Here is the text of the email I received:
I am the owner of Hometown Seeds and I need to clarify a terrible misunderstanding. Chelsea showed me your email and I worked back from there. Let me explain.
First, our survival seeds are all non-hybrid and none are GMO. Secondly, the mistake is all my fault. Chelsea is working in our little company part time. She is a student at a local university helping us build traffic to our website by reaching out to sites like yours. She is not an expert in gardening and relies on me to answer any technical questions. When the gentlemen from Oklahoma Peppers Network asked if our seeds were Hybrid or GMO, I told her to respond that we sell some hybrid seeds but they are not in the survival seeds, and none of our seeds are GMO. This is obviously not how she responded and had no idea how badly the mistake would be received. I have seen what she emailed back, hence the misunderstanding and negative blog posts. It was there in black and white after all.
We completely agree with the evils of GMO seeds. We do not now nor ever will carry GMO seeds. As for the survival seeds, the whole point is to provide open pollinated seed that will generate seed for the next year as well as food for the family. All seeds in the survival seed packet are non-hybrid.
We have already sent the survival seed package out to you and I would hope you would examine the types of seeds and the instructions that clearly describe each type of seed.I feel terrible that we have created such a problem. What I feel the worst about is that in your efforts to help us out, we created confusion with your loyal readers. I don’t know what else I can do but accept full responsibility for the what we have done and apologize profoundly. I am very sorry. I ask forgiveness from you and your readers.
Scott Peterson, owner
(UPDATE- here is the rest 0f my email from Scott.)
(I am the owner of Hometown Seeds. Chelsea forwarded your message with your concerns for GMO seeds. I appreciate you addressing us first as our mistake has led to some very negative blog posts. Please see the detailed explanation below. We are vigorously trying to remove these concerns. We have no GMO seeds. We have a single supplier that shares our belief that GMO seeds have too many unknowns and should be avoided. Please let us know if you have any further questions.)
So, the seeds from them are safe, no concerns. I did notice from checking out their website that the hybrids they offer are all clearly labeled as such. I'm glad I didn't jump to conclusions.
There is still time to enter the giveaway for the Survival Seeds pack.
That exact same email, word for is what I received from hometown seeds.
ReplyDeleteLOL- I'm sure in trying to clean up this mess he's been sending out a bunch of these. Why personalize. Although, to be honest, there was a bit more message prior to the 'set text' that I didn't include, thanking me for my email to the company.
ReplyDeleteJudy
PlEASE EXPLAIN WHAT GMO SEEDS ARE...I HAVEN'T A CLUE....DEBBIE
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, a number of new, less than 5 year-old, so called seed companies are springing up to sell seeds someone else grows to people who are afraid. As far as I know, no one sells gmo seeds to home gardeners. GMO seeds come with a contract too complicated and too costly to make it worth selling to small buyers. I have never heard of Hometown Seeds. Find a company at least 20 years old. Ask the best gardener in your neighborhood. Then save your own seeds. You can find detailed instructions on the website of this 20 year-old non-profit: http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html
ReplyDeleteDebbie- GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism- something who's genetic structure has been artificially changed in a lab. There is LOTS of controversy about how safe this practice is. I don't have a problem with hybrids- in the right circumstances, but I don't like the idea of someone creating Frankencucumber in a lab somewhere and letting it loose. We just don't have enough information to know it's safe and personally, I want something naturally created in my food.
ReplyDeleteSeedman- thanks for stopping by. I do tend to save a lot of my own seed and have seeds passed down from my parents. I do try to order from reputable dealers who have a good track record. Hometown seeds approached me (and several other bloggers) in an effort to get their name out there. Unfortunately, it rather backfired on them. I really do hope this whole event doesn't ruin them- even those companies who have been around for 20 or more years had to start somewhere. And the 'survival seeds' that Hometown sells are only one small category of the seeds they sell.
Judy
Thank you for pursuing this - I got the same email and had heard that these seeds were GMO. Thank you for clarifying!
ReplyDelete