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Could your home use more insulation or other energy efficiency improvements? Now is a great time to take advantage of generous incentives! If your home is served by Western Massachusetts Electric Company, National Grid or Berkshire Gas Company, your cost to insulate or seal your home through the MassSAVE program could be reduced by 75% (up to $2000)!

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Avoiding the Garden-Seed Minefield
Notes by Rosemary Wessel, February 2011

As more and more people become aware of the dangers of genetically-modified seeds and the stronghold that Monsanto has on our food supply, I've begun collecting information on where to get non-Monsanto-owned varieties.

Here's an excellent article from Sierra Permaculture, listing seed companies to avoid and, for Territorial Seed Company, which varieties are from Seminis, a subsidiary of Monsanto. The article encourages people to write to Territorial to ask them to drop the Monsanto-owned varieties, a move that currently has them on the fence.
- If you wish to contact Territorial and urge them to drop all ties with Seminis/Monsanto.

Another one on the fence is Johnny's Seeds. They currently offer 40 varieties of Seminis/Monsanto owned seeds and says they're working on finding alternative suppliers for them, but has not dropped them altogether.
- Here's their statement on the issue
- Here's how to write to them if you want to let them know you support breaking all ties with Monsanto

COMPANIES THAT ARE MONSANTO-FREE
(all links to their sites, click away!)
- High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Botanical Interests
- Pinetree Seeds
- FedCo Seeds
- Hart Seeds (available locally at the Old Creamery!)

COMPANIES TO AVOID DUE TO MONSANTO-OWNED PRODUCTS
* Totally Tomato
* Vermont Bean Seed Co.
* Burpee
* Cook’s Garden
* Earl May Seed
* Gardens Alive
* Lindenberg Seeds
* Mountain Valley Seed
* Park Seed
* T&T Seeds
* Tomato Growers Supply
* Willhite Seed Co.
* Nichol’s
* Rupp
* Osborne
* Snow
* Stokes
* Jungs
* R.H. Shumway
* The Vermont Bean Seed Company
* Seeds for the World
* Seymour’s Selected Seeds
* HPS
* Roots and Rhizomes
* McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
* Spring Hill Nurseries
* Breck’s Bulbs
* Audubon Workshop
* Flower of the Month Club
* Wayside Gardens
* Park Bulbs
* Park’s Countryside Garden

(See comments above about ...)
* Territorial Seeds
* Johnny's Seeds

If you find any more info, please share!

EMAIL ROSE with more information.