Non-GMO Seeds: Why and Where?

Next week the weather in my neck of the woods is reaching the fifties! It snowed yesterday, it's a high of 10º today and tomorrow it will be 35º. It's supposed to be in the thirties for the next week!  The first 35º warm-up in Wisconsin is hilarious. Many people are walking around without jackets, you see a lot of people in shorts and on extreme occasions, you can even spot a sandal or two! For me, the warm-up just brings excitement and also a touch of anxiety. I immediately start getting excited for my garden and I always feel two steps behind. This year, I'm going to be on top of it because this year, I'm growing from seed.

I really want to save some money in the garden this year and growing from seed is a great way to do just that. My goal is to plant in mid-May, so I want to get my seeds soon and start the process indoors, that way they are good and healthy by the time I want to plant.

Buying non-GMO without supporting GMO

Many stores around us have organic seeds for sale. By definition, organic should mean non-GMO. Many people will tell you that as a home gardener, you don't get GMO seeds, they just haven't reached that commercial avenue yet. However, the scary fact is that Monsanto has been buying up seed companies faster than a rabbit hopping though your garden. They own about 40% of the market. Does this mean that the organic seed you are buying are GMO? No. It does mean that when buying an organic seed, you may be supporting Monsanto and their mission.

There are lots of companies who have signed the Safe (non-GMO) Seeds Pledge. This pledge will give you that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that they are not affiliated with Monsanto. Here is a list of all seed companies that have signed the pledge. After looking through a lot of them, these two are where I am going to get my seeds from this year:

• SeedsNow.com I love their $.99 sampler selection which gives you anywhere from 10-100 seeds just for $.99 each!! 
• High Mowing Organic Seeds They have really nice seed collections for those of you who are wondering what to plant and what plants work with others. They are a little pricier but they also have retail outlets for those of you in-person shoppers.

What Varieties Support GMO

Another thing I was surprised about finding out is that Monsanto has bought a variety of heirloom seed names. So, even if you are buying some delicious looking organic heirloom tomatoes from your local farmer, again, money might be going to Monsanto in the long run because buying this seed means giving Monsanto money ... they own the trademark to their name! Here is a list of ALL the names of seeds that they own. I warn you, there's a lot!

Happy, mindful and safe gardening everyone. May you all have a bountiful harvest!