Fairly soon I may not even be able to give away seeds of old vegetable varieties

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
They are modified to have a suicide gene in them which wont let them produce viable seed. Its starting to become clearer why they built this thing now. Bet nothing in here is GM

http://news.nationalgeographic.co.u...702-svalbard-doomsday-seed-vault-food-supply/

That's a good idea (protecting older or alternate seed sources)

But TBH the compamies have been supplying seeds which grow sterile crops for decades without using GM (just old fashioned husbandry) All they have to do is cross pollinate the old fashioned way and the result is sterile the vast majority of the time; just like crossing animal species (think how a mule resulting from crossing a horse and burrow is usuaaly sterile)
 

yarrow

Forager
Nov 23, 2004
226
2
53
Dublin
Whats this referring to mate? :)

It’s a sci-fi book about a dystopian future where bio engineering companies hold all the cards and the common people starve because of the stuff you mentioned like F1 seeds. I just hope people like you and Red and every one else keeps doing what you’re doing so the future doesn’t turn out so bad; it’s not looking good though:(
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
Sounds a good read, and probably not too far fetched either.

It’s a sci-fi book about a dystopian future where bio engineering companies hold all the cards and the common people starve because of the stuff you mentioned like F1 seeds. I just hope people like you and Red and every one else keeps doing what you’re doing so the future doesn’t turn out so bad; it’s not looking good though:(
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,938
4,571
S. Lanarkshire
They make it illegal, and then folks fret, and it becomes an underground activity, something sleekit and hidden, because to be open about it, to protest, is to be illegal and face prosecution, or to be sued and financially ruined.
If the companies have the right to anything grown 'illegally' with their seed, even if it was adulteration of fertilisation by an outside vector (bees, wind, flies, etc.,) then they can claim the right to destroy the crop.
Who's going to risk major financial disaster by saving or swapping seeds ?
Small growers, hobbyists, home growers, etc., get felled by the knock on effect.

The companies have already underhandedly created an eco disaster in the making with major food seeds now bred to be infertile. It's keeping their profits up because folks have to buy new seed from them every year. If they manage to make old, fertile, breeds illegal, then they totally wipe out any competition.

Me ? I sew seeds all over the place :D I aim for either indigenous or traditional crop seeds, but if every garden and wild bit in the land grows something, and folks just keep passing them along.....well, it's just bird food, isn't it ;)

cheers,
M
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
Promise you guys one thing.... and any Gov representative reading this........ come and try arrest me for growing food and i will rip your head clean off. :) In a pleasant way of course :)

Been speaking to my brothers best mate recently( police officer) and "apparently" i'm a 4 car call out.,. Which is supposed to mean they can't not knock on my door without 4 cars (8 policemen) there to do the knocking. it'd be amusing if i was the kind of guy who enjoyed scaring folk.

Apparently i'm on the stystem as " capable of extreme and sudden violence" ( same as all ex squaddies i suppose)

***? i've not killed anybody for years... :D :lmao:
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
not being funny ,but how would the enforce this rule/ law

The same way that I cannot sell people pine tar soap or parsnip seeds on here without paying hundreds of pounds in registration fees - per soap type or seed variety to government agencies
 

Elen Sentier

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Promise you guys one thing.... and any Gov representative reading this........ come and try arrest me for growing food and i will rip your head clean off. :) In a pleasant way of course :)

Been speaking to my brothers best mate recently( police officer) and "apparently" i'm a 4 car call out.,. Which is supposed to mean they can't not knock on my door without 4 cars (8 policemen) there to do the knocking. it'd be amusing if i was the kind of guy who enjoyed scaring folk.

Apparently i'm on the stystem as " capable of extreme and sudden violence"

***? i've not killed anybody for years... :D

Mark, I'm impressed :cool:, I've never known a "4-car man" before! I shall call upon you in my hour of "seed need" :)
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
It's comical really. I laugh at it........ They take it seriously though....... i was what i was because that is what i was paid to do, by the same people who pay people to keep me from doing it........ go figure. :D
Mark, I'm impressed :cool:, I've never known a "4-car man" before! I shall call upon you in my hour of "seed need" :)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Promise you guys one thing.... and any Gov representative reading this........ come and try arrest me for growing food and i will rip your head clean off. :) In a pleasant way of course :) ....

LOL. Sounds like the byline from members of one of my favorite organizations (I'm a life member also) "When they pry it from my cold, dead fingers."
 

Elen Sentier

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Putting my money where my mouth is :D - my last leeks are just about to flower, I'll be saving the seed but there'll be far too much for me, would anyone like some? The variety is Musselburgh and they're both organic and biodynamic plants. They tasted excellent, we ate the last edible ones last week. They came up well, stood very well over winter and continued right up to June. let me know if you'd like some.
 

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