The Safe Seed Pledge

Two seed company catalogs I recommend checking are http://www.bountifulgardens.org/ and info@abundantlifeseeds.com. Both are heirloom, untreated, open-pollinated seeds for sustainable growing, and both have signed the safe seed pledge. Type High Mowing Organic Seeds into your search engine for good selection, cost comparison, pelleted seeds, and other resources. More seed companies are signing now due to customer request for tested seeds. Territorial Seed Co has recently become suspect for the future because one of their suppliers--Seminis*--was purchased last month by Monsanto.

*"Seminis controls 40% of the U.S. vegetable seed market and 20% of the world market---supplying the genetics for 55% lettuce on U.S. supermarket shelves, 75% of the tomatoes, and 85% of the peppers, with strong holdings in beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, broccoli, spinach and peas. The company's bigest revenue source comes from tomato and pepper seeds, followed by cucumbers and beans." http://www.seedalliance.org/: seed news.

The Safe Seed Pledge: "Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer or genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families, or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthier people and communities."

For a current complete list of all companies who have signed the above pledge go to http://www.organicconsumers.org/ for "U.S. Seed Companies Pledging To Be GE Free" and "Ten Reasons Why We Don't Need GM Foods".