect organic life. But it isn't possible right now….and may never be.
Christy, I find myself wondering a couple of things….1) Why are you on this site if you don't have a garden, 2) what, exactly is the point of your post??
Frankly, after reading your little note the word that pops into my mind is……Troll…..
Heather O.
Christy, I can tell you from experience that just because you live below poverty level doesn't mean you cannot grow your own food. And don't let anyone as judgmental as the other person who comment to your post discourage you from seeking advice or help. All it takes to at least give growing your own food a try is a little bit of dirt. Anyone can make compost to amend their soil, which means less watering is needed. Seek out farmer's markets in your area, THAT is generally the cheapest food you can spend your dollars on. Check your area for local growers, perhaps you can make friends with someone who already grows their own. Obviously you have access to the internet, so do some Google searches on frugal gardening. There are ALWAYS ways to cut back in other areas to get what you want. Our local farmer's market even accepts food stamps. You ALWAYS have better options available to you. You just have to figure out where they are and get creative.
Heather, your passive-aggressive approach is really annoying. If you have a problem with something I said, say so. I am a big girl and can handle it.
Now, please show me where I was being judgemental of Christy? I asked two legitimate questions. Neither of which she answered. That is not judgemental. Had I posted "you have no right to be here or to comment because you don't have a garden" THAT would have been judgemental. No, I asked her two questions and made an observation that her post, having no apparent point to it other than "oh, poor me….I can't afford to grow my own food (which is baloney, as you point out) and all you people who actually have money should feel sorry for me" to me screams "troll." Apparently you don't know what a troll is. Typically they post meaningless, pointless statements designed to get people riled up.
Robin S
Christy, I live at poverty level and have 8 raised beds that allow me to grow about half my years vegetable supply (and overwinter kale, chard, etc). I used free pallets (untreated woods to create my first beds, and some manure from local horses to help build my soil. I bought a barrel from habitat for humanity and made a composter (had to keep animals out)
I spend about $30 a year on seeds and people give me leftover seeds that they have. I grow alot of garlic which is pretty remarkable because two big heads creates alot of garlic.
The best thing is to start small..maybe just with garlic, or lettuce and one raised bed.
Hope this helps you start. Peace and love, Robin
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Heather W
I have personally used many seed companies from Canada (as I am Canadian) and was upset to see some of their names on this list. After further research, I see a lot of the information in this post is not true and that gets me angry. I'm going to continue to support these seed companies in Canada. As a consumer, it's very important to research information before you make a decision. Often it is one-sided. I support the Weston A. Price Foundation but find many of the posts on this blog are not completely accurate. What bothers me is that when others refute what is written or challenge it, they often do not get a response (from Sarah). This lack of response does NOT lend credence to the blog post. If you can't defend what you say, then you should not be posting it. Silence, in this case, is not golden, it's rather cowardly. I'm all for health but not for the high-horse attitude one gets on when one thinks they are on the right path (I notice this in the raw/vegan food movement as well as in many religions). It's really very bully-like and limits credibility. Please think carefully before you damage someone's livelihood. And, if you are going to post information that will get someone's dander up – then be prepared for an argument. If you don't know how to argue, then maybe you shouldn't be running a blog that often challenges the way people live, because not everyone agrees with you, and sometimes, you just may be wrong. Be big enough to admit it when you are.
Heather, there is no way to correct the errors if you don't point them out. Which Canadian seed companies are incorrectly noted to be selling either GMO seeds or seeds owned by Monsanto (not all Monsanto seeds are GMO).
Robert Little
Thanks for the update on Virmiculite. I loved starting my seeds (sq ft garden) in virmiculite. I am looking forward to using that again this spring.
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Re: Burpee
I came across this today: http://www.burpee.com/gygg/content.jsp?contentId=about-burpee-seeds
In Canada you can try OSC Seeds
Li Cross
Thank you for sharing this information. Monsanto sends Millions to Texas A&M to push their agenda through the system. Even Texas Farm Bureau is pushing GMO! I thought those farmers were smarter than that! Money is the root of all evil and I pray that some of these Farmers wake up and realize what they've done.
It's like the whole Hemp Conspiracy of the early 1900's all over again! How can the US government stand by and allow this to happen… this power, bullying and underhandedness by Monsanto is very distasteful and should not be allowed to happen.
Video – If its still available, watch this excellent documentary at:
If GMO is so great, why can't we get food labeled and why are there no unbiased health studies?
West Coast Seeds is a good company, but not different than any other mainline seed company. They carry organic and conventional seeds – not just organic. Some of thier product line is from Seminis also.
Hi there! How about West Coast Seeds in Canada? Their seed guide is full of information on how they have only organic, non-GMO seed. I'd be interested in their business ownership/affiliations… Thanks!!
Mindy, The Homespun ARTisan
WOW! I had honestly never thought about how I might be supporting the evil Monsanto by purchasing organic seeds or seedlings at my local nursery!
Thanks, Sarah, for putting together the 4 easy steps. Those links are INVALUABLE!
I suppose that if we discover our local farmers are growing organic Monsanto-owned varieties, we should express our concern and let them know. Perhaps they aren't aware…
Excellent question,Danielle! Does anyone have a substantiated answer?
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Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I am not having any luck researching this. What about cotton clothing? Can I find any that is not bt or gmo? I am concerned especially for my young children and what they are wearing. Are there certain countries of origin I should avoid or just assume it is all bt and look for organic cotton? What about what they call green cotton or Oeko- tex certified?
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Award-winning documentary "Genetic Roulette" is online until Feb 10th! A must see for anyone who eats: http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/genetic-roulette-free-screening/
Brande Plotnick
Thanks for this timely post, Sarah! Unfortunately, I think the non-GMO seed market and which companies are "safe" to buy from is going to be a moving target as Monsanto strives to gain even more power over our food supply.
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I shared this blog only to stand corrected. Read the rebuttal from William Dam, president of Wm. Dam Seeds: http://www.damseeds.ca/productcart/pc/viewcontent.asp?idpage=13
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Susan Gaydos
Peru just BANNED Monsanto! Come on America – do we really want corporations to control our FOOD? Amend the constitution to abolish the ability of corporations to exercise never intended constitutional rights http://www.movetoamend.org
Kylie Lichty
News to me that Monsanto can own an open pollinated variety that has been on the market for years and that countless other seed companies grow in their own supply. Other comments have been made to clarify this. A British Columbian seed growers email group has talked about these "lists" of bad vs. good and have decided it is not accurate. Perhaps home gardeners can look for seed companies who actually grow the seed they sell. Then you know the profits do not go to Monsanto.
Monsanto owns Seminis. All I am saying is, if you buy ANYTHING from Seminis or from someone who bought it from Seminis, you are buying it from Monsanto. What is so difficult to understand about that??
It is difficult to understand because not all the varieties listed are coming from Seminis. Seminis produces them but they are not the only seed company who produces that seed. Take Marketmore 76 seed as an example, Seminis produces this seed, but other non-Monsanto affiliated seed companies also produce this seed. By spreading information that leads a reader to believe that all Marketmore 76 seeds are Monsanto tainted is misleading and unethical. It would be much more ethical to guide users to discuss,with the seed company they purchase from, where their seeds come from. Not all seed companies that do business with Seminis are bad companies, some have done business with Seminis for decades.
If I buy verified non-gmo, non-seminis seed from a seed company that produces the seed themselves, but also offers Seminis seed, what is wrong with that? I would not be putting money into Monsanto, correct?
Bottom line is that if we put small seed companies out of business because a limited amount of their seeds are bought from a Monsanto affiliate, we are contributing to the demise of small seed companies and Monsanto wins that way as well aka not as much competition.
Instead make an informed decision to not buy Monsanto Products, not put out of business small companies who have done business with Seminis for years prior to the Monsanto buyout! Contact your seed company and only buy seed that they either produce themselves or come from a non-Monsanto affiliated seed company! You will be sending an even bigger message to these companies, supply and demand. If people do not buy these seeds then these companies will eventually phase these seeds out!
Nicole, this one statement of yours: "Not all seed companies that do business with Seminis are bad companies, some have done business with Seminis for decades. " tells me you are missing at least part of the point….
No, not all companies that do business with Seminis are "bad" companies HOWEVER, some of us do not want ANY of our money to end up in the bank account of Monsanto. Therefore, we do not want to do business with any company that buys seed from Seminis.
To simplify: You buy from Company X- Company X buys the seed from Seminis- Seminis is owned by Monsanto- your money goes to Monsanto.
So, if you want to do business with a company that is buying seeds from Seminis, find out WHICH seeds and don't buy those. I would also urge those companies to find other sources for seed.
The problem is there is no simplified answer. If as a consumer you do not buy seed that comes from Monsanto, Seminis, De Reuters…etc your money will not be going to them, period.
But not buying any product from a company because it sells a limited amount of seed from those companies is only helping Monsanto void the market of it's competition.
Example: a seed company has 10 seeds that it supplies its customers with that come from Seminis. The company also grows its own seed with hundreds of other varieties not associated with Monsanto. Your options are to boycott the company and subsequently but that company out of business or simply not buy the Seminis seed. Your option being the former, my option being the latter.
Makes complete sense to have a small company go out of business clearing the market of Monsanto competition, making hundreds of people unemployed and next time an uninformed person goes to buy seed there is one less option for that uninformed person to go to and most likely they will end up at a big box store buying Monsanto seed. But, as long as the money that was in your possession doesn't go to Monsanto though it is ok, right?
By making a conscience decision to not purchase those particular seeds from that company you are doing more good than just simply dropping them, keeping people employed, and by virtue of supply and demand those seeds will be dropped and other seed choices will be available.
But hey if you really think that boycotting a small seed company that produces some of its own varieties of seeds is going to put Monsanto out of business, have at it. You are only hurting the entire cause and making it easier for Monsanto to rule!
Bert McFadyen
Add this one to the list.
Harvest your own seed in the fall. All plants set seed one way or another. Using your own seed will guarantee that you are not using GM seeds. We have grown wildflowers and our garden for over 40 years and love the food from it. We also eat all the food including costmetically scarred foods and mulch the residue. We also farm and can attest that some of our local "Organic Farmers" spray theri feilds at night and buy non organic farmers crops and mix them with their so called Organic product. So don't be fooled by their stamp of approval. GROW YOUR OWN. If ou live in the city, (I feel sory for you) find ways to grow food on vacant lots or hydroponically inside. And give theexcess to the street people to better their health. Then start finding ways to convince the Managers of business (people) to allow their workers to produce from home. There is nothing more insane than a population sitting in a traffic jam because they, first of all have to dirve where the managers are, all at the same hour for the manager's convenience! Our independance is at stake and Monsantois just the easy target.
Corporate Serfs Unite! A change in society is due, but we can change our lifestyle now. Sitting in front of a computer at home avoids the gas, the resources in a vehicle and tires, and a whole lot of time.
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Thank you for your very informative and valuable site. I have had spotty success trying to remineralize my teeth with diet since April 2012. I'm sure you know it can be a daunting task to completely change the way you eat, especially when you live with someone that is a junkfood junky. Though I've been cutting down on grains and mostly get my protein from wild caught seafood, pastured or grass fed animals, their organ meats and dairy, I didn't know how important raw grass fed butter was… until I hear you mentioned, on the Oralwellness Summit, that the first thing you would recommend to cure a cavity was raw grass fed high vitamin butter oil. I already had some raw grass fed butter in the refrigerator, but I never used it and opted for the pasteurized grass fed butter instead to save money. That night after hearing your lecture, I took a heaping spoon full of raw grass fed butter before bed and was more than surprised to see how powerful it was. Within 30 seconds, it completely dissolved the plaque from all my teeth. Since then, I've been taking a heaping spoon full before bed every night and all my Periodontal problems have just about completely disappeared. Thank you for your dedication and for you efforts in getting the truth out.
Thank you for your very informative and valuable site. I have had spotty success trying to remineralize my teeth with diet since April 2012. I'm sure you know it can be a daunting task to completely change the way you eat, especially when you live with someone that is a junkfood junky. Though I've been cutting down on grains and mostly get my protein from wild caught seafood, pastured or grass fed animals their organ meats and dairy, I didn't know how important raw grass fed butter was… until I hear you mentioned, on the Oralwellness Summit, that the first thing you would recommend to cure a cavity was raw grass fed high vitamin butter oil. I already had some raw grass fed butter in the refrigerator, but I never used it and opted for the pasteurized grass fed butter instead to save money. That night after hearing your lecture, I took a heaping spoon full of raw grass fed butter before bed and was more than surprised to see how powerful it was. Within 30 seconds, it completely dissolved the plaque from all my teeth. Since then, I've been taking a heaping spoon full before bed every night and all my Periodontal problems have just about completely disappeared. Thank you for your dedication and for you efforts in getting the truth out.
Thank you so much for this article! Your links and follow-up are truly informative and helpful. Some suggestions I have: 1. Find that person in your neighborhood who is "the gardener". There is always one, you'd be surprised, and usually this is the person who has the true heirlooms and is willing to give or sell you seeds and seedlings (as well as advice).
2. This same person will also probably tell you, "Save your seeds!" Do it, please! Letting just one plant of each variety go to seed will give you more seeds than you know what to do with. Share them, use them. Keep them in a locked vault otherwise. "They" aren't coming to take your guns, they're coming to take your seeds! (Ok that sounds a little paranoid, but it makes much more sense in the larger picture, don't you think?)
This is the first year that I will be planting heirloom seeds. I'm very glad that I ran across this informative post before it's time to start my garden. Thank you.
Kitazawa Seed Company is the oldest seed company in America specializing in Asian vegetable seeds. http://www.kitazawaseed.com/
Does anyone know if they have they been bought by Monsanto-Seminis?
All Good Things Organic Seeds
This isn't entirely correct. I am a seed-grower, and want to help clear things up a bit for folks.
Monsanto (Seminis) owns ONLY the names of the F1 hybrid varieties on this list, as these varieties are inherently proprietary — only they know the parental lines that were crossed to produce the F1. With few exceptions, every variety on this list is an F1 Hybrid. The open-pollinated varieties on this list (Black Beauty eggplant, Marketmore 76 cucumber, Habañero pepper, Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax pepper) are NOT owned by Monsanto. These varieties are grown and sold by countless independent seed companies (some of them by us as well), and trust me, Monsanto doesn't get one red cent of royalties, as they do not own the names of these open-pollinated varieties.
These open-pollinated varieties are on this list because they are also grown by Seminis, NOT owned by Seminis. Seminis is one of many, many companies growing and selling these fine varieties that have stood the test of time.
If you want to empower yourselves when it comes to buying seed, get to know your seed source. Ask informed questions. Talk to your farmers and your seed-growers, and do your own research. Learn how to save seeds. The above list has been re-posted on many sites, and cited many times, spreading misinformation. I understand the desire to not support Monsanto in any way, as I share this desire!
Hope this helps…I'm happy to help answer folks' questions on this issue if they feel so inclined to get in touch.
all the best,
Justin Huhn
Bill Dam
Thanks for the message Justin. You are 100% correct.
Up here in Canada our climate does not allow for growing of quality seed in quantities required as a seed company. My grandfather tried to grow seed here in Ontario with disastrous results and that was back when the climate was predictable. In vast areas of Canada the weather today is opposite of tomorrow.
Best Regards,
Anyone who grows can also produce seed. Pioneers and homesteaders in upper Canada did it, and we can too. The key is, avoid seeds from the big corporations.
"Monsanto doesn't get one red cent of royalties, as they do not own the names of these open-pollinated varieties.
These open-pollinated varieties are on this list because they are also grown by Seminis, NOT owned by Seminis. Seminis is one of many, many companies growing and selling these fine varieties that have stood the test of time."
This is not entirely correct. ANYTHING sold by Seminis results in money going in the pocket of Monsanto because Seminis is OWNED by Monsanto. So, to purchase these open-pollenated varieties from someone OTHER than Seminis, if THEY did not obtain the seed from Seminis, will not result in money going to Monsanto. But if you purchase from Seminis or from a company that bought from Seminis, you most certainly ARE giving your money to Monsanto.
Justin Huhn
This article, and the 'Monsanto-owned-names' claim and list isn't entirely correct. I am an organic seed grower, and want to clear things up a bit for folks. First, Monsanto does not own the names of ANY heirloom varieties. Period.
Monsanto (Seminis) owns ONLY the names of the F1 hybrid varieties, as these varieties are inherently proprietary — only they know the parental lines that were crossed to produce the F1. The open-pollinated varieties on this list (Black Beauty eggplant, Marketmore 76 cucumber, Habañero pepper, Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax pepper) are NOT owned by Monsanto. These varieties are grown and sold by countless independent seed companies (some of them by us as well), and trust me, Monsanto doesn't get one red cent of royalties, as they do not own the names of these open-pollinated varieties.
These open-pollinated varieties are on this list because they are ALSO GROWN by Seminis, NOT OWNED by Seminis. Seminis is one of many, many companies growing and selling these fine varieties that have stood the test of time.
If you want to empower yourselves when it comes to buying seed, get to know your seed source. Ask informed questions. Talk to your farmers and your seed-growers, and do your own research. The above list has been re-posted on many sites, and cited many times. I understand the desire to not support Monsanto in any way, as I share this desire.
Hope this helps…I'm happy to help answer folks' questions on this issue if they feel so inclined to get in touch.
Good luck out there,
Justin Huhn
along the wathctower
Wow! i got to this post late but if you go over to farmwars dot info you will see that BARB personally vetted this issue last fall. the post is under the SAFE SEED LADY NETWORK and she covered tons of seed companies all for the issues SARA highlighted. Many readers wrote in about their favourites and BARB sleuthed them out.
Check it out it is a momentous research project and she deserves HUGE kudos for her efforts to educate us on who to turn to to keep our food supply safe.
Stay safe, everyone!
Thank you for posting this info. I am trying to get my seed purchase together and would like to start trying to save seeds as well. Obviously, I don't want to start out with the wrong thing.
These Monsanto seed articles always remind me of a book I read, "Season of the Harvest." It is a lot more sci-fi, but the GMO and the seed control is spot on. (It's free for kindle right now too.) I think it even simplifies the level of control.
Glad to see Peaceful Valley made this list! They're truly the best of ALL worlds – non-GMO, mostly heirloom varieties and everything also certified organic. Not many companies out there can claim that.
I'll definitely keep them on my list. Thanks.
Just got a booklet in the mail from "Gurney's." Any info on them?
The yard in the pic is gorgeous! Looks so peaceful there!
I would like to know if it is possible to get GMOs out of you system once they are present in your body?
Chris Rodgers
It doesn't really work like that. Practically all vegetables are NOT genetically modified. Most of the wheat, corn, soy and cannola that are used in factory produced food is Genetically Modified. (unless it is 100% organic) GMO simply means Genetically Modified Organism. One answer is to NOT buy anything made in a factory. Crackers, Cereal, bread, canned food etc. Cook your own food with ingredients that you know are OK. I use organic wheat and do not use corn or soy at all, or cannola.
One type of genetic modification makes a plant such as soy able to take more weed killer. Another puts a gene in the plant that enables the plant to produce the Bt toxin which kills bugs that eat it. The Bt toxin DOES goes into your body when you eat the plant and there is a big question about wheather it hurts humans and other mammals, not just the bugs. Some people worry that the gene for Bt taxin could move to a bacteria that lives in your gut and aids digestion. I do not know more about that issue. But I would rather not eat the Bt toxin in any amount. If it causes damage in your body, most would heal if you quit using it although some problems might continue after the taxin has left your body. But the question of the gene being passed to your own bacteria is disturbing if it is possible.
Excellent information. Thanks.
Lezlie Wright
I signed up for seeds of the month club from Mike the Gardener http://www.averagepersongardening.com he said his seed are GMO free. If his seeds are could you add him to the list.
Thank You
He is out of Burlington, NJ
Frugal Gardener
I found this video very enlightening. Perhaps you will to.
Bill Dam
Thanks for the video – he makes some real valid points.
Here is an article about a couple in Orlando fighting city hall to keep their front yard garden.
stephanie hartzell-brown
when you use any kind of fertilizer or food be sure it too isn't owned by Monsanto. Many folks don't know that bags of potting soil contain Monsanto products. Beware!
Organic, non-GMO fertilizer!
Goats and Greens
I just got my seed order for 2013 in, today. From Rareseeds.com, and yes they are very much opposed to GMO. Can't wait to plant all those healthy beet and broccoli seeds!
This is a wonderful,organic, GMO free company out of Vt. http://www.highmowingseeds.com/
Katie B
I have a feeling that I'm not going to make many friends here, but please hear me out. I feel that I first need to state that I am an organic gardener (who carefully purchases seeds), mindful of what I put into the bellies of my friends, family, and livestock. GMO foods definitely give me the hee-bee-jee-bee's.
However… it does bother me a little to read sentences like, "Monsanto's corporate quest is clearly to make money on each and every one of us whether we choose to eat supermarket frankenfoods produced with abominable, patented GM crops or carefully plant and tend an organic garden at home."
Monsanto has a location in the neighboring town from me, and the owner lives about a mile down the road. I have to say, I have been impressed with what his "quest" actually is. His motto is to, "Feed the World". That is admirable. That has special meaning to me, because we have a Ugandan girl living with us who shared that organic seeds are difficult to grow in her village, but GMO seeds grow well and feed her family. Now, of course, it grows well because it's not natural, and it is not the healthiest food for her family… but the other option is no food for her family.
I realize that stories like this do not apply to the large majority of Americans. But I do have to give credit where credit is do… Monstanto wants to feed the world, and they are feeding many hungry people. No, they are not feeding ME, and I hope they are not feeding others that have the means to put healthy foods into their growing bodies, but they are feeding those who cannot grow their own produce or buy organic. I have to respect that.
Phil Bowyer
That's pretty good. The "feed the world" argument is nonsense. They've been saying that for years, yet it hasn't happened, and yet it's not because there's a shortage of food, it's because it's not being distributed to the people who need it.
Industrialized countries throw away tons of food that has gone bad because we simply have too much of it. If they really cared about feeding the world, they would make sure that the food got to where it needs to be, but instead they only care about profit.
If they just cared about feeding the world, they wouldn't be patenting HUMAN genes, and suing farmers whose farms were contaminated by there seeds.
I'll also add, that the so-called food that Monsanto produces is actually harmful to us, and therefore if they were actually able to feed the world, they would actually be killing everybody, slowly.
We don't need large industrialized farms, we need smaller farms who grow via sustainable methods that feed their own community. If we want to feed the world, that's how we should go about it.
There are many farmers who are going to these places and helping them set up aquaponic systems so they can grow under dry climates, and teach them how to grow food and sustain themselves.
That's feeding the world.
Katie B
I'm not arguing that their food isn't harmful. I'm not supporting large, industrialized farms. Again, I am a small organic farmer, with a small head of cattle and a few chickens to feed my family. I agree that organic is better for everyone, which is why I feed my family that way.
But I will refuse to stick my head in a hole and ignore some pretty remarkable evidences of them following through with their mission statement. I tried to provide a clear example of how GMO seeds have actually helped third-world communities, but perhaps I didn't do a good enough job at explaining. Maybe we can look at it this way: many homeless individuals go to shelters for meals, those meals often come out of a can, and those cans are filled with anything but organic foods. Is that food good for those hungry bodies? No, not especially. But does it fill their tummies and give them another day to live? Yes, it does. I know you mentioned that if Monsanto is feeding people this way, they are killing them slowly. All I'm saying is that the alternative is to die much more quickly of starvation… I'd choose the former if I were in that situation. I am glad that I'm not — and so I take advantage of my situation and grow/eat organic. And I try my best to share any surplus I might have. But not all of us are that fortunate.
Phil Bowyer
Katie, you miss the bigger picture. GMO, by definition, is not only harmful to the body, but also to the environment. This goes beyond feeding people.
Typical use of these seeds relies on chemical fertilizer, chemical pesticides/herbicides. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how this practice kills the soil, pollutes the plants, and creates superweeds and bugs that thus require increased use in chemicals.
I'm sorry, but we do not need their "technology" in order to feed people. It's doing more harm than good. There are better ways to feed people, and giving kudos to a company like Monsanto because they've fed some poor people is just short sighted.
I'm surprised too, because it seems like you really know what you're doing and I'm a bit jealous of your operation.
Monsanto is the most evil company on this planet. The harm they do to the world far outweighs anything they do that would be considered good.
Katie B
Yes, GMO foods are also harmful to the environment. That is one of the many reasons why I am so thankful for informed individuals like you who encourage smart, organic farming. You mentioned the very true fact that there are many individuals who dedicate their time to helping others in difficult climates set up aquaponic systems and teach agricultural education. That is wonderful! If any of us on this page are able to contribute to that cause, we really ought to — whether that means going ourselves, or supporting someone who does. But in the meantime, until every community has those resources, I'm glad that at least some of those communities have SOMETHING to eat, even if it's not the best.
I do and will encourage and support local, organic farms. I am thankful for this article and that the writer is helping gardeners make good choices for this coming spring. It was just that one sentence that rubbed me the wrong way — I just will not make a claim on Monsanto's behalf of what they're "really up to" when they actually are feeding people. That's all I'm saying. But if we can feed people better food, then we ought to do so as well.
Goats and Greens
Phil, I am whole-heartedly with you on this. If Monsanto really cared about feeding the world, they wouldn't be suing farmers who have inadvertantly planted Montsanto-tainted seed (because it blew over the fence, via trespass, and they didn't know they had it).
Perhaps there are individuals here and there who work for Monsanto who have ideas of helping humanity, but that's not the Monsanto bottom line.
Agriculture in Uganda from Wikipedia: "Uganda's favorable soil conditions and climate have contributed to the country's agricultural success."
Monsanto's "feed the world" lie is just that, a lie. Truth is farmers in Uganda are rejecting GE seed. "Haidee Swanby, a researcher for the African Centre for Biosafety said that the purpose of multinationals who have acquired rights to produce GMOs is to make profits by controlling the rights of propagation, making the small-scale farmers dependent on the seed producer by not allowing them to replant harvested seeds, as it has been for generations."
Katie B
I'm sorry, but that means very little to me… having actually been to Uganda, having family living and helping there, knowing the soil first hand, and having a Ugandan farmer currently living in my home, I actually know the difference.
I'm not trying to insult anyone here, and I feel like the fact that I agree with everyone on this page in regards to most points is being overlooked. I'm not a fan of Monsanto, everyone. I am just not willing to judge their intentions.
Someone else posted that Monsanto is a band-aid, and I could not have said it any better myself. Band-aids are not what we need — they are not going to really fix things — they are not the long-term solution. But I am thankful for the parts they are temporarily helping until everyone else has the proper help they need.
Maybe you can educate me on this Katie, but Uganda has a LONG history of horticulture and for the overwhelming majority of that time, they grew organically by DEFAULT, and they're still here after thousands of years to tell the tale so I think that it's not Uganda itself that can't grow flourishing organic crops.
Monsanto garbage grows better in fields that have been assaulted w/ industrial fertilizers and pesticides for generations, whereas organic seeds grow better in organic fields. If the reason that GM grows better in Uganda is because these farmers have been taken for the same ride that we've all be taken for (i.e. they've used industrial fert and pesticides in their fields for year), then I can hardly say that Monsanto is doing them any favors. They've poisoned the fields to a point where the farmers have no choice, they need to buy the poison seed that grows in the poison field, then that sounds a lot like organized crime. So no, no credit to Monsanto. They aren't feeding the world, they're destroying our ability to feed ourselves without them.
Larry Schiller
Interesting that anyone would accuse bloggers of "hiding behind their anonymity" of the internet. How many millions of dollars has Monsanto and other corporate pesticide and GMO interests to defeat truthful labelling initiatives. In my opinion, Monsanto and all of it's affiliates can burn in hell. Onward, to our health!
Bill Dam
Sarah, thank-you for the link to Organic Seed aliance. It is full of credible information. Things have changed since 2005, but the history and problems as seed merchants are well laid out. Also thank-you for rewording your blog it should reduce the frantic emails I have been recieving from customers. As for occupymonsanto360 – they do have still have flawed informatiion – but I will ask them for thier facts. Again we are an independent seed firm selling to Organic farmers and Gardeners in Canada. In the coming days I hope to post a list of seminis varieties to our website that we have trouble finding replacements for and many of our northern growers depend on them for thier food. We are in a catch22 – we do not support GMOs but we also depend on certain seminis varieties. I wish you all the best.
Brittany Ardito
Thank you so much for putting this article together with good resources to help home gardeners avoid planting GMOs. I am so thankful for what you do Keep up the good work.
Leigh Jenkins
I was getting ready to purchase some seeds from Park Seeds. Does anyone know anything about this company. I did not see their name on the list of companies that have signed the safe seed pledge.
Kylie Lichty
Not all seed company's have the time to fill out all the paper work stuff. Just read about the company and maybe it tells more.
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haley nicole
dont forget sharing! saving and sharing seeds is one of the most noble things you can do!
Wow, you effeminate retards REALLY buy into the nonsensical "Monsanto is evil/ GM food is unhealthy" stupidity. Disgraceful, moronic sheep. There is NO scientific evidence that it's unhealthy. Anti-corporate, unproductive bandwagoners.
Ok genius (as evidenced by your well-thought out, well-written intelligent statement), please be so kind as to provide proof from a source NOT owned by Monsanto that GMO's are safe. The issue isn't that we know they are UNsafe….the issue is, there has been no scientific documentation that they ARE. So please, share your knowledge oh brilliant one….post the links to the proof that they are safe!
Well, genius, I'm not the one making the claim. Claims made with no evidence can be dismissed with no evidence. Again, there is NO evidence that GMO foods are unsafe. Maybe you didn't finish high school?? The ones making the claim must prove the claim. You don't ask someone to prove a negative, freaking effeminate retard. Get a GED
Language and aggressive tone aside, Gelgamark's point is logically spot on. You can't ask someone to prove a negative. The burdon of proof is on the claimant.
Proving something is safe is NOT proving a negative. If so, no drugs would ever be approved by the FDA.
And Gelgamark, it's really difficult to take you seriously when all you can do is insult people. Why don't you try being civil? Or is that beyond your ability.
Again, when you introduce a new drug, you have to proof it's efficacy AND safety. I see no reason why Monsanto should not be held to the same requirements.
Apparently you and Mr. Personality know something the FDA and AMA don't because the AMA has called for safety testing on GMOs. You'd better call them and tell them it can't be done.
Here you go Gelgamark:
Hidden viral genes in GMO sequences that are made for human consumption are NOT what most would call innocuous. Your corporate masters at Monsanto have been caught red-handed by the European Food Safety Authority.
Goats and Greens
Gelgamark, the long-term testing on GMO foods was never done, to my knowledge. It should have been done, but it was not. We're the guinea pigs, now.
Frankly, my views on GMO's are nuanced. I'd like to see further studies on "golden rice". But I don't think I want pesticides incorporated with my corn, or terminator genes in my other food items. And I don't trust Monsanto further than I can throw them.
And, Gelgamark, how about talking WITH people instead of insulting them? You only show YOURSELF in a bad light with that approach. It seriously makes me wonder how far along the educational process you've gone.
Goats and Greens
Gelgamark, your best bet is to go over and post on CNN. Your style fits right in there with the other opinionators. It's a great place to go for a laugh when I need one — reading the comments sections there. However, here we go in for conversation without name calling. One can disagree without being disagreeable.
I for one WORK for a corporation. It's just not Monsanto. Ever.
just a Troll–ignore him.
We purschase all of our seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, This company is located at Heritage Hill Farms in Decorah Iowa. Not only do they produce only heirloom variety seeds, certified & non certified organic seeds they also are invested in bringing back many heritage breed farm animals. Awesome company.
Pamela Miller
I am very grateful for this article and every article that comes out against Monsanto. We all need to come together and take charge of our precious lives. Anyone who does this is a true hero! The Seven Sons Farm is also a hero! It takes courage to do what they do! I am grateful to Seven Sons Farm in putting out these very needed articles and in all that they do for our families! Thank you is not enough!
Erin M
Hi!! Awesome post. I take exception to one small suggestion. If Monsanto is buying up heirloom variety seeds and names we need to act fast. I personally think they plan to totally eliminate them, so their GMO seeds eventually become the only choice we have. To boycott these heirlooms actually speeds up their plan. We would be doing it for them. I think these are the Monsanto seeds we SHOULD buy. Tiny quantities. Plant them, harvest the seeds and give them away to friends and/or bloggers etc. so they are so widespread Monsanto has absolutely NO power over the heirlooms.
Just my opinion.
insisting that Monsanto is helping feed the starving people of the world. ….a bunch of bs…there is enough food in this world right now to feed everyone 1.5 times. we could certainly do without monsanto and their evil seeds. wondering though, if I have a garden (which there are farms nearby) if their seeds end up in my garden, can I be sued for patent infringement too?
Goats and Greens
Yes. Much of the difficulty with getting food to people who are starving has to do with internal politics in the regions where they are living. It's a shameful thing, and I know many worthwhile organizations are working to combat this. The solutions are and will be regional-based. Monsanto is proposing a band-aid.
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This is a good and clear article that explains how some small seed companies ended up in the position they are in (and how they are getting out of it or have already gotten out of it.)
Goats and Greens
Julie in NY
Thank you for posting this. I got an email from Burpee titled Grafted Heirloom Seeds. I replied, asking if this was an oxymoron. Believe it or not, I did not get a response!
Whatabunchofjokersyouare. There is no difference in health, safety or nutrition from gm and non gm. There is zero testing needed to,prove that organic food is organic – zero but about $50m of testing on each gm trait. You are Luddites who are living in the dark ages
Helen T
Better to be Luddites than poisoned.
Erin M
What if you are wrong?
Phil Bowyer
Hate to tell you Tony, but you are dead wrong. There are many documented cases where ranchers have lost their stock due to GMO feed.
I, along with my wife, have seen significant health improvements since we ditched GMO.
And here's a thought, if GMO's are so safe, and so awesome, and are gonna feed the world, then why doesn't Monsanto and Dow and the rest want them labeled? If these things are so great, they should want every piece of processed garbage, I mean food, proudly flying the GMO flag.
Also, if they are safe, why haven't we seen any independent analysis of them?
Wake up man, your life is at stake.
Well good, if you think their so safe then you eat the GMO foods and leave the good stuff for those of us who care about our future health, our children's and the health of this earth. Watch something other then mainstream media and read something other then the studies funded by the big bias businesses your defending.
A Brogan
Seriously, do you pay ANY attention to the rest of the world? North American researchers have repeatedly been told that any research into the negative effects of GMOs are 'career enders', but the rest of the world isn't owned by Monsanto. In Hungary they burned all the GMO fields, in the rest of Europe labeling is mandatory due to the hormonal changes is causes in the body as well as the chemicals sprayed on them. The Swiss called the independent studies Monsanto tried to throw at them 'laughable' because the methods were so flawed and half the time didn't even apply to the basic questions they asked. Even Indians are beginning to realize that the GMO rice contains less than half the nutrition (check out 'golden rice' sometime). It isn't about rejecting technology. Technology isn't good or bad, it's how its used.
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Hi Sarah,
I have posted on my website William Dam Seeds a rebuttal to your blog. Could you plese read this and see how checking facts in blogs would be good.
Bill Dam via Facebook
Monsanto is not buying up organic and heirloom companies – this not true
Hot topic Sarah, thanks for sharing.
Something that isn't stated is the fact that Organic is not guaranteed GMO-Free. Neither is heirloom I would imagine. If you don't believe me, look at the Non-GMO Project's verification FAQ (question 2) and do some chatting with your seed company (even privately owned), food supplier, pet food source, dairy, etc. This hit my radar on one of my homesteading forums. Even the organic companies are not required by their standards to test their product if "to their knowledge" the product is not contaminated. This means seed supplier that don't test could be unknowingly spreading GMO seeds to the public.
For the reasons listed above I support seed companies like Baker Creek (rareseeds.com) and High Mowing Seeds (http://www.highmowingseeds.com/). I haven't talked personally with Seed Savers Exchange and do not know their practices for testing, isolation, etc. The Baker Creek catalog has an article in it by Jeffery Smith as well as an explanation in their corn section as to why they only offer the 11 varieties of corn they have (cliff notes: they test and have been for the last 8 years and it's harder and harder to find uncontaminated seeds).
Vote with your dollars. And as sad as it is to say, try not to make exceptions. The exceptions keep feeding the corruption. Where big money is involved, follow the money, you will find corruption. That includes seeds, the organic industry and as Sarah has posted on more then one occasion, the food industry. Monsanto is connected to all of these in some form or another as well as the pharmaceutical industry. They have openly threatened to sue the state of Vermont if they pursue GMO labeling. They raised enough money to produce enough marketing in the anti-labeling campaign to "overthrow" the people of the entire state of California with Prop-37 (although there was a huge awakening with that as well).
Again, great info Sarah. I will personally stick to the companies that test their products, hoping the others will catch on and do the same. It's how I buy my livestock feed. It's how I purchase anything in the grocery store I can't grow myself. It's how I avoid GMO's in my day to day life. And I do, completely avoid GMO's. If I can help it, no company with any ties to or any benefit from Monsanto will receive one red cent from me.
Jessica Azar
This is so helpful!!!! I am trying to learn to garden to help feed my family safe, healthy food, and knowing which seeds are not GMO is so important!
Judy Williams
Be careful Jessica, the above article is full of incorrect facts, including the lists. Those seed companies that she is claiming have been devoured by Monsanto are actually independantly owned, some of them family owned for generations, and many of them are also on the safe-seed pledge list.
Gardening is a wonderful skill to learn, enjoy your journey, I love my gardens.
Be careful Judy! Those seed companies that retail from the wholesaler Seminis are actually inadvertently supporting Monsanto. How are some people missing the whole point of this article? If you spend your dollars with a seed company that spends their dollars with Seminis, you are inadvertently spending your dollars with Monsanto. Period.
Beuna Tomalino
I do think some editing of this article would be wise. More accurate information would be helpful to consumers. As it stands now the correct information tends to be discounted because of what is not accurate.
For example the statement: "maintain a working relationship with Monsanto-Seminis or were acquired by them." Then item #1 says "Avoid buying from the seed companies Monsanto has devoured. Here's a list of the seed companies they bought out: http://www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages/Home-Garden.aspx"
Item number 1 should make clear that this it not a list of Monsanto owned companies but a list of companies which buy from Seminis.
Another issue with the linked-to article on "heirloom" varieties that have been purchased by Monsanto/Seminis is that a number of the listed varieties are not heirloom (or even open-pollinated) varieties–they are F1 hybrids. I have noticed in my Pinetree catalog this year that those listed (in the article as bought by Monsanto) varieties they have carried for years are marked "last chance," which seems to indicate they are divesting themselves of the bought-up varieties. That's good, but if the buying trend continues, what varieties will be left for small, independent, and family-owned seed companies to sell? Well, that is where we all come in. Plant selection/seed saving/storing is an incredibly important skill, and it's not difficult to do on a beginner level.
With open-pollinated & heirloom varieties, you can buy these seeds and save them yourself. A good resource for learning about this is Suzanne Ashworth's book Seed to Seed (and there are other resources, too–this is my favorite). Another possibility is to buy a quantity of the F1 hybrid seed (even if Monsanto owns the name) and spend a few years selecting & stabilizing the variety yourself if it's one you really like. Seed is alive–take "their" seed and make it yours.
" Personally, I don't like Walmart, but when I need a particular product that they carry — I still will go and purchase it there — as I'm sure many of you do. "
As always…assuming gets you into trouble. I don't shop at Wal-Mart. Never have, never will. Can you guarantee the seeds you are selling from Seminas are not GMO's? If so, state it. If not, well, the 5% will get their seeds elsewhere. Freedom of choice…but it's a choice I demand they give us!
Yes – we do guarantee that the Seminas seeds we sell are not genetically modified and we state this in our catalogue and on our website. Walmart aside, do you purchase groceries from any grocery store – large or small? That same store also sells food products containing ingredients ultimately derived from Monsanto-owned seed – primarily corn. They also sell food products that are grown on farms that grow gmo seed, produce gmo food and do not use sustainable and environmental-friendly practices. Instead of boycotting that store for selling those products, common sense says to be more selective in your purchases and choose products that you know are grown locally, organically, and on a farm with good sustainable practices… and in doing so, you make an educated choice in addition to supporting your local and regional community.
I buy my food at a co-op and the farmer's market…where they sell only non gmo and organic….as for meat (yes, I eat meat) I buy from local farmers who also avoid gmo products.
Unless those farmers are certified organic, they are quite possibly feeding their cattle gmo feed… how do you know that they are avoiding gmo's in their operation? Face it folks, like it or not, gmo food is rampant in our food supply and you are most likely consuming food everyday that contains gmo's. Without mandatory labelling you just don't know it.
Wow…guess you never heard of grass-fed beef, huh. And, btw, as a retired farmer….I know the people I buy from personally and yes, they are all certified organic farmers.
Phil Bowyer
Gary, even "Certified Organic" can contain GMO. There are loopholes which allow farmers to use GMO feed if it's cost prohibitive to obtain non-gmo feed, or if non-organic feed does not exist.
I could care less about some useless USDA certification (which is run by ex-MOnsanto execs) and more about who I am buying from. If I can verify how they do business, then I'm a customer.
Not only that, but GMO aside, organic beef just means they are feeding them corn and soy and a few other fillers. Cows don't eat that stuff – it makes them sick. Cows eat grass, so I buy grass fed beef.
We need to rethink how much importance we put on a term that's already been hijacked by the gov't and Big Farma.
This is exactly the information that I have been looking for, but can't seem to pinpoint as it all comes back to the lists of seeds/seed companies, which isn't very helpful to me – so ANY help would be GREATLY appreciate: Is there a detailed (or even overview) list of all the food products being sold that are produced from GMO seeds/technology that the average person can reference?? Also, how do we know if our meat sources weren't fed GMO food?
Thank you for any help!!
Hello…. after receiving some disturbing emails from a couple of customers who had visited your website, I feel compelled to write you about some misleading statements that you have posted online. In your article about Monsanto, you state: "Avoid buying from the seed companies Monsanto has devoured. Here's a list of the seed companies they bought out".This is NOT true and is a very misleading statement. Although Vesey's Seeds has purchased seeds from Seminas for decades (long before Monsanto purchased Seminas) Monsanto has not 'bought' our company and will NEVER be buying our company. We are a local, family-owned business and have no company connections to Monsanto or any other international seed company. The sad fact is that since Monsanto purchased Seminas, they have started to drop good reliable home-garden varieties of vegetable seeds that many of our customers have grown to love over the years. Monsanto appears to be favouring those varieties that are grown by very large commercial operations instead so the time may come when this is no longer an issue. As long as the tried and true home garden varieties are available and are non-gmo however, Vesey's will most likely continue to purchase seeds from Seminas for the simple reason that 95% of our customers demand those varieties which have proven to be reliable, vigorous, high yielding and good tasting vegetables. Many of you have a personal philosophy which has led you to the belief that you do not want to support Monsanto because of their business practices and history of patented genes, gmo's and so on. We fully understand that, however as a business that has been operating here in Canada for 73 years, we have to balance personal philosophies with practical good business sense, and if 95% of our customers are asking for non-GMO Seminas seed, we simply cannot drop those varieties to make the other 5% of our customers feel good about us. Personally, I don't like Walmart, but when I need a particular product that they carry – I still will go and purchase it there – as I'm sure many of you do. I do hope that you will continue to support Vesey's as well – as we continue to search for an increasing number of certified organic seed varieties from Canada and around the globe as they become available, and as we continue to stand by our commitment NOT to sell any genetically modified seeds. Your comments are always welcome, and we would love to talk with you further about making gardening an enjoyable and easy experience for you and your family.
Gary, the current percentages do put your company in a predicament, sorry to say. Hopefully soon the 95% to 5% will invert to a point at which you can join us in standing up against this.
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Please don't confuse sketchy corporate practice with the sound science behind GMO.
NOT sound science. you obviously haven't read the research papers describing their materials and methods as well as the safety testing they have done. NOT unbiased, NOT good protocols. for example: results that disagree with their goals were thrown away for unclear reasons…
My favorite seed company is Landreth . . . http://www.landrethseeds.com/
Next on my list for reliable seeds and a great employee owned company, http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
I LOVE my catalog from Baker….Do I need to worry about cross-contamination from the farm behind me who I know is planting seeds from Monsanto??? The field is planted to winter wheat this year but I'm worried about contamination when they go back to corn….
One thing is that you could try to figure out when the field corn would be tasseling and pick a variety of sweetcorn or whatever corn you are growing that won't be tasseling at the same time. A lot of catalogs will tell you. I know they say that corn pollen can travel long distances but I think it's rare. I've grown popcorn 50 ft away from sweetcorn and I never had a problem with cross contamination. This isn't a perfect solution but it's the best we can do besides giving up corn all together.
Thanks Lisa. I hope I can remember that next year when that field is back in corn. That said, I never have good luck with sweet corn. Mine gets corn smut every time. I know the smut is a delicacy in some places but, to me it's just gross….
sarah! wish there were one of you in every city in america and beyond. thank you!
A question…if Monsatan are patenting all these seeds, can't we get together and do the same? If there is a race to patent, can't we apply for patents on as much as possible to protect them, and get in their first?
Judy Williams
Henny, NO ONE can patent heirloom varieties, not even Monsanto … there are many, many flaws in the above article with respect to seed varieties and Monsanto
You are correct that they cannot patent them. They CAN, however, buy up varieties and then make them unavailable, forcing people to then buy their patented seeds. The only way to prevent this from happening is to make sure you save your seeds and share them!
Judy Williams
Wow, once again, I am amazed at how anyone can claim to be an 'expert', i.e. you Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist, without writing the truth? How much biochemistry, biology, or chemistry background do you have to be able to write the above article? Interesting how your sources are other blogs…now thats great scientific research.
You may want to re-check your list of so called Monsanto 'devoured' seed companies, as many of those companies are INDEPENDENTLY OWNED.
Stop spreading lies…
Bill Dam
I am a fourth Generation Seedsman supplying seed to Organic Growers and Gardeners in Canada.
I am saddened to see that most people believe what is written here. It is not true. Why do people write with out checking the facts.
I am currently writting a peice that I will post to our website tomorrow afternoon Friday January 24 telling the facts.
William A Dam
William Dam Seeds Ltd
I fully agree with you Bill… we also have found many errors and misleading facts on this website and it's unfortunate that people do not research facts before they are published. See my note dated January 25th below. Simple fact is: Monsanto has NOT purchased the companies listed on this website. Seminas is one of many suppliers…who happen to carry some very good varieties that customers want and that are NOT genetically modified.
Fact: Seminis IS owned by Monsanto therefore, GMO or not, when you buy seeds from Seminis, or anyone selling Seminis seed, you are putting money in the pocket of Monsanto.
Ironically, the OccupyMonsanto360 website appears to be down. Had no trouble getting Seminis website to load. Hmmm.
What's this about Seeds of Change? They are not on the Seminis list. Are they not good???
Nevermind that question about Seeds of Change. They have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. It says so on their website. See my reply to the second comment on this post.
Phil Bowyer
Seeds of Change is owned by Mars, Inc, a proponent of GMO and a company who gave money to kill the GMO labeling bill in Cali.
I've put them on my boycott list.
No, boycott Seeds of Change. Their parent company helped destroy prop 37 in California. They're little more than a front company for Mars and Mars has stated that it bought it to try and push in to other food markets under a friendlier "brand".
The list of companies Monsanto has bought out is wrong. They did not purchase T & T Seeds of Winnipeg – it is a family owned company and has been for over 60 years. I wonder how many other seed companies listed shouldn't be on the list.
Actually, it isn't the list that is wrong, it is what you said about it. You said it was a list of companies that have been bought out by Monsanto, but in fact it is a list of companies that distribute or supply Seminis seeds (Seminis is owned by Monsanto). Your statement in the "Four Steps Required" is misleading.
Also, just for information's sake, T & T Seeds says they do not sell GMO seeds.
I see that you have changed your wording. That's good. It is very important to be careful not to spread misinformation. It damages one's credibility.
Bill Dam
Thank-you Robin – as a seedsman it is hard to believe people belive the worst of a company based on a blog so flawed. I have spent countless hours defending our company – which was one of the first to sell untreated and organic seed in Canada. It bothers me people do not check facts. Sarah will not comment on this so I would imagine she is not credible.
Bill Dam
I would like to thank Sarah for posting my rebuttle to facebook. This is a first step to fair open dialogue.
Do you buy seeds from Seminis? If so, you are supporting Monsanto and, therefore, I would boycott you if I was buying seeds in Canada. If you are not purchasing seeds (non-GMO or otherwise) from any company owned by Monsanto, then I would support you whole-heartedly.
Chris Rodgers
Hey everyone! Most all vegetables are NOT genetically modified! Sugar beets are and certain corn. Otherwise, you cannot buy genetically modified vegetable seed even directly from Monsanto. That is never a problem at this time. Eat all the fresh vegetables you can get your hands on.
Monsanto has bought a company that sells vegetable seed grown buy many, many individually owned seed producers. These seed growers are not owned buy Monsanto and no one grows GMO vegetables. If you refuse to buy seed that was bought from a company owned by Monsanto because you want no money going to Monsanto, you may be hurting these small independantly owned seed growers. Give them time to find another place to sell their seeds before you put them out of business. They never intended to sell their seed to Monsanto. Seminis was a good company that thankfully supported small independently specialty growers that produced heirloom and organic seed.
That makes me think that no matter how perfect we are trying to be about what we eat and how we grow, we don't live in a perfect world and looks like its not getting any better. We can certainly try our best, only for how long…before big corporations will start taking over.
My question is, besides the seeds that are labeled organic but are not, what about our food in the grocery store, even if it has organic label that means it really isn't?
Buy from this list of companies Monsanto HASN'T bought: http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/2012/03/06/monsanto-free-seed-companies/
interesting.i try this link 3 times and it wont open. have they gottin to it so we can't find out.
got it to open
Read Fedcoseeds.com They are totally anti-Monsanto. I've ordered from them for years now. Excellent
I'm loving learning about all of the things Sarah discusses here!
Does anyone have links to videos or articles that explain the basics of who Monsanto is, what GMO is and how it changes things in the food world, or any other food- related info that's not really "common/advertised knowledge"?
I want to be able to explain the basics to others and send them quality info to research! Thanks!!
Jackie Leyba
There is a video on You Tube called Food, Inc. I also reccommend reading the book "Seeds Of Destruction". That pretty much explains how this whole GMO process started.
Beuna Tomalino
Links on GE and GMO
The link for heirloom companies that have NOT been bought by Monsanto is broken.
thank you thank you thank you. i hadn't given it a thought yet who i was going to purchase my seeds from
Jackie Leyba
I do a lot of research before buying seeds. Something is telling me not to trust Burpee. I tried a little garden last summer. It was doing pretty good, until my dogs got to it.
Johnny Seeds sells Burpee Seeds and when I called about the seeds they could not tell me for sure if they were not GMO
Johnny's is on the safe seeds pledge list. Does that mean something good in relation to the issue of non-GMO? I wonder if it was a matter of whom you spoke with (….I say hopefully as the Johnny's catalog is one of my faves.). I was checking the lists for their company but didn't find it in either of the first 2 linked lists.
Yay, Pinetree is on the good list! For beginner and long-time gardeners alike, this is a great catalog with tons of variety and cheaper prices.
Richter's herbs is another favorite because they have things you will not find elsewhere. I've learned a lot from these two companies just by reading their catalogs cover to cover.
I watched Food, Inc. awhile ago and was really shocked by some of the things I learned from that documentary. Thanks for the post.
Jackie Leyba
I have bought some seeds from Sow True Seeds, but I am going to look into Baker Creek. As for Burpee, they claim that they have organic seeds, BUT they have refused to sign the Safe Seed Pledge. Something in the pit of my stomach tells me not to buy seeds from there. I read the book Seeds Of Destruction and it makes me sick to think that big corporations have that kind of control. It seems that our best option is to buy our seeds from proven Non-GMO companies and then harvest our own.
Amanda H
I think the important thing to remember here is SAVE YOUR OWN SEEDS!
There are some good old standbys on that list of seed names that Monsanto owns. (People seem to be getting the words "organic", "heirloom", and "GMO" mixed up here. These are all different concepts. The varieties on that list are NOT GMO's just because Monsanto owns the names).
If you like those varieties, then by all means grow them, but SAVE YOUR OWN SEEDS from them. That way, you can keep the variety alive (if everyone stops growing a variety of plant, it goes extinct), but Monsanto won't be getting any money off it.
Then, after you save your own seeds, give away or trade the extra seeds to other gardeners who want the variety, so those other gardeners don't have to buy the variety from Monsanto.
There are some good resources out there on how to save your own seed. Get the book Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth and Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe. How easy it is to save seed depends on the species of plant. Some are very easy to save, like tomatoes. Other things, like carrots, are a bit more of a hassle. But seed saving is fun and it makes you have TOTAL CONTROL over your garden plants, from generation to generation.
Might be a good idea to start a seed exchange with gardeners in your area. Save out your seed from year to year. Yes, maybe the first purchase goes to Mon-Satan, but after that – as long as they haven't gene spliced in the *evil* Terminator Gene – you should be able to produce and share your own seeds.
Except with crops that have pollen that speeds far and wide. Corn, for example. You can't save corn if others grow GM corn within a few miles because chances are, it will be GM contaminated. The only way to have truly non GMO corn (and some other crops) is to plant organic seeds each year. It is just plain wring that this burden is placed on those wishing to grow or eat non GMOs.
Kenedi – Real Food Whole Life
Very informative post Sarah. For those who purchase their small garden plants from a local nursery or farmer, we also need to remember to ask our local gardeners and farmers where they buy their seeds and encourage them to use non GMO seeds, as well.
Once again, thank you for keeping important issues in front of our eyes. Easy to get caught up in day to day work and forget some of the very important things. With spring around the corner and another garden season to start….. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! Now is the time to start planning and ordering seeds responsibly, not waiting until planting date and then running to the local garden shop to pick up your seedlings and seeds.
I think your comments are misleading. You state, "Does this mean that even if you buy organic or heirloom seeds from a completely independent company but Monsanto owns the name of that seed, some of your purchase is going into the pockets of the bad guys?Yes, it does."
The article you reference states, "Monsanto will only profit from customers purchasing these varieties from companies that are stocking seeds obtained directly from Monsanto or one of its distributors." Other sources concur with this. While I'm all for NOT supporting Monsanto, you CAN still buy the listed varieties from a trusted source who does not obtain the seeds from Monsanto or one of its distributors. It all goes back to knowing your source.
Monsanto/Seminis will only profit when you buy those seeds directly purchased from them or companies who purchase from them.
So, if you buy seed from Baker Creek that has the same type of heirloom seed as a name that Monsanto/Seminis own, they will not be getting a check from Baker Creek. And most other heirloom companies out there also have their own stock of seed that has nothing to do with Monsanto. Just check with the company you are doing business with if you are not sure where the seed came from, they will be more than happy to tell you.
Pat Bourret via Facebook
Thank you so much for sharing this information!!!!!!
I asked her about Monday Mania, too. She said you have to go to Pinterest to see it now. I'm not crazy about that.
What happened to Monday mania??? Please bring it back!!
Interesting. I've been buying my seeds from Burpee for my garden and I'll have to check out who owns them.
Burpee is its own company, not owned by Monsanto/Seminis but does sell seed owned by them.
I was told a long time ago that Burpee Seeds was bought out by Monsanto a long time ago.
Rosa, that is absolutely untrue. Burpee's is still owned by the same family. But Tracy is correct, they DO sell seeds owned by Monsanto.
The owner of Burpee was asked about signing the Safe Seed Pledge and buying seeds from Monsanto. His reply was published on the Burpee website. Read it and make your own decision.
Terry England via Facebook
Monsanto has very much stacked the deck against us, with every member of the fda and other federal agencies, having a direct tie to their company. I've heard that they even are passing legislation to regulate an individuals personal garden on their own property through the world health organization. "O what times we live in."
Great information especially for people starting a garden for the first time! Will keep this in mind when I start a garden!
Abby Lawson via Facebook
Thank you so much for this info. My fiancee & I are going to be starting our own garden this year and I want to do everything in my power to make sure anything to do with Monsanto stays out of it.
I had no idea! I sent an email to our CSA farmers to ask if they were aware of this. I love buying local from farmers I can actally talk to and ask questions of
Jenna Flemal via Facebook
Aaron Meyer look into this. <3
Pingback: The Four Steps Required to Keep Monsanto OUT of Your Garden « Petite Inspirations
Bella Issakova via Facebook
Thank you for posting.
Angela Le via Facebook
Very frightening! I hadn't thought about Monsanto buying organic and heirloom seed companies!
Rachel Kirsch via Facebook
I want to do a vegetable garden this summer, but I feel kind of lost. I've done a little bit of gardening in the past, but not with a great amount of success. I want to do it right this time. Does anyone have any blogs or books you recommend for beginner organic home gardening? I'm in Michigan, if you have any recommendations for this particular region. Thanks!
Lisa S
Rachel, I used Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening book last year and did 1 plot. I am notorious for having a "black thumb", but Mel's instructions were so easy to follow. Using a special mix of compost, peat moss and coarse vermiuculite, the plot thrived. We had such a harvest out of 1 4′ x 4′ plot. I still have food that I canned out of that garden. And so easy to take care of. I want to do 3 more squares this summer. Good luck & happy gardening.
Helen T
Thanks for your book selection, Lisa. I have a black thumb, too….and with the hundreds of gardening books out there, which one? Now I know – thanks!
Robert Little
Be careful using vermiculite. I heard it was a dangerous material.
Beuna Tomalino
Vermiculite is mica, heated until it pops. Vermiculite serves the purpose of holding water and nutrients and then releasing them into the soil. There was one vermiculite mine several years ago that was found to contain asbestos. The mine was closed and vermiculite is now sold with the label "asbestos free". I only use vermiculite when starting a Square Foot Garden (it only needs to be added at the time of creation) and for seed starting.
Robert Little
Thanks for that info. I loved starting seeds with vermiculite in my square foot garden. Now, I can use it again. Thanks again.
Beuna Tomalino
As a Garden Coach and Landscape Consultant I help people learn to grow their own food. I am also a Certified Square Foot Garden instructor and I would agree that it is a great way to garden especially for beginning gardeners.
Lynn B.
I see lots of people wondering how to garden, not having a lot of success and spending hours and hours in the garden for small results. I found this film and have been using their methods – and it works great! If you're wondering how to spend fewer hours in the garden, organically without pesticides and without all the weeding, etc. check out this video. You can purchase it if you like, but I just watched the online version and I'm using wood chips – SO easy anyone can do it! http://backtoedenfilm.com/
Jeanne Walker McNeal via Facebook
Gratified to learn that Territorial Seed Company is part of the uncompromising group (though I'm not surprised). My family has supported them exclusively for a quarter of a century (though we may have to get more picky about varieties).
I remember my grandfather saving his seeds out of his garden every year. I remember getting in trouble for touchin his drying okra pods.
Amber Russell via Facebook
Love Baker Creek, just got the new catalog and had to wrestle my teens for it! Biggest problem is that we want to order every variety though we have nowhere near the money or space for that lol.
Penny Sp via Facebook
Thank you for another fantastic article.
And here is a link of the heirloom types that monsanto/seminis own. They only own the name and can not force anyone who keeps their own seed to pay them for it. At least for now.
Beth already posted that above. There used to be a purse size copy of it so you could take it with you if you wanted to avoid those types altogether. Anyone know where that is?
I would avoid any of the big box stores–wally world, Menards, Home Depot, local Groceries, etc. To find good heirloom seeds you will have to either find smaller companies or ones like Baker Creek who have taken a strong stand against Monsanto and GMO's.
Actually, if the CATCH you using your saved seeds from plants they own the rights to, they most certainly CAN make you pay for them. There is case law that has been supported in court again and again that says so. The only reason they haven't gone after anyone doing this is they are doing it on such a small scale that it would be next to impossible to catch you at it (unless you are dumb enough to put it on your blog or FaceBook page) and it's not cost-effective for them to pursue it. You can be sure that, should it become cost effective, they will sue and sue and sue to prevent anyone from saving seeds from "their" plant varieties.
Only if you are saving their patented and created seeds. They can't sue for a seed that's not patented.
Thanks Sarah for posting this. I JUST recieved my heirloom seeds from Baker Creek seeds. So excited!!! I shared on Facebook too, but my farmer friends probably will turn their nose up at this. Oh, well, truth is TRUTH!!
Sue Sullivan via Facebook
Monsanto's company motto is: "Nothing will be grown that isn't our own" and they mean it. They want to destroy everything including bee colonies.
April Croker via Facebook
while its important not to support monsanto its also important to make it clear that just because you have seeds or buy seeds from monsanto you are still casting a vote that you want "organic" and your seeds that are "organic" will not be GMO seeds and not produce GMO plants even if they come form a branched of company owned by monsanto. some of those companies are trying to branch away from monsanto but everything takes money and time.
Okay, are you crazy? You can not buy seeds from any compnay that is owned by Mansanto! THEY DO NOT CARE IF YOU WANT ORGANIC OR NON-ORGANIC. They will sell you what you want and tell you they are organic and they aren't. Please don't get me wroing, but you need to view a few of the youtubes and documentaries about MANSANTO. Please, please, please do so. See what they have done to Hawaii. Please see what they have done to the family farmer. Please just please do your homework on this. The small family business selling GMO free seeds take pride in their product, and they won't steer you wrong.
I live Hawai'i.
Please, do you have a video or other site you can turn us on to about this problem?
Chris Rodgers
This is such an important concept as I said before. And time is an important element in this discussion. What if you were a small family farmer who wanted to sell organic seeds to the public and years ago you found that there was a great company, call it, "Juliet Co." that encouraged and worked with small growers of organic vegetable seed so they could sell to this great "Juliet Co.who in turn by selling organic seed from many small growers could reach a larger market especially since "organic' was such a small portion of the total market and it was hard for an organic seed producing farm to succeed selling only to local buyers. For years you happily build your family business, working through Juliet Co., watching the market for organic seed slowly increase year by year. More and more seed companies with their own customer base or seed catalogues and garden centers etc. went to Juliet Co. as one of the best sources for the most varied, quality, organic and heirloom seeds. Life was looking pretty decent and your family was thriving.
Then one day you find that a huge company, let's call it Monsanto, with a horrible reputation has bought Juliet Co. Everything continues as before. You sell that year's crop of seeds to Juliet Co. But then the information about the sale to Monsanto starts spreading among the public including those who buy organic seed and grow organic vegetables and they stop buying any seed that was sourced originally from Juliet Co., now owned by Monsanto. You actually do not have a relationship with Baker Creek or Burpee or Monsanto or Johnnies Seeds or anybody except a lifelong relationship with Juliet Co. which had originally helped to build the country wide market for organic and heirloom seed by finding and developing the kind of growers who wanted to grow these very special crops. (This is pretty much a description of Semanis.)
Then, some time later Juliet Co. has to tell you that next year they will not be buying nearly as much of your organic seed because there is no longer a market for organic or heirloom seeds sold by Juliet Co. You realize why this has happened. You don't like what Monsanto is doing either. But you now have less than a growing season to find another company that wants to bother with organic seed to buy yours and it takes time to find and establish a relationship with a trusted company like that. Maybe you can't find one and you make little to no money that year. You are, after all, a small family farm/business. One year could very possibly put you under. Or you may give up producing organic seed in order to grow other things that are easier, more secure and more profitable. Slowly, many of your fellow organic seed growers give up as well because it was a difficult calling anyway and now you must all try to find and develop other companies to take the place of Juliet Co. These are not necessarily common and take years to establish. You don't have years. You need to pay for your kid's college educations. Tah Dah, Monsanto wins.
Monsanto has just killed an industry and a movement without developing one GMO vegetable. Do you really think they don't know what they are doing? The Sustainable Food Movement is diametrically opposed to everything Monsanto stands for. Monsanto has a pretty good idea that it is the only movement that might close them down and destroy their approach of ripping off the public in order to make large profits for their investors. Yes, we should aim to stop buying from Semantis as soon as we can also avoid damaging the growers. We need to find ways we can find out directly from these farmers how they are effected and what they are trying to do to protect their own businesses. Growers and buyers should communicate and possibly organize together, sharing information. That is the only way we will be able to take Monsanto down. They are smart and if we are not smarter, we will lose.
excellent comment-esp last paragraph. how to contact growers directly?
maybe it could be like dating sites where growers and individual buyers could find each other…
You can buy heirloom seeds from (lets use Baker Creek as an example) and not support monsanto/seminis. Just because a seed company also sells a variety that monsanto owns the name of the variety, does not mean they are buying seed from monsanto/seminis. Many of the heirloom companies also have their own garden plots for growing their own seed.
You can also try saving your own seed and swapping with others. There is a good book on seed saving on the Baker Creek site, rareseeds.com It is worth buying. I found it to contain a lot of helpful hints and suggestions as well as being easy to follow. Their cookbook isn't bad either.
Here is a site that has a good list of seed companies–not owned by monsanto or seminis–but carry seed and or products from those two companies.
Denver Tina via Facebook
Thank you for this information. I had no idea Monsanto has bought organic/heirloom seed companies. Wow.
Alexandros Agelastos via Facebook
If your crops get contaminated by GMOs, sue Monsanto,
Dow Chemical, Bayer, Syngenta, Dupont, and BASF. It's not only Monsanto out there, for some reason we've all been focusing on only one of Lernaean Hydra's heads.
Sue them, or they will sue you. The more of us that sue, the better for everyone.
A farmer in Calgary did just that. His, I believe canola, became contaminated by a near-by field and Monsanto came after him for not paying for their fine product. He counter-sued on the grounds that their contaminated pollen trespassed on his property. He won that case BUT, the following year he planted seeds saved from the previous year's harvest KNOWING the seed was now GMO. Monsanto sued and WON because he infringed on their patent by knowing planting seeds that were now Round-up resistant. BUT what scares me is, there is no way to prevent the cross-pollenation if there are Monsanto crops growing nearby!
Hmmm… maybe this is how/why the honeybees are "mysteriously" disappearing…
Warning to my fellow gardeners and seed savers.
Last year a somebody had sowed GMO Canola upwind from my isolated garden (surrounded by evergreen forest except for a public dirt road that cuts through the bottom 1/3 of property). I will be now busy pulling GMO WEED Plants instead of garden tending. I am a victim of DRIVE BY SOWING.
So be on alert for this on and around the farm/ homestead. These bastard plants can and will destroy your hard work. I also lost 75% of my wild & domestic bee population around mid-summer last year (suspicious event). These are evil people and corporations and are well talented Bio-Terrorists. They also own/control a huge % of North American governments also. This time period will go down in history as the beginning of the ' Great War on all Biological Lifeforms'.
Trying to sue them individually is like trying to sue the Nazis during Hitler's rien of terror. They are the government and the government is them. May God help us to save this garden we call Earth.
It's possible that migratory birds could be responsible for the sowing of the gmo seed. In this video a farmer has the same problem. GMO Canola ended up in his field.
Robert you are so right! I was just talking to my husband about this today! Do you happen to know the one person who is the mastermind or is it compiled of many?
I raise bees, Debbie and I definitely think this is part of the equation in our declining bee population. We live out in the country on 10 acres. We are surrounded by 10 acre plots. Unfortunately, though we strive to not use chemicals (honestly, there are SO many safe options to use – many of them are easy to make yourself!) ALL of our neighbors use chemicals! The farmer who farms all the land around us uses chemicals (it is not "profitable" to use natural fertilizers, etc….we would get 1/2 the crops…etc….) So frustrating….
there is no maybe about it. That's exactly why the bees and butterfly's are dying.
Vanessa Ingole via Facebook
If you're going to plant heirloom seeds, you may as well learn how to make the most of your garden!
Vanessa Ingole via Facebook
Leslie Oliver Hardy via Facebook
I love this! So informative! If the common man only knew what Monsanto was doing to jeopardize our agriculture! Can't wait for my garden this year!
Maria Walton Jones via Facebook
What do you know about Jung?
Jung is owned by ASI which is owned by Monsanto. http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/seed-company-ownership.jpg
I order from Jung. They had a note on an e-mail recently that they are NOT owned by Monsanto.
Dick Zondag,
President & Owner of
J. W. Jung Seed Co.
Dear Lisa Brinker ,
It has come to my attention that there have been blogs and websites stating that J. W. Jung Seed Company is owned by Monsanto. This is not true. We are being confused with a farm seed company by the name of Jung Seed Genetics that is owned by Monsanto, but there is no affiliation between us.
A little company history may be helpful in clearing up the confusion. J. W. Jung Seed Company and its garden centers are still family owned and operated. My name is Dick Zondag and my grandfather, J. W. Jung, started the business here in Randolph over 106 years ago. For a number of years the Jung family operated both a home garden company known as J. W. Jung Seed Company and a farm seed company called Jung Farms. Over 15 years ago, the 2 companies split, with the Seed Company becoming solely owned by the Zondag family (my mother was J. W. Jung's daughter). Jung Farms became solely owned by my uncle and cousin, the name was changed to Jung Seed Genetics and several years ago they sold this farm seed company to Monsanto.
M-F 7:30am-5:30pm CST
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J. W. Jung Seed Company has been independent and family owned and operated since its beginnings in 1907. There is no desire to sell it to another company. In fact, my son Nathan has been working here for the last 5 years and is in training to take over upon my retirement, but I have no desire to sell the company my grandfather started in his mother's kitchen. We have added additional niche-type catalog titles over the years to expand the home-garden business. We also own and operate 5 successful garden centers in Wisconsin which were started under my dad's direction.
Another source of confusion is that under the Monsanto umbrella is a very small home-garden division called Seminis Gardens that produces and sells some well-known, time-proven, non-GMO varieties, including many varieties that are All-America Selections Winners. These were developed and introduced long before Monsanto owned Seminis and were originally sold under the Petoseed brand. Many of our customers have grown to love these vegetables and would be very disappointed if we no longer offered them. We recognize there are strong anti-Monsanto sentiments by some consumers, so we will publish a list of Seminis varieties we offer on our website in the event they wish to avoid purchasing them.
It's my wish that bloggers and journalists would do more fact checking before they publish untruths so that letters like this are not necessary. But instead, they hide behind the anonymity of the internet and spread their vicious untruths. If any of you wish to speak with me directly regarding this matter, please call. If I am not available, leave your phone number and I will contact you with the correct facts.
Dick Zondag, President and Owner of J. W. Jung Seed Company
and Grandson of the founder
Nice of Mr. Zondag to want to please his customers, but I choose NOT to buy from any company that does business with Monsanto/Seminis in any way. And I am not hiding "behind the anonymity of the Internet" nor am I spreading "vicious untruths." Buying anything from J.W. Jung Seed Company (or any company that does business with Seminis) inadvertently supports Monsanto/Seminis which is exactly what this article is TRUTHFULLY reporting.
G'ma – do you purchase any groceries from grocery stores? Do you realize that a very large percentage of the products they carry contain gmo corn which has direct links to Monsanto and companies that purchase from Monsanto? Sometimes you have to balance personal philosophy with common sense and instead of boycotting local and regional businesses that contribute to the local economy, just choose to be more selective in your purchases and buy local, organic, and non-gmo varieties that you know are from sustainable sources.
Better yet, do both. Be careful what you buy in the store and also do not buy seed from any company that doesn't guarantee it's non-GMO.
Yes Gary, I am fully aware of GMOs in foods on the shelves of grocery stores and no I do not purchase them. Although I get your point and do still purchase some things there, you must admit we have a purer choice when it comes to seed companies. If a dozen grocers were lined up in front of me (like seed catalogs) you bet I would be "boycotting" the ones with GMOs.
The misunderstanding here though is that the list of seed companies that the author recommends to boycott are NOT selling GMO seeds. They simply purchase some wholesale non-gmo seeds from Seminas which now happens to be owned by Monsanto. Therefore, buying from a regional or locally owned family seed company on that list is no different than buying groceries from any grocery store – large or small – all of which are guaranteed to also sell products produced from Monsanto – owned companies or from cereal crops grown from Monsanto seed.
Gary, if a seed company has no product from Monsanto/Seminis I choose them over those who do and if I could find a grocer that had no GMO product on their shelves I would choose them over those that do. No misunderstanding about that.
Connie Kuramoto
I am well aware that even health food companies can be owned by Monsanto, and yes, I boycott them all. I buy food locally or grow my own, don't like to eat in restaurants, and do not buy anything from any company that has anything to do with Monsanto
Mr. Zondag had my interest and understanding right up to his last paragraph. I would have thought as a reputable businessman that he would have been happy to (once again) set the record straight letting a wider group of consumers know the facts between his company and his relatives' now-Monsanto-owned counterpart. So sorry to see his true feelings come out in the end. I am more than glad for the many other non-GMO, non-Monsanto/Seminis companies out there. This is a very helpful article. Thanks, Lisa, for sharing Mr. Zondag's letter.
I agree exactly with you mpbusyb–he had me right up to the last paragraph as well. Completely unnecessary and wrecked the whole message by revealing his true feelings and motivation.
Chris Rodgers
Give the guy a break! First he had customers giving him a hard time and then he found his company wrongfully blacklisted as a company that is owned by Monsanto. Did it ever occur to you all that this kind of hard feelings and in-fighting is exactly what Monsanto might have in mind? Not to mention having the small individually owned seed growers go out of business because we suddenly stop buying their seeds?
Rather than blacklist the very people who are selling and/or growing healthy, organic, and/or heirloom vegetables, we should be working to understand the complexity of the business, the problems and the market and even help these smaller, individually owned businesses that never chose to find their business profiting Monsanto. They weren't in on the sale of Seminis. Why would they ever think Monsanto would want to have anything to do with organic or heirloom vegetables?
If Mister Zontag quits supporting these small individually owned growers by not buying their seed from a company (Seminis) that is owned by Monsanto, these small independent growers might give up growing our organic and/or heirloom vegetable seeds. They must make a living and if they can't find another buyer like Seminis by next year or the year after will they stay in business? How long will it take for them to give up growing for us if they can't find a different buyer? Is there a different seed buyer/distributer?
Just how many companies will buy specialty seeds like organic or heirloom? These are a very small percentage of the home seed market. These small seed growers need a way to get their product to the marketplace THIS year so we the public can buy it and they can support their families. Or Monsanto wins.
Your easy answer to the Monsanto problem, "Don't buy any seed from any company having anything to do with Monsanto," might just be the easiest way for Monsanto to do away with their competition, healthy, organic and/or heirloom seed companies. We need more detailed information before we put our friends out of business, the small, individually owned, healthy seed growing companies that are NOT owned by Monsanto.
sarah putnam
g,ma get a grip !
Heather R
That is just another shining example of misdirection from the companies. I am downright insulted by his hateful little ending paragraph. Nobody was "hiding" on the internet. Not one penny of my money will go to ANY company who does business, directly or indirectly with Monsanto. I make nearly everything we eat in my house from scratch and I will round that out soon with the remainder of what we eat so that even the grocery store will NOT get to accidentally give anything to them. No support for Monsanto!
Chris Rodgers
He was upset and for good reason. I didn't think he was that horrible. Considering that the lists said his company was owned by Monsanto. Remember, when you just read the words without seeing a person's body language it is easy to get their tone wrong. I believe I have read that 70% of what we communicate is NOT in words, it is from our gestures and vocal tone as well. He stood the possiblility of losing customer goodwill from someone printing something that was not correct about his business and family. He didn't cuss, he didn't insult, he didn't imply anything. He did say a person is anonymous when on line and in a way that is true. We forget that the things we say online could detrimentally effect a decent and real person, not just a big corporation that really is faceless. I have heard there are studies that show we are less careful online. This man's business has lasted since 1907. They must be a respected family and must be good to their customers. I think he had reason to be upset. I would have been also.
The purpose of this page to keep Monsanto out of our gardens. It is understandable that people are wary of "respectable families" that walk hand in hand with the devil. I like your point about over boycotting, but you can't blame people for not wanting to feed the beast. There are better ways of distancing one's self from Monsanto than writing a note, or shaking one's hips. Many consumers do not care where there seeds come from, and others do. It seems difficult to pander to both types of gardeners. Sometimes anonymity causes bullying/slander, but it also can protect the population from fear of Inquisition, and allow more honest open discussions.
Mr. Zondag would do better to realize he is communicating with potential buyers. The fact that he is giving any support at all to Monsanto is disappointing and his last paragraph lost my business.
Charlotte Lee via Facebook
seeds of change was actually bought no longer the original company.
Be careful what you say so that there is no miscommunication. Seeds of Change has signed the Safe Seed Pledge. After seeing your comment here, I went to their website to check it out. Here is the quote from their website:
Our trusted network of certified organic farmers takes great care to produce seed crops in areas that are as isolated as possible. In cases where there could be potential pollen migration (e.g. from commercially-grown corn, beets, chard) DNA testing is conducted to ensure the absence of any GMO material in any of our seed crops. To provide high quality 100% Certified Organic seeds, we follow the best practices available in the industry, specifically:
An internationally recognized independent laboratory tests samples of all of our seed lots of corn, soybeans, beets and chard at the time of production to ensure the absence of any GMO material.
Our seed production locations are sufficiently isolated from fields of conventional crops that could be a potential source of GMO contamination. For example, our corn seed is produced in the western U.S., not in the midwest where the majority of conventionally-grown corn is produced.
We are also signers of the SAFE SEED PLEDGE.
I understand that they are striving for GMO free seeds but the fact that the company that purchased them is green washing doesn't change the fact that it still puts profit in the hands of a company that largely supports Monsanto and in turn also lines their pockets. I'd prefer to continue doing business with any of the hundreds of companies that are locally owned and operated without corporate giants purchasing them up.
Seeds of Change was purchased by Mars which donated almost 400k to defeat Prop 37 in California. They donated more money than most of us earn in several years to make sure the people of California didn't have the ability to know whether Monsanto's toxic crap ended up in our food.
So no, I don't believe for a second that Seeds of Change believes in our cause. I think they're "green washing", it's actually a huge problem for me that they were allowed to sign the Safe Seed Pledge given their ownership. Their parent company is just as in bed with Monsanto as Pepsi and Kraft Foods.
Goats and Greens
Sad to learn that Seeds of Change was bought out. I used their seeds for many years in the past. (This years is Baker's Heirloom Seeds.)
Corporations are people (in case you didn't know). The human being who work for Seeds of Change may disagree with The Corp, yet their profits still benefit Monsanto.
Heather R
ANYONE can fill out that safe seed pledge. Considering Johnny's Seed's affiliation with Seminis, people need to remember, if you don't want to support Monsanto, you can't do business with any company who does any business with them, not just the seeds. I mean no equipment, no supplies, no fertilizer, NOTHING. Otherwise, you are wasting your time boycotting the seeds. Every penny they get makes them bigger and more powerful.
So that begs the question, while Seeds of Change signed the safe seed pledge, how much business do they give monsanto? After all, look at the link to all the heirloom, non-gmo seeds Monsanto now owns. Just look. Signing the safe seed pledge means nothing in regards to slowing down monsanto's control over our gardens and our lives.
Heather do you know what seeds to buy
Thanks, saved me some effort on researching that company, as the company I work for started carrying their seeds this year.
Kaya Jacolev
Please not that Osbourne Seed Company (Mount Vernon, Washington) is listed in both a list of "do not buy"s and another list of purportedly "safe" seeds.
Seeds of Change was bought by Mars Co but if you look into Mars co, they are one of the largest still FAMILY OWNED companies out there. Just because they're very successful doesn't mean they're evil. If they are I don't want to know, I already boycott SO many companies, I need candy!!!
me and mine
Are you sure it isn't the soil, you might want to get the soil tested. They spray Chemtrails by jets, to put barium aluminum and other bad gasses in the air for the sake of only being able to grow monsato seeds only. I do not remember what the website was but it was a warning to people about gardening this year and last! Inform yourself on the chemtrals and HAARP. Can have a lot to do with your soil.
Shana Mc via Facebook
We LOVE http://www.rareseeds.com
Mark Bailey
By far the best Heirloom seed company around!
I have had bad luck with their seeds this year and last. probably wont use them again
I had a 98% germination rate from all of my seeds from them this year. My guess is they corrected problems, because I am going to have a bumper crop if I can figure out where to plants all there plants! LOVE rareseeds.com
Lol – 98% germination rate? Did you conduct your own germination study or do you work for Baker?
He planted 100 seeds, 98 grew……duhhh