Book and Seed Vault

[cdntomato]

Anyone know this org and who is behind it? Those of you who know me will know why I am particularly interested/curious.

http://bookandseedvault.org/home.html

Thanks,
Jennifer

[Soilsniffer]

Seems to be a lot of new proposals for seed vaults over the past year or so. This one's going up in Oregon ... someday.

Who's behind it Jennifer? Here's my opinion: Entrepreneurs.

Jay

[cdntomato]

Yeah, I had similar thoughts, Jay. The seed vault in Norway is laudable and legit, but this....???

Just the commentary has me wondering as a) the site makes mention of the board of director 'qualifications' but doesn't reveal who the six board members are or identify what their qualifications and skills actually are; b) the commentary certainly reveals that they (or at least the site's authors) haven't a clue about book/paper or electronic/machine-readable format preservation/conservation.

I deplore NFPs which are not fully transparent.

Jennifer

[johnsonjrbm]

Originally Posted by cdntomato

Yeah, I had similar thoughts, Jay. The seed vault in Norway is laudable and legit, but this....???

Just the commentary has me wondering as a) the site makes mention of the board of director 'qualifications' but doesn't reveal who the six board members are or identify what their qualifications and skills actually are; b) the commentary certainly reveals that they (or at least the site's authors) haven't a clue about book/paper or electronic/machine-readable format preservation/conservation.

I deplore NFPs which are not fully transparent.

Jennifer

I just looked over the website, and was able to find only the first name of a single person.

Nichols Garden Nursery is a garden company in Albany. If anyone has any contacts there, they might be able to shed some light on the subject. (Alas, I am only an occasional NGN seed and herb customer)

[dice]

According to whois, bookandseedvault.org is registered
to Carol Johnson, PO Box ..., Albany, Oregon. (contact email
address is "carole@", so the Carole mentioned on the home
page is probably Carol Johnson).

[Granny]

That looks like a one-woman "organization" to me. Has an awful lot of the hallmarks of an internet scam, to be frank about it.

Carole is currently listed as the only donor too.

Speaking of scams, I went hunting for info on a seed that came from an Italian seed company - not Seeds From Italy/Grow Italian - and found that at least two of the companies offering the particular seed are the same one company operating two different websites under two different names. The third company looks like it might also be the same folks, but that one gives no contact information at all other than a web form and it is too early in the morning to be haunting WHOIS. Italian Seed & Tool is the same company as Gourmet Seed. Mailorder Garden is site #3 (who might be the same folks.)

[carolyn137]

Italian Seed & Tool is the same company as Gourmet Seed. Mailorder Garden is site #3 (who might be the same folks.)

*****

And Harvest Moon fits in there somewhere as well, or used to.

I just got yet another catalog from Gourmet International yesterday, already had another one plus two Italian Tool ones and I plan to e-mail to correct a few item descriptions that bother me. I don't usually do that but so help me, when are folks going to recognize that Arkansas Traveler, for instance, was bred by the U of Arkansas and is not an heirloom variety.

And there are few other things as well.

Good thing, perhaps, that I don't have to buy much seed these days.

I wonder how much seed and money Carol Johnson is putting into her own personal vault these days.

[Granny]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I wonder how much seed and money Carol Johnson is putting into her own personal vault these days.

I don't know, but I did not see any outlining of the technologically advanced seed storage mechanisms like those that are being installed on the Norwegian Island (funded by Bill Gates.)

Sometimes I think that it is really a shame that almost anyone can establish a "charitable foundation" and proceed to rip people off.

[cdntomato]

Yup, and the technology needed for preservation of seeds is profoundly different (read: incompatable) for the DVDs and e-media they cite. Books/paper with food/perishables are a no-can-do as well.

Suckers born every minute, as the old quotation goes...
Sigh.

Jennifer
gonna circulate this heads-up anyway amongst my fellow book 'n paper conservator colleagues

[tomatoaddict]

And Harvest Moon fits in there somewhere as well, or used to.

Carolyn I am curious about Harvest Moon. What do you know about them? I noticed that this year they had a "new" heirloom paste variety. Also, they are the ones selling the alleged "Buckyeye State". I emailed them about their source one time and they never responded.

[flowerfarm]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Italian Seed & Tool is the same company as Gourmet Seed. Mailorder Garden is site #3 (who might be the same folks.)

*****

And Harvest Moon fits in there somewhere as well, or used to.

I just got yet another catalog from Gourmet International yesterday, already had another one plus two Italian Tool ones and I plan to e-mail to correct a few item descriptions that bother me. I don't usually do that but so help me, when are folks going to recognize that Arkansas Traveler, for instance, was bred by the U of Arkansas and is not an heirloom variety.

And there are few other things as well.

Good thing, perhaps, that I don't have to buy much seed these days.

I wonder how much seed and money Carol Johnson is putting into her own personal vault these days.

I'm Carole Johnson and I'll answer your questions...I've put $4,500 of money in getting the BookandSeedVault.org set up with federal, state and Oregon Secretary of State paperwork.

I'm retired and live on Social Security. The concept of being prepared in the event of catastrophe is a 30 year passion of mine. Some of us would identify it as a "gut feeling," be readers of Edgar Cayce, in touch with AmerIndian lore or just plain think it's a good idea to have access to necessary tools, when necessary, without having to file everything in triplicate to pry it out of a government's hands.

The Norway Seed Vault is big money, big power and impossible to get to unless you have a north sea-worthy boat AND the ability to bore through the two five-foot-thick steel doors with an entrance between that is boobytrapped.
I understand that our politicians have proposed that America also have a seed vault--on the dark side of the moon. That should be handy when we need to get to it. Britain has a Millenium Seed Bank (their webpage is encyclopedic). If you're ever in need of when to harvest, how to harvest, how to store and when to plant exotic seeds--you will find the information at this site.
I've looked over all of your comments and find merit to nearly all of them. In another message I will respond fully. In the meantime, I welcome your critiques. The more brains; the better the product. Carole

[johnsonjrbm]

Originally Posted by Granny

Speaking of scams, I went hunting for info on a seed that came from an Italian seed company - not Seeds From Italy/Grow Italian - and found that at least two of the companies offering the particular seed are the same one company operating two different websites under two different names. The third company looks like it might also be the same folks, but that one gives no contact information at all other than a web form and it is too early in the morning to be haunting WHOIS. Italian Seed & Tool is the same company as Gourmet Seed. Mailorder Garden is site #3 (who might be the same folks.)

I've ordered from both Gourmet Seeds and IS&T, and have gotten very good seeds with good service, their tomato descriptions notwithstanding. (GrowItalian, however, has very good seeds and excellent service.) Most of GS's and IS&T's seeds are from Bavicchi, and are in the original hermetically sealed pouches. Bavicchi has generous seed counts.

They do sell a few of Harvest Moon's seeds, too, and their shipping is cheaper than HM. Go figure.

Gourmet Seeds is selling "Shah Mikado" with a blurb about Will Weaver and Mayo Underwood. Just for grins and giggles I ordered a packet, and if I have time this year, I'll grow it out next to the White Potato Leaf I got from Sand Hill for comparison.

The "Shah Mikado" packet has 100 seeds if anyone else is curious.

[cdntomato]

Thanks, all.

Jennifer

[tomatoaddict]

Last year at some point I posted about BS and asked about the reliability of HM. I ordered the seeds and sent an email to HM about their source. They never responded. I mailed some seeds to Neil(Retiree) and he is growing them out this summer.
According to HM's blurb, they have acquired the seed from an Ohio family that has grown them for generations.
I would love to know Craig and Mike's findings. Also, if they need more seed I have a packet.
Thanks for the info.

[c8h10n4o2]

http://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_w...&p_print=FALSE

http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organi...asp?tn=1581936

http://yp.yahoo.com/yp/Corvallis_OR/...y/8106973.html