have a question

November 30, 2005

>From: kamnac <kamnac@...>

>Date: Wed Nov 30 08:57:08 CST 2005

>

>Subject: Have a question

In spite of the beliefs of some folks on this list I believe that sterilization

of sprouting containers and seeds with dilute bleach prevents any danger of

bacterial contamination of fresh sprouts. How would you use heat without killing

the seeds?

>Hello, I just recently joined your list. I am new to sprouting and have a

question about sterlization. I used to do a lot of canning and needed to

sterlize my jars, I would put them in the dishwasher and use the heat drying

method to sterlize the jars. Is this method acceptable when sterlizing for

sprouting or is bleach a requirement?

>

>Thanks in advance for the information.

>

>Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

> Tom Clancy

>

December 1, 2005

I'm not , but it sounds like she plans to use the heat dry cycle on her

dishwasher to sterilize her sprouting jars. The seeds would not be in the

jars at the time. ;-) I have never treated my sprouting seeds and have

never had a problem. I think the chances of something pathogenic happening

are small, especially if you buy your seeds from a reputable source.

Anyway, the dishwasher idea sounds good for glass jars, but I use the Easy

Sprout sprouters and since they are not a very heavy plastic, I would be

afraid they would melt in the dishwasher on the heat dry setting!

~Deanna

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of 003marklanders@...

Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 6:19 PM

Subject: Re: Have a question

In spite of the beliefs of some folks on this list I believe that

sterilization of sprouting containers and seeds with dilute bleach prevents

any danger of bacterial contamination of fresh sprouts. How would you use

heat without killing the seeds?

December 1, 2005

Mark Landers wrote

How would you use heat without killing the seeds?

-------------------

I guess I was not clear, I referring to after each use of the jars after I had

removed the sprouts.

Thanks

Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

Tom Clancy

December 1, 2005

To Kamnac and Deanna: Duh!

Any sprouts that improve brain functioning? I think I need some.

=====================

From: kamnac <kamnac@...>

Date: Thu Dec 01 11:01:13 CST 2005

Subject: Re: Have a question

Mark Landers wrote

How would you use heat without killing the seeds?

-------------------

I guess I was not clear, I referring to after each use of the jars after I had

removed the sprouts.

Thanks

Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

Tom Clancy

December 1, 2005

are you having memory loss? inability to think rationally? dementia? what are

your symptoms? This could be symptomatic of many things. I would look at heavy

metal accumulation first. Sometimes we need to detoxify if there is an overload.

You can write me back at rootdoctor2002@... if you want to take this off

the board and discuss.

003marklanders@... wrote: To Kamnac and Deanna: Duh!

Any sprouts that improve brain functioning? I think I need some.

=====================

From: kamnac <kamnac@...>

Date: Thu Dec 01 11:01:13 CST 2005

Subject: Re: Have a question

Mark Landers wrote

How would you use heat without killing the seeds?

-------------------

I guess I was not clear, I referring to after each use of the jars after I had

removed the sprouts.

Thanks

Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

Tom Clancy

December 1, 2005

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of 003marklanders@...

Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 7:02 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Have a question

> To Kamnac and Deanna: Duh!

> Any sprouts that improve brain functioning? I think I need some.

That's okay... I enjoyed a bit of a chuckle about it. :-)

~Deanna

December 1, 2005

>

> > To Kamnac and Deanna: Duh!

> > Any sprouts that improve brain functioning? I think I need some.

>

> That's okay... I enjoyed a bit of a chuckle about it. :-)

LOL. The International Food Information Council recommends

components of soy for improved brain function. Now I'll need a

defense attorney, not just soy sprouts. Scroll down and watch for

the brain topic in the boxes on the right side of the page to see the

soy item :

http://www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm

I did check a number of sites on " brain food " -- eat good avoid

simple sugars and alcohol seems to be the most popular kind of

recommendation.

Incidentally, I found that a few weeks with DHA did improve my brain

functioning and mood. I still keep it in the house and use it on a

regular basis. Not each day everyday -- every now and again --

similar in frequency to any other food in my diet.

DHA is very, very important to the development of the brain as it

forms and develops before birth. But I think it's of value to us,

too. My personal idea -- I just think it helps out in some ways.

Keep smilin'

Jerry in Pennsylvania

December 1, 2005

SOY is not on the GRAS list. It has only been approved for use as a binder in

cardboard boxes. So maybe it can hold your brain together, but can it promote

rational thinking?

jertoons <Jertoons@...> wrote:

>

> > To Kamnac and Deanna: Duh!

> > Any sprouts that improve brain functioning? I think I need some.

>

> That's okay... I enjoyed a bit of a chuckle about it. :-)

LOL. The International Food Information Council recommends

components of soy for improved brain function. Now I'll need a

defense attorney, not just soy sprouts. Scroll down and watch for

the brain topic in the boxes on the right side of the page to see the

soy item :

http://www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm

I did check a number of sites on " brain food " -- eat good avoid

simple sugars and alcohol seems to be the most popular kind of

recommendation.

Incidentally, I found that a few weeks with DHA did improve my brain

functioning and mood. I still keep it in the house and use it on a

regular basis. Not each day everyday -- every now and again --

similar in frequency to any other food in my diet.

DHA is very, very important to the development of the brain as it

forms and develops before birth. But I think it's of value to us,

too. My personal idea -- I just think it helps out in some ways.

Keep smilin'

Jerry in Pennsylvania

December 4, 2005

Hi,

I've never done anything like that with my plastic sprouting device.

I washed it like plates and cutlery after a dinner.

And although I am not up to scratch anymore, I got a Masters degree

in Microbiology in 1989, I can't think of any (serious) bakterial

infection due to home-made sprouts. The only possible scenario that

comes to mind is if your sprouts would be continuously in/under

water, but even then, if you use tap water, seems pretty

impossible. You can let tap water stand in a bottle for a few days

and still drink it. I guess the chlorine does not allow much if any

bakterial growth. Now this is not the gospel, but any fears are in

my view unneccessary.

gis

P.S. Just joined a couple of days ago

>

> Hello, I just recently joined your list. I am new to sprouting

and have a question about sterlization. I used to do a lot of

canning and needed to sterlize my jars, I would put them in the

dishwasher and use the heat drying method to sterlize the jars. Is

this method acceptable when sterlizing for sprouting or is bleach a

requirement?

>

> Thanks in advance for the information.

>

> Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

> Tom Clancy

>

December 5, 2005

Hi Gis

So far as I know there have been some serious outbreaks of food

poisoning from sprouts. The worse one in Japan killing a few hundred people.

The pathogen was thought to be in the seeds a contamination from fertilisers

and became a problem when the sprouts are not cared for properly. The sort

of industrial process that is used can set this up. I have never heard of

any home sprouter getting a case of food poisoning like that.

Having said that I wash all my jars thoroughly with normal washing

up liquid and so far so good. Also if for any reason they start to smell off

for example I did not keep up the rinse cycle then I bin them. As far as

light goes the sprouts will germinate better in the dark but can be put out

in indirect light for the final day or so to green off. I think that is the

recommended way. Mine spend there lives in a very shady corner of my living

room and do well.

Cheers

Kirk

Re: Have a question

> Hi,

>

> I've never done anything like that with my plastic sprouting device.

> I washed it like plates and cutlery after a dinner.

> And although I am not up to scratch anymore, I got a Masters degree

> in Microbiology in 1989, I can't think of any (serious) bakterial

> infection due to home-made sprouts. The only possible scenario that

> comes to mind is if your sprouts would be continuously in/under

> water, but even then, if you use tap water, seems pretty

> impossible. You can let tap water stand in a bottle for a few days

> and still drink it. I guess the chlorine does not allow much if any

> bakterial growth. Now this is not the gospel, but any fears are in

> my view unneccessary.

>

> gis

> P.S. Just joined a couple of days ago

>

> >

> > Hello, I just recently joined your list. I am new to sprouting

> and have a question about sterlization. I used to do a lot of

> canning and needed to sterlize my jars, I would put them in the

> dishwasher and use the heat drying method to sterlize the jars. Is

> this method acceptable when sterlizing for sprouting or is bleach a

> requirement?

> >

> > Thanks in advance for the information.

> >

> > Ignorance is not bliss, it is a prison.

> > Tom Clancy

> >

December 5, 2005

It all starts with purchasing seeds that are meant to be sprouted and not

coated with substances or genetically modified. Purchase seeds from reputable

dealer who seeds seeds specifically for sprouting. Look what is happening to our

food chain here:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Monsanto/seminis30405.cfm

Organic Consumers Association

Campaigning for Food Safety, Organic Agriculture, Fair Trade &

Sustainability

News

About OCA

Action

Join/Subscribe

Campaigns

Search

Find Organics

OCA

Homepage

Make a Donation!

JOIN THE OCA NETWORK!

More on Monsanto's Acquisition of Seminis, World's Largest Vegetable Seed

Company

From: http://www.seedalliance.org/index.php?page=SeminisMonsanto

By Dillon, The Seed Alliance

" And We Have the Seeds "

Monsanto Purchases World's Largest Vegetable Seed Company

" Monsanto Company to Acquire Seminis, Inc., a Leading Vegetable and Fruit

Seed Company

Acquisition Expected to Add Near-term Income Growth and Diversity to

Monsanto's Seed Portfolio

ST. LOUIS (Jan. 24, 2005) - Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today

that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Seminis, Inc., for $1.4

billion in cash and assumed debt.

(From Monsanto Press Release)

Monsanto Goes Healthy?

The news of Monsanto's agreement to purchase Seminis has received little

attention from the media other than the financial pages and a few seed

industry and anti-globalization web sites. But then again, why should it?

How many consumers & shy; of food or seed & shy; have even heard of Seminis? And

yet,

as Seminis spinmeister Koppenjan said, " If you've had a salad, you've

had a Seminis product. "

It is estimated that Seminis controls 40 percent of the U.S. vegetable seed

market and 20 percent of the world market‹supplying the genetics for 55

percent of the lettuce on U.S. supermarket shelves, 75 percent of the

tomatoes, and 85 percent of the peppers, with strong holdings in beans,

cucumbers, squash, melons, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and peas. The

company's biggest revenue source comes from tomato and peppers seeds,

followed by cucumbers and beans.

In large part, these numbers reflect usage of Seminis varieties within large

industrial production geared towards supermarkets, but Seminis seeds are

also widely used by regional conventional and organic farmers as well as

market and home gardeners. ny's, Territorial, Fedco, Nichol's, Rupp,

Osborne, Snow, and Stokes are among the dozens of commercial and garden seed

catalogs that carry the more than 3,500 varieties that comprise Seminis'

offerings. This includes dozens of All-American Selections and an increasing

number of varieties licensed to third parties for certified organic seed

production.

The brand-name companies under Seminis (such as Petoseed) have developed,

released, produced and distributed varieties common to the market farmer and

even home gardener. These include Big Beef, Sweet Baby Girl and Early Girl

Tomatoes; Simpsons Elite and Red Sails Lettuces; Red Knight and King Arthur

Peppers; Gold Rush and Blackjack Zucchinis; Stars & Stripes Melon; and Bush

Delicata and Early Butternut squashes (see sidebar for other popular

varieties).

Many of the Seminis varieties are derived from their in-house breeding

programs, as well as industry alliances with DuPont, and university

partnerships with the likes of Cornell, Texas A & M and the University of

California. The company's F1 hybrid genetics are considered excellent in

many areas, including overwintering brassicas, disease resistance in

cucurbits, packing qualities in green beans, and flavor in tomatoes.

" Organic farmers love our product, " Koppenjan told me, " We have the disease

resistance, and this is more important in organics than conventional, where

farmers have more disease-control options. "

The implications of Monsanto & shy; often associated with the antithesis of the

organic movement & shy; purchasing a company that serves the organic community

are complex. This has certainly been the catalyst for the emails that some

catalog companies are receiving. Both ny's and Territorial have received

strikingly similar missives with nearly the same wording, demanding that the

firms reveal their Seminis' varieties " so I can avoid them at all costs.

Otherwise I'll toss your catalog. " Seed catalogs may see more of this, as

Monsanto is a large target amongst those concerned with globalization.

While voting with ones dollars can be an effective tool of change, it is

also important to recognize that these are also seed catalogs that have

recognized the needs of smaller organic producers, offering strong lists of

regional varieties and expanding their certified organic selections. None of

these companies was overjoyed with news of the acquisition, and they all

seemed to be in different phases of analyzing its impact. It's not an easy

task. Seminis' varieties account for 11 percent of Fedco Seed's gross sales,

and the numbers are much higher in categories like melons and squash. While

Fedco founder C.R. Lawn expressed his personal inclination to have nothing

to do with Monsanto, the volume of sales demands careful consideration.

Fedco is surveying its staff to decide how to respond, with options ranging

from phasing out all Monsanto-Seminis varieties to putting a " tax " on these

varieties and using this money to fund regional grassroots seed development.

For some growers and seed catalogs, this may seem a non-issue; what matters

to them is the quality of the variety, not the politics of who owns that

variety. And even if one does care and would like to take one's business

elsewhere, there may not be immediate replacements for many of the Seminis

varieties. The economic impact of abandoning a variety that keeps the cash

flowing cannot be easily overlooked. For others, the Monsanto connection may

be a line that can't be crossed. Regardless of one's stance, the acquisition

offers a history worth tracing in the continuing trend of food industry

consolidation, a lesson that should give everyone pause to consider the

future of seeds.

In the early 1990s, billionaire Alfonso Romo, descendent of a Mexican

president, Olympian athlete in horse jumping, bakery and beverage mogul, and

owner of Ciagarrera La Modena & shy; Mexico's largest cigarette company & shy; set

out

to become the global king of vegetable seeds. Romo had watched agrochemical

companies gobble up seed businesses in the larger agronomic crops like corn,

and he noticed that there was little attention being paid to the Œminor

crops' of the vegetable seed industry. By 1994, he had succeeded in building

Seminis, purchasing longstanding seed companies such as Asgrow, Petoseed

(which had recently purchased the Dutch firm Royal Sluis) and dozens of

Asian seed companies. Seminis grew quickly, thrived and went public (trading

as Empresas La Moderna or ELM, the former parent company of his cigarette

firm‹which Romo sold in 1997 for $1.5 billion).

According to seed industry insiders, one of the company's strengths was also

its weakness. Early on, it benefited from internal competition, retaining

the brands such as Petoseed and Asgrow and allowing Seminis breeders to vie

for product development and placement. This may have led to excessive

inventory & shy; the company's list swelled to near 6,000 varieties at one point

before cutting a whopping 2,500 varieties in 1998 (and leaving more than a

few farmers looking for new varieties).

In 2003, Seminis was in a financial slump; shares slipped to around 50 cents

each from previous highs of more than $7 a share. Fox Paine and Co. & shy; a firm

specializing not in agriculture but in buyouts & shy; stepped in to purchase

majority control of the company and stabilized the slide. Financial analysts

and the seed trade were waiting to see the fate of the gene giant in the

hands of this holding firm. With the Monsanto announcement, the wait is

over. The purchase catapulted Monsanto past rival DuPont (Pioneer Seed),

making them the world's largest seed company & shy; first in vegetables and

fruits, second in agronomic crops, and the world's third largest

agrochemical company.

This is not the first time Seminis and Monsanto have done business. In 1997,

Monsanto began to insert its Roundup resistant gene into one of Seminis'

lettuces, with an agreement to split the premium fifty-fifty. A 1999 Wall

Street Journal article also noted that Seminis had received U.S. regulatory

approval for selling disease-resistant genetically engineered squash and

tomatoes with longer shelf lives and that the firm was working on using

biotechnology to create sweeter peas and worm-proof cucumbers. In the same

Journal article, Romo envisioned a Seminis future with biotech crops such as

non-browning lettuce, broccoli with enhanced cancer-fighting properties, and

spoil-free produce. " Seeds are software, " he was quoted as saying, " and we

have the seeds. " Romo will stay on as Chairman and CEO of Seminis under

Monsanto, according to the company's press release announcing the deal.

Conjecture and Concern

While news of Monsanto's acquisition of Seminis was less than a blip on the

general public's radar, small groups of farmers, activists and seed trade

professionals immediately began to connect to discuss the ramifications on a

variety of list serves and web sites over the Internet. The professionals I

spoke with for this article & shy; Mark Hutton (former plant breeder for Peto now

at University of Maine Extension), C.R. Lawn, Rob ston (founder, owner

and plant breeder of ny's Selected Seed), Morton (Plant breeder

and owner, Wild Garden Seed), and Sligh (Policy Director, RAFI) & shy;

were in concurrence with the concerns expressed in the online group

discussions, first, with regard to the potential decrease in varietal

selection for farmers, and second, in the potential acceleration of biotech

applications in the vegetable sector.

One can only speculate on Monsanto's motives for purchasing Seminis. We can

make educated projections, just as Wall Street financiers have done on news

of the acquisition. Financial and agricultural professionals interviewed in

the mainstream press, such as Don Basse of the commodity advisory group

Agresources, have surmised that the acquisition can be profitable for

Monsanto only with the application of biotechnology & shy; as Seminis

conventional seed business was nearly half a million dollars in debt and

continuing to lose money.

Basse says that it would be logical for Monsanto to use biotech to increase

the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables as opposed to focusing on

shelf life or devising pest-resistant strains. Monsanto's press release

noted that " Biotechnology applications could be an option, and will be

evaluated in the context of Monsanto's research-and-development priorities

and potential commercial business opportunities. " However the main tone of

the announcement focused on the trend of nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

Monsanto's CEO put it this way, " The addition of Seminis will be an

excellent fit for our company as global production of vegetables and fruits,

and the trend toward healthier diets, has been growing steadily over the

past several years. "

" You have to ask yourself why they (Monsanto) would decide to buy this seed

company, " was the thought first shared by Rob ston of ny's Selected

Seeds, " Their Roundup herbicide patent is expiring, so their future profits

are in the biotech traitsŠI think they're going to push and see if consumers

will accept it. " C.R. Lawn of Fedco was less certain, feeling that Monsanto

would not be bold enough to try and sell such technology to consumers and

farmers, particularly after GMO wheat was recently shelved because of the

lack of perceived public acceptance. There is also speculation that if

Monsanto can slowly start building the GMO vegetable-fruit market, then the

debate over GMOs will become a moot point, as they will have made their way

onto the plate and thus gained acceptance (or at least acquiescence).

Even if one does not believe that GMO vegetables will be in the 's

salad bar in short order, there is more pressing concern that Seminis will

drop many of the hybrid and open-pollinated varieties that regional farmers

currently depend upon. Prior to the buyout, the company's main product focus

had continued to move towards supplying genetic for the larger centers of

production. " It's not like they're still breeding tomatoes for the

Northeast " Rob ston noted. Still, ston conceded that it would be

difficult for ny's to replace some of the Seminis varieties that their

customers turn to year after year, such as Gold Rush Zucchini or King Arthur

Pepper. Yet he feels certain that cuts are coming. ston was disappointed

with the news, in part he said because he likes not only the quality of

product but the Seminis breeders themselves, " I worry about the future of

their breeding programs, that they (Monsanto) will curtail creative

directions and focus them on a Monsanto agenda. "

Organic Seed Alliance has received over a dozen emails and phone calls from

concerned farmers. Minnesota farmer Jim Fruth contacted us for assistance in

" dehybridizing " a Seminis hybrid pepper that has recently been dropped. Like

many farmers, Fruth has integrated particular varieties into his production

and marketing plans and he says he is now without a variety that is " a vital

part of my livelihood. " Nash Huber of Sequim, Washington, said that, after

vast trialing, he had found that Seminis cabbage varieties have excellent

post-harvest holding capacity, extending his marketing season and farm

profitability. He did not have high hopes of finding replacements.

Mark Hutton worked as a squash and eggplant breeder for Petoseed before it

was purchased by Seminis. From his perspective, farmers like Fruth and Huber

should start trialing new varieties soon. " Monsanto is going to look at this

from a bean-counter perspective. Low margin varieties get dropped, and this

means anything that's not for large commercial production. "

One seed catalog owner I spoke with believes that farmers should not react

to the news by seeking non-Monsanto/Seminis seed sources. He said there is

no indication Monsanto will drop these varieties and that rushing to find

replacements isn't an answer. " Where are you going to go? Some of these

varieties are irreplaceable. Are we really going to drop or boycott some of

the best material out there because we don't like Monsanto? " He warned that

doing so might only accelerate the downsizing of the Monsanto product list,

leaving farmers in a real lurch. " The process of breeding alternatives to

these (varieties) is a long, longterm project. And what are you going to

plant in the meantime? "

Most of the people I spoke with agreed that there are few options; this is

what is making them react to the news so passionately. In a healthy

competitive market, a producer has more than one cog to choose from, giving

the producer freedom to switch suppliers if they have an issue with their

traditional supply chain. In a highly consolidated system, this choice is

not easily apparent and may simply not exist.

Consolidations in the seed world are nothing new. The impact is predictable:

A few breeders lose their jobs, farmers scramble to find another variety to

fit their production system but something eventually comes along,

stockholders either make or lose money, and, in the end, food still winds up

on the plate of most American households at 7a.m., noon and 6 p.m. We've

been here before in recent times, and we've seen even bigger control of seed

ownership and distribution (although not in any of our lifetimes).

A-century-and-a-half ago there was only one mega-distributor of seeds in

this country. Lobbying and activism brought about its demise. That

distributor was the United States government, and the rabble rousers who

broke that monopoly were none other than the American Seed Trade Association

& shy; whose largest modern financial benefactor is none other than Monsanto.

A Brief History of the Development of the Seed Industry & shy;

The Shift from Public to Private Seed Systems

One hundred fifty years ago the United States did not have a commercial seed

industry; today we have the world's largest.* Some view this as real

progress, a form of genetic Manifest Destiny. A nation once a Œdebtor' in

plant genetics now supplies the world. In 1854, seeds were sourced in the

U.S. by way of a small number of horticultural seed catalogs, farmer (or

gardener) exchange, on-farm seed saving, and through the beneficence of the

United States government. Specifically, beginning in the 1850s, the U.S.

Patent and Trade Office (PTO) and congressional representatives saw to the

collection, propagation and distribution of varieties to their constituents

throughout the states and territories. The program grew quickly so that, by

1861, the PTO had annual distribution of more than 2.4 million packages of

seed (containing five packets of different varieties). The flow of seed

reached its highest volume in 1897 (under USDA management) & shy; with more than

1.1 billion packets of seed distributed.

The government's objectives in funding such a massive movement of seed

stemmed from the recognition that feeding an expanding continent would

require a diversification of foods. To the early colonies, the introduction

of wheat, rye, oats, peas, cabbage and many other vegetable crops was as

critical to food security as was the adoption of the corn, beans and squash.

Immigrants were encourage to bring seed from the old country, founding

fathers such as Jefferson engaged in seed-exchange societies, and by

1819 the U.S. Treasury Department issued a directive to its overseas

consultants and Navy officers to systematically collect plant materials.

The first commercial seed crop was not produced until 1866‹cabbage seed

produced on Long Island for the U.S. wholesale market. The industry

flourished to some degree, but early seed trade professionals felt their

growth was stymied by the U.S. government programs as well as the

self-replicating nature of their product (that is, the factory contained

within that product). In 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)

formed and immediately lobbied for the cessation of the government programs.

The organization developed powerful allies, such as Grover Cleveland's

Secretary of Agriculture, J. Sterling Morton, who wrote that the government

giveaway was " antagonistic to seed as a commodity-form and in direct

competition with the private seed trade. " But the program was very popular

with constituents, and the USDA's seed budget was kept intact & shy; at one point

counting for a full 10 percent of the agency's overall annual expenditures.

In the early part of the 20th century, the first wave of hybrids began to

provide seed companies with a potential increase in product profitability

(as farmers would now need to return to the seed distributor for materials

each year). However, most of the hybrid development was occurring at Land

Grant Universities, and these universities refused to give the companies

exclusive rights to the seed. Once again, the industry felt its growth

hindered by federal programs and complained of unfair trade practices.

Mounting data also indicated a slowing in yield increases from seed

developed in government programs. The industry used this last point to

strengthen its argument for the privatization of seed development in order

to foster greater food security.

In 1924, after more than 40 years of lobbying, ASTA succeeded in convincing

Congress to cut the USDA seed distribution programs. The USDA still

supported breeding at the state agricultural schools, and for a time these

programs continued to compete with seed companies by developing Œfinished'

commercial varieties. Associations such as the American Society of Agronomy

and American Society of Horticulture Science eventually convinced the public

programs that their appropriate role was in training plant breeders,

performing fundamental research, and creating raw materials and technologies

for private industry to capitalize on. The LGUs began to increasingly serve

in this capacity, developing inbred parental lines and breeding stock that

the seed trade would use to create proprietary varieties.

These changes in the public role, along with improvements in hybrid

techniques, led to the growth of the seed trade following World War II. The

trade was well represented during this period by regional companies. The

conversion to monocropping and large-scale corporate agriculture had not yet

moved into full swing. The Santa Clara Valley grew vegetables and fruit and

not internet startups, and Americans still planted their Victory Gardens.

The seed trade reflected this diversity in food production.

In the 1960s, a few larger seed firms began to purchase smaller companies

(mostly to acquire strong hybrid holdings). But the consolidations of this

period were minor compared to the frenzy that would come with a Supreme

Court ruling on June 16, 1980, in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty. Prior

to the Chakrabarty decision, a plant (or animal) could be owned, but the

genetics could not. This case cleared the patenting of life forms on the

bases of their genetic coding. The PTO granted more than 1,800 such patents

following the ruling. Companies that had no historical seed

interests‹primarily chemical and pharmaceutical firms‹began purchasing seed

companies. In a few short years, there were billions of dollars in mergers

and acquisitions‹with little to no regulatory oversight‹creating for the

first time a majority ownership of plant genetics by a few multinational

companies. No other natural resource (marine, timber, minerals) has ever

shifted from public to private hands with such rapidity, such intensity of

concentration, and so little oversight.

The Immediate and the Future

" There is a direct threat to our food system when we have a preponderance of

genetic resources controlled by institutions whose only goal is profit, "

plant breeder Morton expressed emphatically when asked for his

perspective on the Monsanto acquisition. He went on to compare the present

with the past, " When these services [breeding and production] were diffused

amongst many individuals and groups with diverse motives, we had a much more

diverse and healthy food system. "

Diversity and competition have historically made for healthier economies as

well as ecologies. Ecological and economic systems have another thing in

common; as one group abandons a niche, it leaves room for others to move in

and utilize it. Many of the seed company representatives and breeders I

spoke with felt that the organic community can and should develop a less

centralized seed system. Steve s, seed procurement manager for Seeds of

Change, shared his firm's vision: " Part of our strategy is to go into

neglected markets and respond to these needs. We want to offer true organic

alternatives; this means we not only pay attention to the regional needs but

also have a different approach to breeding & shy; building new alliances in crop

development. We're not chasing single-gene resistance but looking at

horizontal resistance in traits like Downy mildew in spinach. "

Adaptability has historically been an integral part of the organic

movement & shy;

responding to customer inquiry and opinion, personal service (a face on the

food), localized and decentralized & shy; all traits that help make the organic

sector healthy and promote its vigorous growth. " The organic seed world is

where the organic produce market was twenty years ago, " said veteran organic

grower and seed producer Nash Huber. " Produce quality wasn't always so great

then, but we worked it out and now are better than the conventional systems.

The potential in seed is that the customers & shy; we farmers & shy; will see

that, in

the long run, an organic seed trade will serve us. " Farmers like Huber are

investing in the organic seed trade. He works as an educator in the Organic

Seed Alliance's WSARE organic seed production trainings, is leading a

participatory plant breeding project with the Alliance, and produces seed

for the organic seed trade as well as his own on-farm use. Carrots are the

main cash crop on Huber's 400-acre farm, and he produces 80 percent of his

own seed to insure quality and availability. " I can't afford to have a

company drop my source, " he explained.

Seed companies and farmers are not alone in their rising to meet the need

for changes in the seed world. In 2003, more than 70 university breeders,

representatives from farmer-based NGOs, and policy specialists met at the

" Summit for Seeds and Breeds for the 21st Century " in Washington, D.C. The

breeders who represented a diverse set of crops, from schools that have

traditionally served clients of large-scale Green Revolution style

agriculture, called on each other to " reinvigorate public breeding " to meet

the needs of organic and sustainable agriculture. The group will host a

full-blown conference in Ames, Iowa, in September 2005.

While the seed consolidation trend seems to have reached a particularly dark

moment in the Monsanto-Seminis acquisition, it may also serve to fuel a

momentum in the developing organic seed community. The issues are immediate

and fraught with complexity; the answers are long-term and require

commitment. Said C.R. Lawn of Fedco, " We need to keep working on creating a

farmer breeding community. But this is long, slow work. You find and replace

varieties one by one. You work slowly in the direction you want to go. Seed

work is slow work. "

- Dillon

---------------------------------

Events

Organic Consumers Association

6771 South Silver Hill Drive, Finland MN 55603

E-mail:Staff · Activist or Media Inquiries: 218-226-4164 · Fax: 218-353-7652

Please support our work. Send a tax-deductible donation to the OCA

Kirk <jlcgull@...> wrote: Hi Gis