permaculture

[Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>]

These things just hit our local supermarket. Even though they weren't
organic, I bought some to try just 'cuz they look cool, especially sliced.
But they tasted awful, IMO--probably because they weren't organic. Carrots
are one of those things that just about anyone in a blind taste test will
say taste better organically grown. 

>The article indicates that seed is not available, but is that the last
>word on the subject?

Nope. I bought two bunches--they conveniently come with tops and all--and
they are now in pots where I hope they will go to seed. They weren't worth
eating--see above! The little tag says something to the effect of
"unauthorized propagation prohibited." When I see corporations or
government institutions patenting living things, it's bad enough. But when
they try patenting something developed at a university, or government lab,
or through other tax-funded research, I feel an obligation to defy patent
laws. When I get the seeds, I'll give them away to whoever wants them. Of
course, if the second generation still doesn't taste good, I won't grow
them again! I'm assuming that these purple carrots are simply the result of
classical breeding, but I would like to know for sure that they're not in
any way genetically modified.

Mikal