It may seem hard to believe, but there are so many people who are unaware of the GMO seed and food issue. I personally know many people who choose not to ask questions or who refuse to put in the time for research. As with any important issue there are always those who accept the propaganda and like the ostrich, bury their head in the proverbial sand.
Since you are reading this and other materials to help educate yourself, you are not one of them. There is a tendency in us to quickly become overwhelmed when learning something new and to simply forget about it. While the amount of information and the different arguments may be scary at first, the truth is simple. Man has once again tried to improve upon what didn’t need fixing in the first place.
There are many political arguments for the “experiment,” but the truth is readily available for those who want it. There is a reason why more than 60 countries in the world have banned them, limited them, and/or required their labeling for use in their borders. Only the U.S. is pushing this seed catastrophe, but that is only because we are corporate run.
Less than 50 years ago, it didn’t matter so much where you bought your seeds. If you were avoiding chemically treated seeds, it wasn’t hard to find natural seeds, almost everyone sold both. A seed was a seed. Now, saving your own seed from non-GMO plants is one of, if not the, most important decisions a gardener makes.
Who Owns Your Seeds?
The old timers saved their own seeds or bartered their seeds with neighbors; they purchased very little. Since the Garden of Eden, we have known that fruits and veggies are good for us. We have never been told “Don’t eat too many tomatoes,” “Don’t have more than one apple a day.” So we have known that these seeds are vital to our health and well being.
But now we have big government and companies like Monsanto, which is the largest of the companies responsible for GMOs, owning 90 percent of the seeds. They have sued farmers multiple times for saving crop seeds after they were accidentally contaminated by Monsanto’s GMO seeds. The sad part, they won. They own the seed the farmer saved because their seed was in it. Farmers located near their “experimental fields” can no longer save their own seed.
Resources for Information
There just isn’t enough time and space to discuss this issue in full, but if you have done any research at all, I am sure you have made your decision to avoid GMOs at all cost. You can check out my YouTube GMO Playlist for some videos to help get you started. You will see several from Dr. Jeffrey Smith. I would definitely suggest ordering his movie Genetic Roulette. We did and have invited our friends and family to watch it with us. You may also want to check out our article Is Your Food Really Organic? for more links and information.
We also have two boards on Pinterest to help others learn and keep informed about this problem: Non-GMO, Organic News and Info and Organic, Non-GMO Farming.
Resources for Non-GMO Seeds
We save most all of our own seed. If and when I do order, there are few companies I have come to trust. I have found them to be reliable, friendly and helpful places to order seeds and supplies. Sifting through all the blah, blah, blah … yada, yada, yada … can be overwhelming, I remember. So here are the ones we recommend from experience. No, I am not affiliated with any of them.
1) Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
2) Wood Prairie Farm
3) Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
4) Seeds of Change
This list is not to exclude other companies offering organic, non-GMO seeds or supplies. We do business with the first two because we identify with their principles of business, concerns and goals. We have done business with and still recommend the others also. As always, I am careful about what and who I recommend to you because any good relationship is based on trust. Do you know of some other company you like to do business with? Please share with me.
For more information on seed saving, see our post Seed Saving Savvy. Remember, you can always get in touch with me by using the comments below or the Contact Me page on my website. I always enjoy hearing your ideas, questions and suggestions.
Safe and Happy Journey,
Rhonda and The Pack
The Farmer’s Lamp
