New SSE Yearbook Listing Requirements

[ddsack]

Carolyn,also noting that SSE is the largest lister of varieties in the Yearbooks. When they see a once good variety is no longer being listed they can get the seeds out of the seed bank and then work them up to list

Well then, the yearbook increase to $4 per packet makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

[kurt]

Last year I tried some of their Brown Berry and Egg Yolk seeds(maters).Really bad germ rates and really lousy tasting tomatoes.Seems that the original idea/goal of the orginization went out the window with the new flock of admins/employees.Now it seems to be a "business" not a community as I envisioned it to be.So sad.We have a Fairchild Tropical Gardens here in south Florida and the same thing happened,they went to the "computer"hired some younger admins,"phased out"the dyed in the wool old timers,raised yearly admissions and basically diluted the original intent of the gardens.It seems to be the norm all over the USA.All about the money.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Well then, the yearbook increase to $4 per packet makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

Dee, I just checked the default request prices for SMALL seeds, aka tomato seeds, and it's $3 for listed members and $4 for non- listed members and that's for US and Canadian members. That's for aminimum of 25 seeds.

When those prices went up and reached prices that many commercial places charge or even more, that bothered a lot of folks. One doesn't have to use those default reques t prices, but I don't think every member realizes that and it's one of the reasons that I changed to 10-15 seeds for one dollar.

And yes, if you are wondering, a few years ago someone did some calculations on the income that SSE makes from listing all that they list in the Yearbook or at least guessing at it based on the money income reports that SSE is required to make public each year.

Carolyn

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Do not guess at a variety name or rename a variety.

This has happened

I'd like some feedback here and then I'll e-mail Joanne at SSE

This really takes the biscuit since Joanne has been known to rename and reclassify varieties without notice, if not omit entire pages of listings due to clerical errors.


As for the requirements on seed crossing and so forth, the SSE does not seem to understand that by treating the SSE Yearbook more and more like a seed catalog, they're driving people to wonder why they should pay the membership. Why pay the high cost of seed packs in the yearbook ($4 unless you adjust your price as Carolyn has) when they can get them from trusted vendors (all of whom owe their start to the SSE) for less, and with more reliability and availability year-round.

The SSE seem to be completely befuddled by the Yearbook and repeatedly demonstrate that they have no long-term vision on how to keep it relevant in the internet age.

Originally Posted by carolyn137

grexes

F2's has two fewer characters, so I'm going to continue calling them F2's.

[travis]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

A thought just crossed my mind. Do they have college interns working there? A brochure is just the kind of project that would get assigned to one. Grexes is a word an intern would use in a general audience publication.

Grex, like landrace, is a term largely misused by either misinformed and/or hardheaded cult gardeners.

[Worth1]

Mutiny, that's how tomatoville got started.

Just a thought as every year I hear complaints.



Worth

[GunnarSK]

Originally Posted by travis

Grex, like landrace, is a term largely misused by either misinformed and/or hardheaded cult gardeners.

I learned about grexes from Danish Seed Savers, but not in the context of tomatoes, which as inbreeders don't often cross spontaneously. Similarly it's far-fetched to talk about "landraces", if what you have is most likely a mix of named varieties which happen to perform well under given local conditions.

[carolyn137]

There's more but I don't have enough light here by the computer to copy from my 2013 contact SSE blurb, what I wrote about the Yearbook turning into a seed company.

More and more listed members are listing just one or two varieties so they can get the listed members price, IMO.

Morgan, tell me about missing varieties and messups, like Suze had.A few years ago 18 of my varieties were missing from my listings.

But what I really came back to post about was that in a post above I said I'd look at my Fall Heritage Companion SSE publication to see if I could find who might have written that brochure. But there are too many new names and I don't know who they are.

But in thumbing through on page 29 I found their new Accession Policy discussion and was flabbergasted/

New definitions of what an heirloom is according to SSE/

SSE is to beome the WORLD center for American Heritage varieties.

Varieties have to have a history of being grown in the USA

What happens to current accessions that don't meet their criteria.

Who will make decisions as to what stays and what will no longer be maintained.

It also mentioned who approved the draft, but no indication for the various individuals and groups that approved it as to what the votes were,gave an e-mail addy for a copy of the draft and one for asking any questions anyone might have.

The final vote will be on Dec 13th as I recall.

Carolyn

[pondgardener]

So it seems like every variety will have to have a SSE seal of approval?...similar to the Good Housekeeping one? And possibly a vendor would have to get a license to be able to list a variety on their website with that approval? I agree with Kurt...it all seems to be about the money...or too much power getting to ones head.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by pondgardener

So it seems like every variety will have to have a SSE seal of approval?...similar to the Good Housekeeping one? And possibly a vendor would have to get a license to be able to list a variety on their website with that approval? I agree with Kurt...it all seems to be about the money...or too much power getting to ones head.

For SSE's purpose yes,to meet their criteria for their new accession project but I don't see that as having anything to do with the many commercial seed sites that we know of.

Carolyn

[Wi-sunflower]

As for the requirements on seed crossing and so forth

That one really makes me laugh since I've bought seed from the SSE public catalog and on more than 1 occasion got seed that was either mixed or crossed. So they need to look in the mirror on that one.

Carol

[KY Grower]

I had just renewed my membership to SSE when I received the new brochure. Carolyn certainly articulated a lot of my thoughts about it. I only list a couple of varities but I had always enjoyed the concept of SSE and had encourgaged folks to join. It's getting more difficult to do that.

[retiree]

I just spoke to Joanne at SSE and the date for listing varieties has been extended to Nov. 20th.
There is no way I could have completed mine by Nov.1st as I still have tomatoes on the plants.
To re-list online, has also changed but I managed with Joanne's help to find my way.
Neil G.(Canada)

[Tormato]

I just sent 100+ packs (100 varieties) of beans/legumes to Canada. Total cost was about 14 cents per pack. What's the SSE's "suggested" price for large seed sent from US to Canada?
I'll then multiply times 100+.

A Non-Member (whether I ever join, or not)

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Tormato

I just sent 100+ packs (100 varieties) of beans/legumes to Canada. Total cost was about 14 cents per pack. What's the SSE's "suggested" price for large seed sent from US to Canada?
I'll then multiply times 100+.

A Non-Member (whether I ever join, or not)

Only seed prices are given in the Yearbook for small and large seeds since it's up to the person sending seeds to pay that cost.

But that information is given in the Public catalog, also the public catalog is online at seedsavers.org, and for those in Canada,Hawaii, Alaska and Mexico

if ordering mechandise or cooking beans add $5 to the shipping charges in the chart

If ordering just seeds use the shipping charges in the chart.

Shipping and handling charges from the chart

$10 or less $3
$10 to $20, $4

etc

SSE members can deduct 10% before adding shipping charges.

But I have no idea how many seeds you are sending/pack as opposed to what SSE sends.

So I suggest you go to seedsavers.org and click on the Public catalog link to see what they send as opposed to what you are sending/pack, and the pack prices as well since that;s the major costs that you list on the form that determines shipping charges

No easy answer as you can see, per diffences in seed counts and your question . Not easy for me to post about but much easier for you if you look at that online Public Catalog at seedsavers.0rg

Carolyn