Cross-post from gardening & GD. Interesting comment about Iraq.

[katsy]

While looking for some heirloom seeds to plant with my children, I came across this:

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Tomatoes-Red/Rouge-D-Irak

:wow:

Think this company will be getting my business.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

1. Good find. ...n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

2. Wow!

Never thought I would see political comment from a seed catalog!

I'm getting hungry for some new variety of tomato...

[femmocrat]

3. Wow. K & R

Incredible.....

[havocmom]

4. US protecting giant corporations from small farms saving seed`

From link provided in OP

This variety is endangered even in its own country, where saving seeds was made illegal under the "Colonial Powers" of the United States. Under the new law, Iraqi farmers must only plant seeds from "protected varieties" from international corporations. Is this our unique way of making democracy?

So, we bomb the shit out of their infrastructure, kill over 600,000 of their people (who did NOTHING to the US) and now, while foods are scarce there, we force their struggling farmers to BUY seed from giant corporations.

:grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke:

DUers, plant gardens where ever you can. If you are in the city, fill plastic containers or even bags with soil and learn to grow what you can. Partner up with neighbors and create communal gardens. TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO RAISE FOOD. And save seed!

If you think life is tough with huge corporations having a strangle-hold on your gas tank, face up to the reality that they are getting their greedy hands around your belly too.!

When governments are partnered with, and do the bidding OF corporations, it is called fascism.

[Nihil]

15. K & R ...

... mainly out of disgust at how blatantly the corporations are using
the US armed forces to enhance their profits.

:grr:

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Yup. Good find - I've got a collection of over 1500 tomato varieties myself -

gardening is one thing that keeps me sane in these times. Anyone here grown Cherokee Purple tomato??? I named that one back in 1990. If you haven't - be sure to try it...wonderful! Both my daughters enjoy gardening....my oldest just finished two years in Madagascar in the Peace Corps. she is very depressed about coming back to the US with the cabal still in power.

[TygrBright]

7. Cherokee Purples are one of the two varieties my esposo will eat!

Thank you! It's a great mater.

Neither of us is a big tomato fan, myself because I can't eat them raw (though I like them cooked, in sauces, etc.) and my esposo because... well, because... he just doesn't care for them.

EXCEPT for Cherokee Purples, and Brandywines, which he loves in a BLT.

Good for you.

appreciatively,
Bright

[LiberalEsto]

6. Jesus H. Freaking Kee-rist

God damn Monsanto and Dow and their ilk. They want to starve the world. Their evil genetically engineered seeds render other plant varieties sterile. Farmers get arrested for saving their own seed. This is one of the most evil things I've ever heard about in my lifetime -- deliberately creating conditions for famine.

[havocmom]

8. Kick & we could use some more Rs so more will see the corporate shit goin down

:kick:

[phantom power]

9. what is an "heirloom" seed?

[katsy]

10. Not genetically modified.

Open pollinated.

[phantom power]

11. That brings up an interesting question.

The web site mentioned that this breed of tomato had developed a resistance to pests. Via breeding. Which is also a kind of "genetic modification."

Plants with pest resistance often accomplish that by manufacturing their own "natural" pesticides. In fact, plants' natural defense chemicals are often toxic to the animals that eat them, in a way similar to artificial pesticides.

It all makes me wonder if it is possible to show a qualitative difference between pest resistance via selective breeding and pest resistance via gene splicing.

[hatrack]

18. "Non-Hybrid" might be a better description than "not genetically modified"

The main thing is that an heirloom will breed true, while hybrids won't, provided you follow whatever pollination protocols are required by a given variety of plant.

If you're saving seeds, some heirlooms require that different varieties be planted, say, 1/2 mile apart, or otherwise isolated from other varieties of the same species.

[phantom power]

20. Aha. interesting.

[sazemisery]

13. Heirloom seed definition

n her book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden," Carolyn Male divides the family of heirloom seeds into these classifications:


1. Commercial Heirloom Seeds: created by seed companies prior to 1940
2. Family Heirloom Seeds: selected and grown into a genetically stabilized form by farmers and gardeners
3. Deliberately Created Heirloom Seeds: varieties created by deliberate cross-pollination
4. Mystery Heirloom Seeds: varieties that are result of accidental cross-pollination

The reality is that the origin of some heirloom seeds is undocumented. Creative advertising could be just as responsible for some of our heirloom seeds as the careful selection over many generations. We simply have no way to know for sure where some heirloom seeds came from.

[kestrel91316]

16. An open-pollinated (non-hybrid, non-engineered) old-timer with

a proven track record. Brandywine tomatoes are a perfect example. Unsuited for commercial production due to their fragile skin, but the world's best-tasting tomato IMHO and perfect for BLTs. It's an old Amish variety.

[wryter2000]

12. I hope Iraqis are keeping seeds, anyway

Are they going to make our soldiers go down the streets, kicking in doors, to look for contraband tomato seeds? :mad:

[wryter2000]

14. Posted this on Hartman's blog

With a link to this thread. I hope Thom picks it up.

[kestrel91316]

17. I have a sneaking suspicion the Iraquis are quietly saving their seeds

in spite of the law. Saving tomato seeds is not difficult. I've done it on my kitchen counter.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/seedsave/2002084456024410.html

[katsy]

19. Thank you for the link.

Bet you couldn't guess I have a brown thumb. :-/


Wish me luck.... errrr maybe just pity the seedlings.