[Community_garden] The real story about Burpee - Why We KeepMike McGrath Around

Thu Jan 11 14:32:23 EST 2007

It probably came from the huge white dog.
On Jan 11, 2007, at 1:33 PM, Mike McGrath wrote:

> I am especially proud of the "shameless" part!
>                                                ---McG
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <adam36055 at aol.com>
> To: <MikeMcG at PTD.net>; <libby at igc.org>
> Cc: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 1:17 PM
> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] The real story about Burpee - Why We  
> KeepMike McGrath Around
>
>
>> You can say alot of things about Mike McGrath, like he's annoying,  
>> tends to suck all the air out of the room and is a shameless know it  
>> all...
>>
>> But he does "know something," and will take the extra step to learn  
>> something and share it, ad infinitum, with the rest of us.
>>
>> Bless him.
>>
>> Thank you Mike, for this.
>>
>> Adam Honigman
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: MikeMcG at PTD.net
>> To: libby at igc.org; adam36055 at aol.com
>> Cc: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org
>> Sent: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:57 AM
>> Subject: The real story about Burpee
>>
>>
>> Just got off the phone with Peggy DeLaurentis; she's George Ball's  
>> personal secretary at Burpee. I have known both George and Peggy for  
>> close to 20 years now. George is eccentric and a lot of fun; Peggy is  
>> sharp and dependable. I trust them both--at least not to lie to me.
>>  NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
>>  Burpee has not been sold to anyone nor have they acquired anything  
>> major since Heronswood several years ago.
>>  Peggy said that these rumors came out of nowhere, are completely  
>> untrue and have made the Burpee workers very upset.
>>  OK? That's the official response direct from the head office.
>>
>>  Now, here's MY personal take:
>>  FACT: For many years now, Burpee has been moving in the opposite  
>> direction of what these posts have been implying, including the  
>> launch of a Burpee branded organically grown seed line several years  
>> now that continues to this day. Certified by Oregon Tilth; see page  
>> 127 in 2007 catalog.
>>  FACT: I just waded through that same 2007 catalog, and as far as I  
>> can see, all of the pest control products offered re organic; the  
>> fertilizers too.
>>  FACT: George Ball personally called me several years ago (while I  
>> was railing publicly about treated seed) to explain that Burpee did  
>> not carry ANY treated seed. He didn't think it was safe for people to  
>> be handling Captan and Thiram. Johnny's Selected Seeds--who I  
>> otherwise admire greatly--has always sold seed treated with these  
>> extremely nasty chemicals.
>>
>>  I know and like many of the people who work there, and, as an  
>> 'organic authority', I like Burpee as a company. Yes, they're big,  
>> but to my eye, they're about as clean and progressive as a company  
>> that size can be.
>>  (As my un-Sainted Grandmom Elsie would say, "What do you people  
>> want? Eggs in your beer?!")
>>
>> So unless you know otherwise, please pour water on this fire instead  
>> of more gasoline.
>>  ---Mike McG
>>  www.youbetyourgarden.org
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: <adam36055 at aol.com>
>> To: <libby at igc.org>
>> Cc: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:16 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Not sure that Burpee has sold out
>>
>>> Then we should ask.
>>>
>>> Adam
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message----- From: libby at igc.org
>>> To: adam36055 at aol.com
>>> Cc: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org
>>> Sent: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 9:50 PM
>>> Subject: Re: Not sure that Burpee has sold out
>>>
>>>
>>> Interesting analysis, but are Burpee selling Seminis' gene-altered  
>>> seeds?  > I think that's the question al lot of gardeners would like  
>>> to have > answered.
>>>
>>> Libby
>>>
>>> On Jan 10, 2007, at 9:41 PM, adam36055 at aol.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm not sure, because the issue is corporate branding.
>>>>
>>>> In other words, Brooks Brothers has been owned by all kinds  
>>>> companies >  >> in the last few years, as has Land's End, and both  
>>>> companies have been > >> maintained as separate and distinctive  
>>>> brands - there is no value in > >> them being Marks & Spencer, or  
>>>> Sears, because Brooks and Marks & > Land's >> End clients don't  
>>>> want what the corporate owner sell under > their own >> names.
>>>>
>>>> The value of Burpee to Seminis and Monsanto would be the cash flow  
>>>> > that >> it brings in from folks like us for Burpee branded items.  
>>>> I'm > not >> planning to stop buying Burpee branded items as  
>>>> they're the same  > as >> they have traditionally been.
>>>>
>>>> And it's always possible that Seminis might want to spin off Burpee  
>>>> at >  >> some later date - any of us have the dough to buy it? ( I  
>>>> don't, > >> certainly, but you never know who will walk into your  
>>>> community > >> garden.)
>>>>
>>>> Best wishes,
>>>> Adam Honigman
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message----- >> From: libby at igc.org
>>>> To: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org
>>>> Sent: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 9:17 PM
>>>> Subject: [Community_garden] I guess Burpee has sold out
>>>>
>>>> http://www.saveseeds.org/biography/ball_geo_jr.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of  
>> ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA  
>> and to find out how to join, please go to  
>> http://www.communitygarden.org
>>
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