This was taken and reposted from Never Done Farm
Seed companies supplied by Monsanto
Some info I already knew, had saved and now is found. Unfortunately this won't help you this season in your seed choices, but save the info. for future reference.
Here is an interesting post on Seed companies supplied by monsanto. If you think it is relevant please pass it on to the growing food and justice list serve.
Recently on a gardening forum in which I participate, a list of various seed companies now owned by Monsanto was posted. I was so shocked to discover Territorial Seeds on the list that I immediately wrote to them to ask if it was true... As it turns out, while Territorial continues to be owned
privately, by Tom & Julie Johns, one of their seed suppliers, Seminis, is in fact owned by Monsanto. Over the course of my correspondence with staff from Territorial, they provided me with a list of the seeds currently purchased by Seminis, which I have attached. And I was told that the owners are 'considering' whether or not to continue using Seminis as a vendor.
I'm sending this information out in the hopes that *you'll* consider writing to Territorial Seeds to request they terminate their relationship with Seminis, as well as expressing support for them as a company you'd continue to buy seeds from in the future. I can't express enough how important it is for those of us who are dedicated to food security, and the ongoing availability of good, local, organic produce, to do whatever we can to prevent Monsanto from colonizing our primary sources of seed. Toward that end, I'm also posting the list of companies owned by Monsanto for your
review, in case you find others whose seeds you've bought.
* Territorial Seeds
* Totally Tomato
* Vermont Bean Seed Co.
* Burpee
* Cook's Garden
* Johnny's Seeds
* Earl May Seed
* Gardens Alive
* Lindenberg Seeds
* Mountain Valley Seed
* Park Seed
* T&T Seeds
* Tomato Growers Supply
* Willhite Seed Co.
* Nichol's
* Rupp
* Osborne
* Snow
* Stokes
* Jungs
* R.H. Shumway
* The Vermont Bean Seed Company
* Seeds for the World
* Seymour's Selected Seeds
* HPS
* Roots and Rhizomes
* McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
* Spring Hill Nurseries
* Breck's Bulbs
* Audubon Workshop
* Flower of the Month Club
* Wayside Gardens
* Park Bulbs
* Park's Countryside Garden
And one final thing: here's a link to another seed company, Fedco, who posted information on their website about their own decision to forgo using Seminis any longer once they had been purchased by Monsanto: http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/monsanto.htm
Fedco Seeds - The Monsanto Debate/Monsanto Buys Seminis
Thank you for posting that list. I will definitely keep that in mind next year when it is time to purchase seeds.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am the Product Development Director for Territorial Seed Company. I wanted to clarify that we, (nor any of the seed companies that are listed above) are NOT owned by Monsanto! Territorial Seed Company remains a family owned and operated company since it's inception in 1979. This blog has been posted in several different manners and can often times be misleading.
Josh Kirschenbaum
Territorial Seed Company
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI handle the public relations for Burpee and The Cook's Garden. I also wanted to comment to say that the above information is not correct. Burpee and The Cook's Garden are privately owned by George Ball. Please see Burpee's formal statement below.
Kind Regards,
Kristin Grilli
Burpee is the nation's leading purveyor of both heirloom and hybrid vegetable and flower seeds and mail order transplants.
Burpee has never bred or sold GMO seeds and does not intend to do so in the future.
Burpee was founded in 1876 by seed pioneer W. Atlee Burpee. Today, the company remains privately owned by George Ball, a third generation seedsman, who serves as Chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and is past president of The American Horticultural Society. For more information, please visit our company history page here:http://bit.ly/aREQxD
The post does NOT say that these seed companies are owned by Mondanto. It says that some of the seeds sold by these companies are provided by a company owned by Monsanto. If you have proof that this is not true I would LOVE to see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy. There was a portion of the post (last paragraph before the list of companies) that suggested that it was owned by Monsanto, so I wanted to be clear. I feel compelled to also mention that that Burpee does not sell GMO. Burpee's formal statement on this is below. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteKristin
Burpee produces and sources seeds from a select list of growers and suppliers throughout the world including Seminis.
None of the seeds produced or sourced from any grower or supplier are GMO. Burpee has never bred or sold GMO seeds and does not intend to do so in the future.