Stock up on Heirloom Seeds...?
The bill granting an FDA Czar unilateral authority over every farm and garden ("food producer") in the U.S. will go to the President soon. (Senate Bill 510 - and yes, I've read it)
While it's unlikely that the Feds will be outlawing home gardens and small town food markets anytime soon (the FDA can't or won't enforce many of the current food safety regs already on the books) it does open up some new opportunities for rent seekers.
With this level of authority, the feds are one corporate lobbyist away from going all Monsanto on the private seed supply. Fully fertile, heirloom seeds may be a thing of the past 5 to 10 years from now. The last non-toxic light bulb factory in the U.S. closed recently, so if our Congress critters and their allies in the J-school media can put a "public safety" or "climate change" label on a regulation, expect it to pass, no matter how foolish.
The question is: is it worth trying to stock up on heirloom seeds? Especially if your food gardening efforts (i.e. properly prepared beds - though I'm looking at square foot gardening as an option) are haphazard. I don't know how organic gardeners (yes I'm one) manage to grow any kind of decent food crops here in Slug Central.
While it's unlikely that the Feds will be outlawing home gardens and small town food markets anytime soon (the FDA can't or won't enforce many of the current food safety regs already on the books) it does open up some new opportunities for rent seekers.
With this level of authority, the feds are one corporate lobbyist away from going all Monsanto on the private seed supply. Fully fertile, heirloom seeds may be a thing of the past 5 to 10 years from now. The last non-toxic light bulb factory in the U.S. closed recently, so if our Congress critters and their allies in the J-school media can put a "public safety" or "climate change" label on a regulation, expect it to pass, no matter how foolish.
The question is: is it worth trying to stock up on heirloom seeds? Especially if your food gardening efforts (i.e. properly prepared beds - though I'm looking at square foot gardening as an option) are haphazard. I don't know how organic gardeners (yes I'm one) manage to grow any kind of decent food crops here in Slug Central.