Sourcing Seeds While Boycotting Israel, Part 2

I'm following up on my original Sourcing Seeds While Boycotting Israel post which shared research conducted by my friend Mary Dunn and has 6,000+ views to date. This is clearly a topic of keen interest in the days before spring arrives in the northern hemisphere amidst ongoing genocide in Gaza.

I am thrilled to share that my husband reached out to the farmer who starts our seeds for us -- a necessity for many veggies here in central Maine with its short growing season. She was happy to grow the seeds we provide rather than using seeds from Johnny's, a Maine seed company that has not pledged to boycott Israeli seeds. I am relieved because growing our own starts required a lot of work and still never achieved robust ready-for-planting seedlings that support better harvests.

A somewhat outdated article in the Bangor Daily News caused confusion for some of us as it seemed to contradict what Mary found about Maine seed company Fedco. But her contacts with Fedco are more recent and found this:

Hi Lisa,

Fedco has not pledged to stop carrying Israeli seed and personally, I doubt they will. 

6 months into the genocide they posted on their Insta page that they supported a ceasefire. It took them 6 months to say that. They have said they did not buy Israeli seeds this year. (They had enough in stock). They have not said they will never buy Israeli seed again. 

They have never called for the liberation of Palestinian people. 

I emailed again two weeks ago. No reply.  I call them the worst form of BS. Presenting themselves as a company with a social justice bent when in fact they aren’t. 

Time for an LTE. 

Thanks for sharing.

Mary

PS- Johnny's has never replied to anyone.

 

Finally, I call your attention to a blogger I respect who addresses a burning question of the 21st century: Can We Feed Ourselves Just Out Of Our Vegetable Gardens? Kollibri terre Sonnenblume has returned to this question several times over the years sharing the result of many cooperative attempts to do so. The short answer is "No" but the long answer is fascinating and can be summed up by his subhed: "Anything helps and what you learn will be valuable." I would say this is true of his blog overall as he approaches subjects like climate change and sustainable growing with deep philosophical understanding.

(All garden photos mine. Here are a couple more to say, I'm also very thankful for food crops that don't need replanting each year!)

Sourcing Seeds While Boycotting Israel

Screenshot from a short documentary detailing destruction of Gaza's agricultural sector, which you can view here.

It's that time of year, when gardeners in the northern hemisphere turn to seed catalogs to order for spring planting.

Big problem: in my state both the big seed companies use seeds grown in Israel. With 15 months of horrific genocide behind us and more on the horizon as Israel violates the terms of their ceasefire agreement with Hamas, this boycott is non-negotiable for many of us.

As reported in the blog Palestine Will Be Free, this is an English translation of Hamas' summary of agricultural destruction:

The Government Media Office in Gaza held a press conference on, Sunday, February 2, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and gave an assessment of the damage..

• 185,000 m² of farmland destroyed
• 49 agricultural warehouses, 6,000 livestock, 1,000 poultry farms, and extensive irrigation networks damaged

Sadly both Fedco and Johnny's Select Seeds have been contacted -- repeatedly -- by BDS activists looking for accurate information. Both have been lobbied internally by their workers to boycott seeds and bulbs that produce profits for Israeli companies, to no avail. 

My friend and former colleague Mary Dunn, a retired science teacher, has shared her extensive research on companies that do or do not observe a boycott of Israeli products. Here's Mary's letter, and the replies she has received to date.

Hi,

As a long time gardener who is horrified watching the ongoing violence in Palestine and southern Lebanon, I realize a moral obligation to do my best to not purchase Israeli seed.

I have written to your company before and you replied you did not purchase Israeli seed. But in doing this research one company explained that this year they did not purchase Israeli seed because they have enough for this year but will probably continue to order from them in the future. This made me realize I need to be more clear. 

I am  looking for seed companies that will pledge to not purchase or sell seed from any Israeli seed company or any seed company which sells Israeli seed, such as Johnny's. 

In particular I am referring to seeds coming from the Israeli seed companies: Genesis, Hazara, Breedx, Gadot, IsraelAgri, Nirit Seeds, TomaTech, Origene Seeds, and Gedera Syngenta.

Please let me know, clearly and honestly, where your company stands on this.

Thank  you,

Mary Dunn

Maine

REPLIES:

 

Bhoomi Devi Seeds - We  grow all of our own seeds here on our MOFGA certified farm in Lincolnville, Maine. We do not work with corporations or conglomerations. In the event of a crop failure, we source that variety from other small scale certified organic seed growers within the US.

TrueLove Seeds - We do not and will not ever purchase Israeli seed. We do not purchase seed grown overseas. We do sell many varieties of seeds originally from Palestine, shared with us by Palestinian friends, but grown here in the US like all our other seeds. 

Turtle Tree Seeds - We hold seed source transparency very, very dear. We list in our paper (or PDF) catalog where every seed comes from. The only ones that do not have the specific farm/farmer named as the source are the ones which have come from two like-minded seed companies, one in Germany, one in Switzerland, who have similar local networks of growers. We are no longer able to buy seed from them because of the international shipping challenges, so I haven't looked into their practices recently, but when we did buy from them, neither one was working with any larger companies, only with local farmers who grew seed for them directly, as our network of US farmers does for us (although in recent years we have been growing a larger and larger percentage of our own seeds, far, far more than most seed companies, around 80-85%.)

Thanks for asking these important questions. Seed source transparency is a hugely important topic for so many reasons!!!!

Warmly,

Lia

Territorial Seed- Hi Mary,

We do not purchase Israeli seeds.

We do not  have seeds that are from any Israeli seeds companies.

We are a small business our seeds come from local growers and our farm.

Kassy, TSC

True Leaf Market/Kitazawa Seeds- Hi Mary,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

Rest assured, we have never sourced our seeds from Israel and Israeli companies in the past, and we have no plans to do so in the future.

Please let us know if we can help with anything else.- Juliet Webe True Leaf Market & Kitazawa Seed Company

Victory Seeds- We  do not purchase seeds from any of those companies, Including Johnny’s, or any other companies in Israel.  We just buy directly from suppliers or growers. Additionally, I’ll say, nearly all of our seed comes from the US, a bit from South America, Netherlands, and India.

Best, Jon

Hudson Valley Seeds - Hello Mary,

Thank you so much for your continued resolve in this area. We are not purchasing any seeds from Israel or Israel produced seed even from American based suppliers. We take this issue seriously and have looked into the original source for all of our products -seed and non-seed items alike. I hope this answers your question clearly. Let us know if you need any further clarification.

Warmly,

Lindsay

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange -  Mary, we only source seed from the US. We do not support genocide. If you look closely you might find some subtle pro palestine messaging on our catalog cover this year 🍉

Renee’s Garden - We understand and respect your sentiments. I have checked in with management and they have confirmed that "we do not have relationships with any of these companies and do not have any seed in packets from any of these companies." 

Seed Savers Exchange - We do not source any seeds from the companies you've listed.  

Experimental Farm Network - always clear about not buying Israeli seed.  

Turtle Tree - No, we grow most of the seeds we sell, and buy a small amount from other US biodynamic farmers (such as the farmers at Meadowlark seed farm and several others), and also a small amount from two biodynamic seed companies in Europe (Bingenheim and Sativa), which have a similar set of values to ours, and also work with a small network of regional seed growers and seed breeders.

Fruition - We grow ~60% of the seeds we share and the rest come only from individuals we are in community and relationship with --- so we can confidently say none of the seeds we share will benefit these Israeli seed companies. 

We are collaborating to create a 'seed buyer's guide' sharing more of these details so people can align their dollars and values more deeply.

Thanks for being you & here's to the seeds that will thrive beyond any empire.

Eden Brothers Seeds - Thank you for reaching out to us with your concerns. We understand and respect your desire to make informed purchasing decisions.

We want to assure you that we do not source any of our seeds from any of the companies you mentioned. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.Thanks and have a great day Michelle. Customer Service

BDS alert!

Richters Herbs-  Thank you for reaching out to us with your question. We understand that sourcing is an important consideration for many of our customers for a variety of reasons, and we appreciate you taking the time to enquire.

We do carry some seeds from an Israeli supplier, as we source from a variety of regions worldwide based on quality, uniqueness, and availability. At this time, we do not have a policy or pledge to exclude seeds from Israeli suppliers. However, I have shared your concerns with our Sourcing Manager for consideration.

We recognize your concerns, and we truly respect your perspective. We sincerely apologize that we are unable to meet your expectations in this regard at this time. If you are looking for alternative options, we would be happy to assist you in finding selections that align with your preferences. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.

Kind regards, Richters Customer Service

My husband and I love to grow food for our family and flowers for the pollinators. But for the past several years have been purchasing robust starts from a local farm that, unfortunately, uses Johnny's seeds. We will be contacting our grower to see if she'll consider using seeds we buy from sources that don't profit Israel. If not, we may ask a friend with a light table to grow our starts this year. I'll keep you posted.

EDITED FEB 28: Edited to add the name Turtle Tree Seeds and link.

Bowdoin Shaban Al-Dalou Campers: "We are not afraid. We are not in a hurry."

The first student encampment of the new year (and new administration in the White House) is at my alma mater here in Maine. Who doesn't love a polar bear in a keffiyeh? Go, you bears!

The seal of Bowdoin College makes visual reference to the fact that, when founded, it was the first campus in the U.S. to see the sun. Bowdoin's long stated commitment "the Common Good" is at odds with its investments in Israel's genocide in Gaza and violent occupation throughout Palestine. 

Source for all photos: Bowdoin SJP Instagram

Students have done a fine job of organizing -- including for community support -- and have gotten quite a bit of press coverage for their indoor encampment. (Why indoor? It's February and 7 degrees where I sit typing these words.) Here's their current press release, with links to coverage.

BOWDOIN STUDENTS DEFY LOCKDOWN, EXPAND ENCAMPMENT DESPITE THREATS FROM ADMINISTRATION

 

BRUNSWICK, MAINE, FEBRUARY 9TH, 2025: Amid intensifying repression from the Bowdoin College administration, students remained resolute in their commitment to the Shaban Al-Dalou Union Encampment, demanding the immediate implementation of the Bowdoin Solidarity Referendum that passed by a supermajority in May of 2024. Despite the administration imposing a lockdown on the building, issuing repeated threats of disciplinary action, and creating physical barriers with campus security, the encampment continues to grow as students and community members rally in support. Today, the encampment enters its fourth day. Read our original press release here.

WHAT’S HAPPENED SO FAR: 

DAY ONE (FEBRUARY 6TH, 2025): At 6:30PM, Bowdoin students set up an encampment in Smith Union, the student center on Bowdoin’s campus. They renamed the building ‘Shaban al-Dalou Union’, after a 19 year old software student in Gaza who was displaced repeatedly and burned alive by an Israeli airstrike on his hospital tent. Students were immediately warned by administrators to remove the encampment or risk disciplinary action. In response to this threat, more students rushed to join their peers, and over 50 students voluntarily identified themselves to members of College security in order to continue encamping the building. 

DAY TWO (FEBRUARY 7TH, 2025): In the early hours of the second day of the encampment, Bowdoin College escalated its response by locking down Shaban Al-Dalou Union, disabling key card access, and stationing officers to prevent entrance into the encampment. A campus-wide email from Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Jim Hoppe at 8:16 AM announced the indefinite closure of the Union and threatened vague disciplinary consequences for participants. Hoppe, known for overseeing the mass arrests of 118 students during a similar encampment at Emerson College, has continued his pattern of repression at Bowdoin.

Despite these efforts to quash student activism, support from students, faculty, and community members has sustained and helped grow the encampment in Shaban al-Dalou Union. At 1:10 PM on February 7th, a group of students rallying outside the building broke through the security perimeter, allowing over 20 students to join those already within the building. 

DAY THREE (FEBRUARY 8TH, 2025): On February 8th, at 11:00AM, over 100 students, faculty, and supporters rallied outside the Union, amplifying calls for the college to uphold its responsibility to honoring the demands of the referendum and the Common Good. Watch this video for a closer look at the community rally. Throughout the day, Bowdoin students and members of the broader Maine community rallied outside Smith Union and provided supplies and support to those encamping the building. 

DAY FOUR (FEBRUARY 9TH, 2025): As of 2PM on February 9th, students continue to remain within the Shaban Al-Dalou Union despite continued threats of escalating disciplinary action against student protesters. They have remained resolute in their commitment to Palestinian liberation and have reiterated their commitment to the encampment until the College meets the demands of the Bowdoin Solidarity Referendum.   

This encampment, the first of its kind since the start Trump administration, is a direct response to the genocide in Gaza and the Bowdoin’s complicity in funding Israeli aggression. President Trump’s recent calls for the United States to “take over” Gaza stress the urgency of student action against systemic injustice. 

We are not afraid. We are not in a hurry. 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: 

The Bowdoin Orient:

• Students for Justice in Palestine form encampment in Smith Union
• Bowdoin Safety and Security lock down Smith Union, SJP encampment continues
• SJP encampment enters night two, College security presence remains
• On third day of SJP encampment, protests continue, College administers disciplinary process

Common Dreams:  

• Bowdoin College Students Launch First Gaza Solidarity Encampment of Trump Era | Common Dreams

Maine Public: 

• Bowdoin students stage encampment to call on school officials to divest from Israeli interests

WGME: 

• Bowdoin College students camp out to demand action against destruction of Gaza schools

Portland Press Herald: 

• Bowdoin College protesters barred from campus building push past to join encampment
• Bowdoin College students face discipline for pro-Palestine encampment

Bangor Daily News: 

• Bowdoin College closes building where Gaza protesters are camping

Drop Site News: 

• Drop Site on X: "Bowdoin Students Establish First Palestine Solidarity Encampment of the Trump Era”
• Drop Site on X: "It’s Day 3 of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) encampment at Bowdoin College" 

###

How you can support student demands right now from wherever you may be:

Contact college administrators to say:

• Stop threatening students for peacefully protesting in their own student union building
• Honor the demands of the student body as laid out in the Bowdoin Solidarity Referendum
• In keeping with the Common Good, Bowdoin must act against genocide and should not punish students for peacefully saying so

Send pizza!

(If applicable, join me in signing a letter of support from alumni.)

If you're able, head to campus with signs of support. How to find the Shaban Al-Dalou Union?

Look for the big statue of a polar bear out front!

What To Do? Diverse Strategies And Tactics

 

Jamila Levasseur of Jewish Voice for Peace being arrested July 27, 2024 at General Dynamics warship factory in Bath, Maine  Photo by Derek Davis - Source: Portland Press Herald - Best Photos of 2024

The U.S. empire, bloated beyond sustainability for many years, now ramps up its plans to annex other sovereign lands. Of course it does! Doubling down on imperial hubris as it hurtles toward a fall.

Providing a narrative fest for legacy media, 47 announces he wants to take over the Panama Canal, Canada, Greenland, and more.  Land grabs already well underway in Palestine and now in Syria provide the empire with access to oil and other energy reserves. Ditto in Iraq. How are the post 9/11 wars on terror going two decades later? Iran is vulnerable in the imperial crosshairs. Will Russia and China stand by if Iran is carpet bombed? How much can Russia do while tied up in Ukraine?

Also on the narrative front. the elongated muskrat announces that heads must roll as he tries to whip up color revolutions using ham-handed tweeting by robots on his behalf. They proclaim that the people should throw out their effete elite "leaders" and replace them with different elite "leaders." Ones more conducive to Starlink owning a whole layer of the sky, presumably.

What to do?

I was invited to contribute this essay for the Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights newsletter that came out today (click here to subscribe). I'm resharing it here so that I can illustrate with selected photos from the past year, mine unless otherwise indicated.

 

Video - Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine Maine https://www.instagram.com/p/DBwmgSixqW2

Solidarity with Palestine - Diverse Strategies and Tactics

Resisting Zionist occupation, land theft, and genocide is a long struggle.  As  it entered a heightened phase on October 7, 2023, so did our commitment to support the cause of Palestinian liberation.

In Maine we follow our hearts and our consciences in deciding how and where to apply pressure.

Photo by Kristen Salvatore  - source: Maine Morning Star 

Some of us doggedly call and write our alleged representatives in Congress, most of whom are owned by the Israel lobby.  As we object to their complicity in using our tax dollars to fund Israel's genocidal practices, do they listen?  When they don't, we sometimes occupy their offices, and our arrests generate coverage in the corporate, pro-Zionist media.

Rally participants convening with signs in front of Fogler Library at UMaine. Photo by Sofia Langlois.  source: Maine Campus

Others focus on places we feel more connected to -- our universities, or our town and city councils.  Last year, historic divestment resolutions passed in Portland and Belfast, and at the Maine Education Association Representative Assembly.  Divesting from the Israeli war machine generates public attention and people who rely on corporate media for information about Palestine hear some truth leaking through as activists testify about why they are standing up for humanity.

 

Some of us take up educating our fellow Mainers as our mission.  Standouts, media interviews, and letters to the editor generate curiosity.  We flyer to specific audiences, such as parents of school age children in a town where a General Dynamics factory helps make bombs that have reduced Gaza's schools to rubble.  When we have the time and troops for peace, we attend school board meetings, canvass in neighborhoods, or put flyers on windshields.

 

We visit recruitment fairs to ask job seekers if they really want to make a living off war.  Many do not.  We block the entrances to weapons factories, and wake up General Dynamics executives at dawn and let their community know that their neighbors are making million dollar salaries from killing children in Palestine.  It is legal to dump red water-based paint on the pavement in front of their homes, and we stay within noise ordinances of whatever town we are visiting.

Others of us feel that such non-violent direct actions create greater pushback than they win allies.  This is where activists with similar goals may agree to disagree on specific actions.

Sometimes we gather for rallies, marches, and teach-ins.  Those who can, travel to Palestine, to witness, and support, and learn.  At other times, we organize cultural events that help people -- safe and warm in our country -- relate to the humanity of those who suffer under the US-Israeli war machine.  Films, poetry readings, and theater performances may include traditional Palestinian food.  Debke line dancing joins activists together through a common cultural experience.

Art builds that create giant banners and colorful signs introduce a creative spark to our organizing.  The Artists Rapid Response Team (ARRT!) of the Maine Union of Visual Artists hosts a monthly gathering where ideas are batted and paint is splashed about.  Blood-stained shrouds signed with the names and ages of Palestinian martyrs are made with reverence before being used to block a bomb factory entrance.  Heavy lock-down devices such as cars, boats, and cement blocks are moved into place by activists whose personal bonds strengthen through creative political work.

 

 

The writers among us write: blogs, emails, articles.  Social media posts.  Speeches, which our hands struggle to scroll through as we read them off our smart phones.  The media savvy generate video coverage of our marches, rallies, and direct actions.  These are shared and re-shared throughout communities of resistance around the globe, including among the besieged people of Gaza.

 

Video - Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine Maine https://www.instagram.com/p/DBwmgSixqW2

Needless to say, we educate ourselves.  Finding reliable information is a job in itself and we all have our go-to sources: Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, Gray Zone, Resistance News Network.  We study reporting on solidarity actions around the world, particularly on those that disrupt the Israeli weapons maker Elbit Systems, and we don't overlook putting pressure on the insurers and supply chains of the US arms industry.

Diversity of strategies and tactics is a strength of our resistance movement.  We're at our best when we don't tell others what to do or not to do, but when we recognize that people of good conscience are likely to take action when they reach the point of shame and despair over US complicity in Israel's crimes.

As activists, we're evolving every day and learning from each other, and resistance until Palestine is free is our beacon no matter which steps we choose to get there.
 

 

New Year's Resolutions

"War Economy" by Tjeerd Royaards

My new year's resolutions to stay safe and, if possible, sane in 2025:

Show up and stand with real people against genocide in Gaza, airstrikes on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen*

Don't interact with fake AI-generated "persons" on social media.

Research Dead Internet theory -- presumably by using the internet?

Give recurring monthly donations to UNRWA as I am unable to respond to the hundreds of direct appeals from Palestinians suffering and dying in Gaza

Cut back on my journalism subscriptions to fund this (bye bye Seymour Hersh)

Finish stacking the wood we plan to burn in 2026

Continue boycotting corporate entities who support Israel's genocide of Palestinians

Continue supporting divestment efforts in my state

Read Normal Island News by Laura K. in the UK in order to laugh through my tears

Read Caitlin Johnstone in Australia for big picture perspective and the best metaphors

Read Palestine Will Be Free for on the ground reporting from the resistance

Learn to use Telegram more effectively, especially once Resistance News Network resumes posting this month

Regard "big tent" organizing led by Democrats with the disdain it deserves, and spread the word

Employ diverse strategies and tactics to hasten the demise of the Zionist empire and its genocidal wars

• Risk arrest
• Keep blogging even as my substack is swarmed by bots daily

* If you're in Maine in January:

BDS Can Be Hard, But It's Worth It

I was with a young grandchild recently as they considered spending their own money on a trendy refillable water container on display in front of a Starbucks. I mentioned to the child that I personally am boycotting Starbucks because they feed the army that is killing people in Gaza. Later they overheard me say something about going to the town of Scarborough and reminded me that I was supposed to be boycotting it LOL Then, a couple of weeks later, they mounted a spirited argument to get me to drop my boycott of McDonald's -- because a certain McDonald's has a PlayPlace indoor playground.

They also tried the argument, But other people in our family go to McDonald's. That was a good opportunity to explain that I don't control other people's choices, only my own.

Boycotting the Zionist entity raises more than one moral dilemma. Many of us here are willing to put our money where our mouth is and boycott businesses based in or doing business with Israel. Easier said than done though, isn't it? If you're not sure which brands to boycott, there's an app (and another one and another one) for that.

The good news is that BDS is working! Here's an explanation of why.

Some boycotts are relatively easy to accomplish. Did you know Valero Energy sells Israel most of its jet fuel? If you live in a state where they operate retail outlets, you could boycott them.

Source: https://boycott-israel.org/boycott.html

But it can take a lot more motivation to locate and employ cumbersome workarounds to replace apps like airbnb or Google maps.

I've been boycotting Amazon for years, and got off Chrome in 2022, but how to actually boycott Google? Because they really, really deserve it.

https://x.com/RyanRozbiani/status/1823937350629499176

Which brings me to one of the most difficult areas to apply the B in BDS: seeds. 

Most tomato and pepper seed crops are grown in California, Israel and Chile. 

Maine Organic Farmers & Growers Association (MOFGA)

Interestingly, research sites I located for information on the provenance of seeds were repeatedly blocked on various browsers I was using (no, not Chrome). But I was able to find a bit of info with a little help from a friend.

Johnny's Seeds was selling mildew resistant Prospera Basil which is sourced from Israel in their 2023 catalog. 

Genesis Seeds Ltd, privately owned, is one of the world’s largest producers of certified organic vegetable, herb and flower seed since 1994. The company is based in Israel (Ashalim, High Negev, South of Be’er Sheva), where all research, and production takes place. All Genesis Seed products are grown only in Israel.

Source: Madein-Israel.com 

On September 21 at 11am we will be taking our monthly statewide coalition protest to the streets of Unity, Maine because thousands of complacent consumers will drive by on their way to the annual Common Ground Fair put on by MOFGA. 

Does that organization know it has vendors selling seeds from Israel? Based on their response to inquiries others have made about this, they do know.

But knowing is not enough. To defeat Israel, we will have to act with conviction. Even when it hurts.