Seed Keepers

[Allan Balliett <aballiett@frontiernet.net>]

> M&M Mars owns Deeds of Change. Why did they sell out. Who will next own
> SSE and what role will Goldman play in that transaction.

Lawrence - Mars is a family corporation, not a public corporation. As 
such, they are, or can be, value driven. Mars supported most of Seeds 
of Change's efforts (which, if you will recall, was to create a 
distributed living seed bank of OP varieties throughout the world) As 
the founding members of SoC got older or distracted, it was 
convenient for them to let MARS take the reins. I hear that the seed 
arm, Steve Peters et al, has autonomy and operates much as they did 
before MARS owned SoC. MARS did take the SoC name for their line of 
prepared organic foods. A lot of good came from MARS organic foods, 
at least in the beginning.

Sorry to go off, Lawrence, but the Mars family CEO of SoC once bought 
an iMac for BD Now! back when I was starving down on the commune.  He 
didnt do that for any more than to help keep the deep sustainable 
farming word out. Didn't even ask for a plug and, possibly, I've 
never told this story before.

What is sad, but it doesn't seem to bother him, Al Kapuler 
(founder/SoC) let SSE have his PEACE SEED inventory a year or so ago.

-Allan