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

Thu Jan 11 14:46:10 EST 2007

Thanks Mike for the information. I do have to say, when I was at the seed 
conference, a top executive from Burpee approached me after our panel 
discussion. Time has lapsed and I don't remember the man's name....

BUT I could tell he took everything to heart that I vocalized on behalf of 
the community/home gardener.

That was the highlight of the conference to me. Somebody was listening!!!!

Deborah
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike McGrath" <MikeMcG at PTD.net>
To: <libby at igc.org>; <adam36055 at aol.com>
Cc: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] The real story about Burpee - Why WeKeepMike 
McGrath Around

>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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>>
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>
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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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