Jung Seed Company Letter

I just wanted to share this letter sent out by Jung Seed Company based in Randolph, WI.  This information is straight from the owner to their customers.  If GMO seeds are of concern to you and not buying varieties of seeds produced by the same company, I urge you to read on.

Friday, January 18, 2013 Jung Seed Company, Monsanto and Seminis

Some blogs and websites have been stating that J. W. Jung Seed Company is owned by Monsanto. This is not true. J. W. Jung Seed Company has been independent and family owned and operated since its beginnings in 1907. We are being confused with a farm seed company by the name of Jung Seed Genetics that is owned by Monsanto, but there is no affiliation between us.

A little company history may be helpful in clearing up the confusion. J. W. Jung Seed Company and its garden centers are still family owned and operated. My name is Dick Zondag and my grandfather, J. W. Jung, started the business here in Randolph over 106 years ago. For a number of years the Jung family operated both a home garden company known as J. W. Jung Seed Company and a farm seed company called Jung Farms. Over 15 years ago, the 2 companies split, with the Seed Company becoming solely owned by the Zondag family (my mother was J. W. Jung’s daughter). Jung Farms became solely owned by my uncle and cousin, the name was changed to Jung Seed Genetics and several years ago they sold this farm seed company to Monsanto.

Another source of confusion is that under the Monsanto umbrella is a very small home-garden division called Seminis Gardens that produces and sells some well-known, time-proven, non-GMO varieties, including many varieties that are All-America Selections Winners. These were developed and introduced long before Monsanto owned Seminis and were originally sold under the Petoseed brand. Many of our customers have grown to love these vegetables and would be very disappointed if we no longer offered them. We recognize there are strong anti-Monsanto sentiments by some consumers, so we have provided below a current list of Seminis varieties we offer in the event they wish to avoid purchasing them.

Tomato Beefmaster Hybrid Tomato Better Boy Hybrid Tomato Big Beef Hybrid Tomato Health Kick Hybrid Tomato Lemon Boy Hybrid Tomato Sunsugar Hybrid Tomato Sweet Baby Girl Hybrid Tomato Viva Italia Hybrid Tomatillo Toma Verde Bean Stringless Blue Lake S-7 Broccoli Coronado Crown Hybrid Broccoli Packman Hybrid Carrot Kuroda PS Carrot Sweetness III Hybrid Cauliflower Cheddar Hybrid Cucumber Cool Breeze Hybrid Cucumber Eureka Hybrid Cucumber Fanfare Hybrid Cucumber Orient Express II Hybrid Cucumber Sweet Slice Hybrid Cucumber Sweet Success Hybrid Cucumber Sweeter Yet Hybrid Cucumber Salad Bush Hybrid Eggplant Epic Hybrid (Formerly Dusky) Eggplant Fairy Tale Hybrid Eggplant Hansel Hybrid Lettuce Red Sails Lettuce Simpson Elite Melon Roadside Hybrid Onion Candy Hybrid (seed) Onion Red Zeppelin Hybrid (seed) Onion Sierra Blanca Hybrid (seed)

Pea Mr. Big Pepper Ancho San Martin Hybrid Pepper Biggie Chile Hybrid Pepper Burning Bush Hybrid Pepper Cherry Bomb Hybrid Pepper Fooled You Jalapeno Hybrid Pepper Garden Salsa Hybrid Pepper Mariachi Hybrid Pepper Mucho Nacho Hybrid Pepper Serrano Del Sol Hybrid Pepper Super Chili Hybrid Pepper Bell Boy Hybrid Pepper Big Bertha Hybrid Pepper Early Sunsation Hybrid Pepper King Arthur Hybrid (formerly Fat 'N Sassy) Pepper Giant Marconi Hybrid Pepper Gypsy Hybrid Pepper Orange Blaze Hybrid Pepper Super Heavyweight Hybrid Pumpkin Prizewinner Hybrid Pumpkin Phantom Hybrid Pumpkin Spirit Hybrid Pumpkin Snack Face Hybrid Squash Commander Hybrid (Formerly Aristocrat) Squash Sunny Delight Hybrid Squash Canesi Hybrid Squash Early Butternut Hybrid Squash/Pumpkin Jamboree Hybrid Squash/Pumpkin Rumbo Hybrid Squash Pasta Hybrid Watermelon Yellow Doll Hybrid