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  • From: "Paul Wiediger" <wiediger AT windstream.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Baker's Creek and GMO
  • Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 14:53:10 -0500

There are also some GMO summer squash - usually designated by a roman
numeral after the name, i.e. Dasher III. Haven't looked for them this year,
but they have been in catalogs in the past and you have to look hard for
"transgenic" in their descriptions - maybe sales were too low and they were
dropped. Mostly, however, the profits just aren't there for vegetable seed,
and it IS profit driven, not altruistically taking care of the poor farmer.

Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Bill
Shoemaker
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 2:45 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Baker's Creek and GMO

> I know it often sounds like I am a defender of
> Monsanto (I am not by any stretch) but does anyone
> actually know if there are GMO vegetables outside
> the commodity crop seed ranges?

Mostly no. But there are a few exceptions, such as sweet corn and potatoes.
The reason most vegetables don't get much attention is because there isn't
enough seed marketed to satisfy corporate bottom lines. For example, there
are varieties of sweet corn which have the Bt gene genetically engineered
into them. The same gene could be inserted into varieties of broccoli,
cabbage and other brassica crops. But the markets for seed wouldn't satisfy
profit expectations.

There is another, probably more important reason why most vegetables have no
GMO varieties. Because most vegetables are directly consumed, the company
which owns the GMO patent and/or variety would have to be prepared for
consumer reaction. Past attempts have not gone well, such as CalGene's
Flavor Saver tomato.

Bill
William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610
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