Eager to start a garden this spring? Beware of seeds from Monsanto!

If you are like me you enjoy watching the crops and flowers you plant in the spring grow and develop. There is certainly nothing more satisfying than reaping that which you sow, but this day in age it can be a lot more complicated than that. As we all know many seed varieties out there are genetically modified to produce stronger, more productive plants, seemingly a great concept. However, there are many problems with this concept.

My biggest issue with this whole arrangement is that very few companies hold a monopoly on the supply of seeds, making them a very pretty, not so green, penny. Along with that these companies are into some very shady practice. For instance, the company Monsanto, one of the worlds largest seed producers is famous for suing farmers who grow crops adjacent to farms using Monsanto seeds. Their argument is that because the crops near the Monsanto plants might be fertilized by the Monsanto plant's pollen, those farmers then owe Monsanto royalties for the genetic information passed on. Utterly outrageous. Once more these seeds are often times designed so that their progeny are sterile and seeds collected from these genetically modified crops will, often times, not grow. This obviously forces farmers to continuously buy from one company. For sake of time, I won't start on how these seeds are often sold as part of a package deal of fertilizers and pesticides that are REQUIRED for these seeds to flourish.

If all this strikes you odd and maybe even enrages you slightly consider this article by Colleen Vanderlinden, titled; Keeping Monsanto Out Of Your Garden This Spring. In it she addresses which companies are owned by and sell seeds produced by companies like Monsanto and others. She also gives you some tips on knowing what to look for when buying seeds. If you want my opinion and you are from the Northeast, talk to the oldest person you know with a garden. Often times they keep their seeds for generations, and will have some genuine non-GMO heirloom varieties. If that doesn't work talk to the people at your local Farmers Market or Organic Co-Op, they will be able to point you to the varieties and companies, that work best with your local area. If all else fails start Googling, AND READ!