[CH] seed control
L & C Wyman (cywash@ptinet.net)
Sun, 9 Aug 1998 20:26:17 -0700
The practice of controling the seeds for agriculture is a worldwide problem
apparently. A freind who has been in Africa for many years tells of the
Agriculture corporations coming in and planting test fields with hybrid seed
and getting 2 to 4 times the yield of the local farmers who have
traditionally saved seed every year. Understandably few can resist the
increased yield and soon are buying their seed from the Corporation, and
saving seed no more. The benefit to the Corporation is they sell the seed
and the benefit to the farmer is apparently a greater yield in an inflated
market. Over time the African farmer will have saved no productive seed and
be totally dependent on outside sources for their supply, kind of a natural
resources "we own it & you want it" power struggle raised to the ridiculous
very rapidly.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, we'll soon have to defrost the little 7.5 cubic
ft freezer to clean it and make room for the 200 lbs of green chiles and
assorted pounds peppers as we in the Great Pacific Northwest get ready for
a harvest of gems and jewels from a late summer of intense and long lasting
sunny days. This should be a good one and we plan to be at Krueger's Pepper
Garden early for the harvest. And again before the first frost sets the
tone of winter.
One of these years we'd better get a NW hotluck on the calender. We are
kinda torn up here with a new septic system going in and trees down and
being cut into firewood but next year we've got a place for it to happen.
Harvest report to follow................................L & C.