At Hedgerow Farm we plant heirloom, open-pollinated seeds. We buy these seeds from companies that have signed the safe seed pledge. The Texas Red Hill Okra planted this summer grew from such seed. Vigorous, proven, and with traits that fit our farm’s environment, it thrived without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. The seeds from this plant can be saved and planted next year or passed along to neighbors and friends in the area. Just as gardeners and farmers have been doing for centuries. Cooperation rather than competition shapes the agrarian life.
Genetically Modified and Patented Seeds: Why should we resist this “radical departure” from our centuries old understanding of the natural world?
From Fedco Seeds:
“By tradition, our biological heritage was held in common. Sharing, not secrecy, was the dominant paradigm. The industry’s attempt to impose a proprietary model upon a product bountifully given by nature is a radical departure from our agricultural tradition.”