Originally Posted by
Tightwad
All of the corporate seed companies now produce no carry over seeds. There is a place in
Scandinavia now collecting seed for that time when other seed will not reproduce.
Most gardening books still have old non-current info about seed carry over due to the fact
that no seed company advertizes the genetic modifactions. One only has to do a brief study
of the food industies consolidation into the Big 3 of food to get a cold chill about the worlds
food systems & future. The old "family" farm is ,or has been, killed off in many places or
many ways for those that are left.
I wasn't aware of this fact. I do see a number of smaller organizations however who talk about the practice of "seed saving" which is the technique whereby a gardener will save his best plants for next year's crops. This is supposed to be a great way to increase the variety and strength of seed stock, rather than using seed from a very few resources. Downside: a lot of work.
http://www.seedsave.org/
I also found a number of resources out of state agriculture schools who provide a lot of details on this subject. For example,
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07602.html
As well, there are a number of smaller shops that sell organic seed, which do not seem genetically or otherwise modified. Organica caught my attention
http://www.organicaseed.com/?gclid=C...FREDWAod2lGaEQ
From what I read, these aren't hyrid or "F1" seeds either.
Originally Posted by Organica home page
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 of 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 people and communities.