# How do you know if your seeds are GMO?



## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

Are there certain brands? Do they have a specific look? How does one avoid buying them? I know where to get heirloom and organic, but what if I find a sale and they packaging doesn't say where they come from?


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## twiggie (Jan 3, 2009)

From my understanding any hybrid or GMO seed has to be labeled as such.


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## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

GMO seed, so far, are not available to the home gardener. They are sold only to Agri farms/big business farms on a signed contract which MUST be adhered to or Monsanto will take you to court and take everything you own. It's NOT a worry for growers like us or even small farmers cause the smaller guys cannot afford the contract terms.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

I might be wrong, but I believe they are for sale to the public. The following link lists the companies that took the safe seed pledge and it will give you companies that are owned or affiliated with Monsanto. http://www.garden-of-eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto/


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

Look for Open Pollenated, Heirloom markings. Use a reputable retailer. I've had luck with Souther Seed Exchange. Check out their website and compare.


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## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

Thanks y'all. Last thing I want in my garden or my kids eating are GMO's. Ya know, I had my 4 kids at home with a midwife, and over 16 years ago she was informing me of GMO's. Didn't give it much thought then but agreed that we should leave nature alone.. She is one smart lady.


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## donewithcity (Mar 15, 2012)

"Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Since 1975, our members have been passing on our garden heritage by collecting and distributing thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners."
http://www.seedsavers.org/


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Also, if you're planning on saving your seed for the following season, you'll wanna steer clear of hybrids. They should also be marked.


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## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

Sorry to revive an older thread, Non GMO companies should have something to that effect on their website. Although they may still do business with Monsanto. Monsanto sells all sorts of things to the resellers including Non-GMO seeds.
GMO are not required to be marked as such, although they should be ethically speaking. Hybrids should also be marked, but that is dependent on a probably part time seasonal employee sitting at the printer making labels. 
Hybrids are not necessarily GMO, they are from 2 different types of parent plants to get certain characteristics. The f1, f2 and so on are which daughter level they are at. Hybrid plants usually do not have seeds that will give you the same plant.
Also any reputable seed company would be willing to tell you where the stock came from. We are not that concerned as the major suppliers will not see in the sizing you would want to buy.


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## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

That "seed pledge" is an excellent marketing tool these days. Monsanto owns many seed companies that sell hybrid and open pollinated seeds. GM/GMO seed is only sold in large amounts on contract with Monsanto who keeps total control of that seed stock. The only way a home gardener can get GM seed is if a commercial farmer give them some and that is a violation of his contrat with Monsanto and that farmer could lose his entire farm because of that. That IS how controlling Monsanto is about that particular seed which they hold total patents on and legally own.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I'd do business with Baker Creek seeds before I would ever do business with SSE again. 
Baker Creek does test some of it's seed for GMO contamination. I can't say they do it all but the ones that are most likely to be contaminated are corn and they state that they check their corn. (corn is a little like the bad girl of the veggie family.. it will cross breed with any other type of corn available.. peppers are a bit slutty too.. )
I try to not buy one single thing from any company that is even remotely associated with monsatano. I will not give them a single cent knowingly. 
Round up is a nightmare.. it is a class one cell disruptor.. kills the soil micro-life.. Who the hell knows what it is doing to our bodies. 
if you do a search on it you can get a list of most of the stuff that is GMO. 
Michigan farmers did a huge lawsuit against Monsanto and their GMO sugar beets.. they want it banned.


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## marlas1too (Feb 28, 2010)

i only plant heirloom seeds and i save all the seeds to be planted next year so i only buy heirloom seads


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## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

Open pollinated seeds are also good for saving.

It IS possible to get GMO from a seed seller, the only way to be sure is to call them up (or look on their site) for the safe seed pledge. That way you can be 99.9% sure that they do not even have the seeds in their warehouse.

But some stock may still come from Monsanto as they provide Non-GMO seeds as well. It can be like buying a car from xyz. You may not like the fact that the same supplier of the exhaust also supplies an exhaust to slave labor countries, but sometimes you really do not have a choice.


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## SeedCanadaLady (Mar 25, 2013)

It is true that you can only trust seed from people with the same mind as you folks. They are out there and saving seeds, distributing them to like minds because they own their own land and want to keep it that way. Search out sources and find out who sits behind the desk. They should be able to answer the phone and talk to you in person. That is when they are not out growing and protecting our children's birthright.


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