Non GMO Seeds

Hi All:

I'd like to know what is the surest way to determine that the seeds I'm buying from a seed catalog are non-GMO? I only use non-GMO seeds and had an interesting experience recently.

I purchased seeds from a variety of catalogs last year. I always look for non-GMO dosclaimers or the term organic when I shop. Anyway, one of the sources I brought some seeds from last year sent me a catalog for their commercial side of the business and smack dab in the middle of the catalog were several pages of contracts which needed to be signed if you were going to purchase any of their genetically modified watermelon seeds. So this got me thinking about their entire line of seeds and if what I purchased was non-GMO.

So I have 2 questions:

1. How can I be as sure as possible that the seeds I'm purchasing are non-GMO?
2. Does purchasing seed labeled as organic automatically mean that it is also non-GMO?

Thanks
Brennan

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you gardeners.

Have you tried Baker Creek Heirloom Seed site?

PP

what does GMO stand for??

GMO stands for "genetically modified organism."

Brennan, you're in luck. On the Garden Watchdog site, you can search for those seed companies offering the "Safe Seed Pledge." There are lots. Baker Creek's one, and so is Southern Exposure (my own favorite; specially for your region) and J.L. Hudson, Seedman. So click on the "Garden Watchdog" tag, then scroll down to "Browse by Category" and select "Signed Safe Seed Pledge." Have fun.

Thank You Zeppy

I'll check it out.

I have seen those pages to be signed concerning watermelon seed. As far as I knew they related to a bacterial disease called Fruit Blotch. I The signing is to waive lawsuits if the seed did inadvertantly contain the disease in the seeds. I am completly unaware of any GMO implications here.

BronxBoy, Please go back and double check this out and report back if you will.
Thanks

This message was edited Dec 22, 2005 1:17 PM

Thanks Indy:

I think I tossed the catalog. I'll look for it it when I get home. I assumed this was related to GMO because there was some language regarding copyright infringement and the like.

I will definitely take a look for it and report back if I have it.

I'm siiting here reading the Willhite seed catalog's only release form regarding watermelons and it is for Bacterial Fruit Blotch as Indy indicated. Merry Christmas you'ns

I looked for the catalog but couldn't find it. I think I just read it wrong. I did check out the watchdog area and have ordered some catalogs from some of the growers there.

May all your gardens grow bountifully in 2006

Here's another way of going at it. You can check the companies listed in the Garden Watchdog.

http://www.gene-watch.org/programs/safeseed/sourcebook.html

Good link, 'Nerd. Thanks!

It must be for Bacterial Fruit Blotch, then. As far as I know, the only GMOs on the market are canola, corn, soybeans, cotton and rice (the rice is mostly in China). Monsanto wanted to develope GMO wheat, but there was such an uproar in Europe that they decided to drop it. There aren't any GMO vegetables that I know of on the market yet, but Monsanto seems to be thinking about it. Here's a couple of good reads I just found on the Fedco and the Organic Consumers Association web sites.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/monsanto.htm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Monsanto/seminis20205.cfm

Actually, that GeneWatch site lists companies that signed the pledge in 2002, with no updates. Wonder why. It also misses some companies that have been GMO free as long as they've been around.

Sorry, didn't catch that. No idea. A lot of the no-GMO sites haven't updated in ages and don't return emails, so they're probably just sitting on a server somewhere. Time to hit Google again, maybe tomorrow.