Peace Talk — Winter 2005-06
The Quarterly Newsletter of Peace Action Maine
CR Lawn the the Common Ground Fair[photo: John Belding & Mary Burke]
Since its humble beginnings in the late 1970’s, FEDCO has held a unique place in the garden/farm seed industry. FEDCO’s first seed orders took place within the framework of the then very active food co-ops in Maine. Since then founder CR Lawn has used a combination of his vision for the company and a keen business acumen to guide gradual and logical growth. Recognizing the concerns of many customers, FEDCO decided, in 1996, not to knowingly sell any genetically modified seeds — and has since signed the Safe Seed Pledge.
I have been a FEDCO customer for almost 20 years. In that time I’ve seen the company grow and diversify. The catalogs have expanded and changed format along the way, but have never become slick and glossy. They are filled with farming and gardening information, but are also rich in social commentary, humor, artwork, and words from the heart. Sidebars contain information about the state of seed production worldwide, genetic engineering, profiles of plant breeders and farmers. They’re are a great read!
My experience with FEDCO’s seed quality, the atmosphere in the warehouse, and the dedication of the employees, has led me to be a staunch supporter.
So it was with great pleasure that I sat down with CR, tape deck in hand, to ask some questions about FEDCO’s history, growth, business hurdles, and the potential impact of recent decisions.
How did FEDCO begin?
My very first group seed order was put together in 1976 for the folks in Bilbo’s Birthday Co-op, in Clinton and Canaan Maine! The following year I tried to expand into a larger group of co-ops, and we actually had serious problems with a seed supplier. So, I took a year off to figure a few things out. In the winter of 1978 the Maine Federation of Co-ops accepted my offer to work on special projects in return for a room for the winter and a monthly pay check of $75.00! This allowed me to attend their business meetings and to eventually formulate a bigger plan for a statewide cooperative seed order and in December of 1978 FEDCO was born! The first formal orders came in right on projected marks — 100 orders, 24,000 seed packs, and $10,000! But the seed packing required extra hands, so one person from New England Food Co-ops was hired to help. The connection with NEFCO spread the word to Massachusetts coops, and then on to Vermont groups as well.
What makes FEDCO unique?
From the very beginning I believed that seeds could be sold for less than the prices offered by the large established companies. The co-op model seemed logical at the time. But it became clear very quickly that the volunteer component meant constant retraining of folks - and that didn’t work. So the central folks in FEDCO are paid and the volunteers are now outside the company. We’ve maintained the incentives for folks to do group orders, and a large portion of our orders are still from co-op-like groups with volunteer coordinators.
FEDCO believes in keeping employees. We have a no-frills approach, but a living wage is top priority. Since FEDCO’s business calendar is opposite that of gardeners and farmers, many employees can go home for the summer and farm! This means most of our staff are experienced farmers and understand the products.
And no one is afraid to say “I don’t know”! If the answer can’t be found in house, we try to find it! This is real customer service! I believe we all need to be a reflection of the people we serve - so we are real people who farm!
How did the co-op concept fit into the early years of FEDCO?
Initially FEDCO stayed in the co-op mode, and word of the seed order trickled through the co-ops. Even though business increased steadily I felt this limited the customer base. So I went to Chaitanya York, then the executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. He was very supportive and I was able to use their mailing list! After this success I approached the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (the REST of New England), and they too were willing to share their mailing lists. FEDCO was off and running!
What are some current hurdles?
As we grow, we have to balance the need to diversify our products while increasing local seed production. There is a tremendous learning curve involved with local farmers producing quality seed. This turned out to be a bigger challenge than we initially anticipated, but we’re learning every year - and we are maintaining seed quality.
And we’ve got some hurdles that are perhaps even more important than growing and keeping control of growth. Almost all of the original folks, and those who came on early, are still with FEDCO. Right now we’re struggling with the idea of those original folks retiring and having younger people who share our philosophy ready to take over. All of us who started FEDCO were in that Œ70’s back-to-the-land crowd. Our dedication to local projects like co-ops gradually evolved into paying jobs.
What are your personal fears about food security?
My concern is greater than just food — too much of our infrastructure is centralized. Anyone could take out an essential part of the system by attacking a central place. FEDCO is working towards a system of small diversified farmers producing seed — diversification means reduced vulnerability.
What is the current status of seeds worldwide?
Again, there is too much centralization. FEDCO will continue to develop and support alternative seed sources and reduce the need to purchase seed from multinational corporations. As it stands FEDCO is SO small that we have ZERO leverage with the large corporations.
What is the current status of Monsanta and the Seminis purchase?
FEDCO decided in 1996 to not sell GM seeds. Unfortuntaely 11% of our seed offerings in 2004 were from the Seminis company. Monsanto’s purchase of Seminis presents a lot of unknowns. This represents Monsanto's first foray into the area of vegetable seeds. I don’t know what their motives are, but I can speculate. Monsanto might simply want to “green” their image. They might believe they will be able to turn Seminis’ financial problems around and make a lot of money. Or, more ominously, they might be making the first steps towards control and patenting of food crop germplasms.
Amy LeBlanc is a long-time Certified Organic grower, Master Gardener, and professional cellist. She and her husband Michael live at Whitehill Farm, in East Wilton.