While getting myself motivated for the Spring 2010 planting season I put out feelers among my friends for sources from which I could buy some new onion varieties. I was surprised when one of my more informed friends recommended the Seeds of Change company as I had heard disheartening information about the company’s ownership. When I shared what I knew, I found that several folks in-the-know were not in fact aware that Seeds of Change is owned by the M&M Mars company.
I first learned about the odd ownership situation while researching a particular carrot variety that I was given as a gift over the holidays. That led me to this post on Homegrown Evolution about the precocious Purple Dragon carrot. A follow up post on the same website offers more information from people on both sides of the argument and can be found here.
As for me, I have made a conscious decision to give my business to good companies doing good things, not the good things that bad companies are doing in the name of public relations while it is the in thing. As a result, I will buy seeds from other sources and continue my own seed saving and seed trading efforts to ensure that private people still have open pollinated, genetically pure seed from which to feed their families.
If you are not yet a member of the Seed Savers Exchange, I strongly recommend it. Even if you don’t become a member you have access to thousands of great seeds through their online store, but as the site touts, members have access to 12,613 more varieties!
What are your favorite sources for organic heirloom seeds? Leave a comment and be sure to include a link!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for that interesting bit of info! For a few years now I’ve been getting my heirloom seeds from Saltspring Seeds here in B.C. (www.saltspringseeds.com), or from a small Manitoba company called Heritage Harvest Seeds (www.heritageharvestseed.com) Good quality, smaller scale production that you can actually go visit in person!
thanks for that info, will keep remember as I’m planning my seed orders.
Interesting info, Michael, I had no idea…will do a bit of research.
You should double check rumors before posting them. While Seeds of Change has received financing from M&M Mars, that is not at all the same thing as being “owned” by them. SofC continues to use small growers to supply their seeds, support community gardens through their free seed program, and educate about biodiversity. While there are several other smaller suppliers of heirloom seeds, there is no need to ‘dis’ SofC.
One small company you may want to check into is Sandhill Preservation Farm–they also carry heirloom poultry breeds. One caution with using small companies: do they grow out large enough runs of each variety to ensure genetic diversity isn’t lost through inbreeding? Do they run germination tests on their seeds annually? See an interesting discussion of seed companies in Gardening When It Counts by Steve Solomon, former owner of Territorial Seed Co.
Even if a company is doing the right thing for what I think is the wrong reason, it is still the right thing. I think there’s a value in rewarding positive behaviors.
I’m not giving up my M&Ms, Michael. Even if they cause cancer, obesity, heart attacks and pimples. Okay, there’s no link to them causing cancer, yet.
Bad companies are all over Facebook giving money to worthy charities in exchange for your email/facebook information. It’s pretty depressing who’s doing business with “the devil.”