Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Seedy Subjects! => Seed Exchange => Topic started by: fleurbleue on January 14, 2010, 10:22:42 AM
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I have just received my seeds this morning :o I'm so happy, thanks to all donors and all people in charge of this distribution. A sunbeam in these gloomy days :D
Kind regards ;)
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My seeds are here too! Thanks a lot for the seed exchange team! :-*
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Packets and packets of joy here too!
Warm thanks to donors and to all those who make the exchange work so magnificently 8)
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It's great. Thanks a lot!
Rob
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I got mine yesterday. Thanks a lot to all people involved in the Seed Exchange! :D
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Mine arrived (NZ) yesterday, the 16th. Jolly good for the other side of the world. Of my 25 first choices I received 21 and the 4 second choices would have all been firsts if I'd had room for them. So I'm a very happy bunny. One, a Gaultheria, looks a little larger and darker then I would have expected, and there are a lot of them, but time will tell.
Warm thanks to all donors and packers.
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Take a photo of any you're a bit doubtful about, Lesley.
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Good idea Diane. I might photograph the lot, on general principals.
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Hello,
since I have not received anything yet, I would likte to know if there is someone I could ask if my order could be fullfilled-at least partially.
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There are more information in the members board and there one can read that no-need to worry yet.
The dates for donors and non-donors to start to ask what happen is given in the link below
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3971.msg129798#msg129798
I am also waiting and it is hard, but usually worth waiting for.
Kind regards
Joakim
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I want to thank the excellent SRGC Seed Exchange team!
Today I recieved a parcel with many many wonderful surprises :o :D
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Thank you to all involved in the seed exchange. This was my first year as a member and was impressed to find only one substitution which, I am pleased to have anyway. So thanks again.
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Received my second tranche of seeds today with a lovely little anonymous note from the packer. I was chuffed!
Once again many thanks to all the volunteers involved and particular thanks to the donors.
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When is is time to sign up/pay for the for 2010/2011 seed exchange. I just got my USDA permit about a month ago, and would like to join. Please move this if not in the right thread, thanks.
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When is is time to sign up/pay for the for 2010/2011 seed exchange. I just got my USDA permit about a month ago, and would like to join. Please move this if not in the right thread, thanks.
The 2010 Seed List will not be available until November of this year, after all the seed donations have been received and catalogued. If you are a member living in the States you will automatically get sent a copy of the list. I would expect the seed list and ordering ability to also be on-line again, but only for SRGC members of course ;D
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Received the seeds yesterday - thanks for the great job everybody!
Now I have to check the seedlist if I have identified all the seeds correctly ;) - (fritillaria, lilium and narcissus was not so complicate but all the others ... ::))
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Still no sign of mine... :'( :'(
Should I start worrying ? :-\
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Still no sign of mine... :'( :'(
Should I start worrying ? :-\
I don't think so, Luc; I'm told that there are a number of orders ready picked and waiting to be posted out and that there are stillsome orders to be picked, so no need for stress, yet! :D
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Hi All,
Thank You, to all involved with making the exchange possible.
The donors who make it possible, to the pickers and packers
and the organizers of the seed exchange.
It is my favorite time of year.
I'm like a kid at Christmas hoping for my first choices but will be happy with what I end up with.
I'm looking forward to seeing what I received. I enjoy the mystery.
If we received all that we asked for, what would we request next year?
As seed growers we already know the value of patience and the rewards for having it.
By the way, did anyone in the US received their seed yet?
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Received mine yesterday. Opened by MAf and all OK so that is a relief.
Thank you to all involved, I got quite a number of my first choices so that was exciting.
Susan
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My bunch of "alpine" edibles arrived here today with another lot from the Swedish seed exchange (STA) :) All but two first choices, so I'm very pleased. Was beginning to wonder if there was some problem as several of us never received the seed catalogue over here. I noticed the postcode was slightly wrong, but I may have keyed it in wrong myself when I made the on-line order. Thanks to all involved...
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Received seeds yesterday (in the US). Thanks SRGC!
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Well, today the seeds arrived here in the northern part of Norway. I don't know what sort of transport the "Royal Mail" use, but it seems like they must have used an old fashioned rowboat to cross the Northsea, cause the enveloped was stamped the 9th of January, and the it arrived here the 29th >:(
Anyway, I got 22 of the first choices, and I think that pretty good. On one of those received it was written "The one & an only packet" 8) That must be a good one I guess!
Anyway, a big thank you to the reception and packing team, and of course to all the other donors!
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Nearly three weeks to get to Nroway is a long time!
Mind you, given that a number of the paper seedlists did not arrive there at all, I'm just glad to hear that some seed is arriving!!
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I got my seeds around the end of last week as well - everything I'd hoped for (other than one apparently mistaken number, which causes me no great grief. Chances are that germinating Castilleja is beyond my patience limit anyway!) Thank you so much to all who made it possible!
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Maggi, just keep in mind, if I didn't get my seeds this year, U will not get my seeds next (well this year)!!!! ;D
No worries, if my plants survive this so-called winter there will be more seeds to the seed-ex later this year ;)
'
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Maggi, just keep in mind, if I didn't get my seeds this year, U will not get my seeds next (well this year)!!!! ;D
No worries, if my plants survive this so-called winter there will be more seeds to the seed-ex later this year ;)
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Exactly, Viggo; not only unhappy members now, but also later.... ::)
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My seeds arrived yesterday (after a 2-weeks journey). I´m quite happy with what I got, bearing in mind that I forgot to press the final button during the on-line ordering process and discovering my mistake only three weeks later ... 8)
Thank´s to seed ex and all other people involved !
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Hi, Folks!
News just in from the Seed Gang that they have now filled all the orders and got them posted out.
As we have seen from some of the examples quoted here already, the postal systems of the world are not all working as fast as we might hope, so please , if your seed order has yet to arrive, wait for 10 -14 days before getting in touch as it is likely just making its way slowly to your door!
Also, if you are a USA member, please check your emails and spam filters to see if there is a message there, reminding you to send in your APHIS permits! ::)
......
That noise you just heard was probably the sound of the Seed Team heaving a sigh of relief as they sit down to rest! 8)
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I do hope they are all having a really good cuppa, preferably laced with a little something. ;D
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Well, my seed arrived today in fine shape. Unfortunately, I didn't get any of my first choices and only 3 of my second. I guess I have popular taste in seed! Plus my donations arrived too late for the list. I certainly lost placement! You live, you learn.
Something that occured to me on the method. On the internet site, we can order for surplus seed, as well, which I did. I didn't do too well receiving seed I would like, as I left the choice open for the various interesting genera. The result is, I received lots of common seed I won't grow. I think we need more space to order individual packets of the surplus seed to allow for what appears to be a large fall-out of choices. Although I received some interesting seed, over 80% will have to find another grower, as I can't afford to dedicate space to common seed. I will find growers, but I have that nagging feeling this is a waste of resources.
off to write some labels.......
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Jamie, did you see that you can order up to 50 packets of surplus seed by choice of number ?
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Maggie,
yes, but at the rate of fall-out, 100 would have been better as my 'hit' average was less than 10%. I honestly didn't expect to get so little of what I sought or that the surplus seed would be all that was left. Next time I will use all options and hope for the best. It just seemed to me that I cannot be alone and a great deal of unwanted seed may be being sent out. I guess its just a bit of my scottish ancestors haunting me. You know that one! Waste not, want not.
To be sure, I am very impressed with the seed exchange in general and the amount of work that goes into it is quite clear. Next year I will be better prepared in any case.
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My main distribution seeds arrived last week while I was away - sent on the 11th, so also taking slightly longer than post usually does from the UK. I am looking forward to another packet soon :)
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As was seen from an earlier post where one member got the single packet available of a seed, there are some taxa that are both in very short supply and high in popularity.
Thus it wouldn't matter if there were the option to nominate 1000 individual surplus numbers; if one is asking for those rare or popular seeds one will still get a high failure rate.
The seed team, rather than only give what they can of your requests, often make substitutes from what is available.... so that one gets at least some seeds for the money...thinking that the member may well have friends they could pass the seeds on to if they do not require them. What is unwanted seeds to some of our members may well be happily received by your neighbours of local gardenig clu or school, for instance. Better that option than a bigger pile of leftover seed here!
The Seed Gang generously make that concession, in spite of saying that subs will not be given for surplus or money refunded.
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It stands to reason that the surplus seed will be, not to put too fine a point on it, largely what no-one wants. That's not to say it doesn't contain many excellent plants. My very first Arisaema, (candidissimum) came years ago as surplus seed. Surplus seed is a good source for mass plantings of, say, bulbs for naturalizing or for some small nurseries or to replace common plants that one may have lost for whatever reason or for garden club or other salestables, plant fairs etc.
Smart members learn early in their membership to get donations to the seed exchange well before the close off date (I'm still working on it!), and to get their seed requests made out immediately the list arrives or becomes available on line. It may mean taking a day off work Jamie, to do this, or going without meals or going to bed in the early hours of the morning. ;D
For NZers and probably Australians now, surplus seed is no longer an option as we have no idea of what will arrive and so can't send the required list for MAF. If it comes in without our self-made list, A, it will wait until MAF has time to process it (could be many weeks) and B, as it will contain many species not permitted, a large proportion of the seed would be destroyed. (The option is to have it returned to sender, but I doubt if the seed exchange want's it back.)
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Lesley, perhaps Ian Bainbridge will re-appear to shed more light, but, as far as I know, the Seedy Gang can now generate lists for those orders to NX, Australia and USA.... numbers, names, all listed and printed out.......
added later, after consultation with Ian B:
......it is still asked that those members making paper order make a list of their main allocation requests, please!!
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my donations arrived too late for the list.
I'm pretty sure that both the AGS and SRGC exchanges are happy to be sent email notification of seeds being shipped. The mails are so unreliable these days in so many places that seed shipments may be delayed beyond all reasonable expectations, so a parallel notification by email will ensure that your contribution doesn't miss the boat.
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It's been a while since I have ordered surplus seed, but when
I did, I would choose one of the genera that gets massive
amounts of seed donated, and Lesley is right in mentioning
bulbs.
I was able to nominate a block of numbers, so sometimes I
had it include several genera, or else only a portion of a really
immense listing of, for instance, Campanula.
In 2001 I noted how many surplus packets I got, which is
indicative of what is available in excess.
A few examples:
Alstroemeria 6/15 (15 listings, and I received 6 as surplus )
Cyananthus 3/7
Incarvillea 10/22
Paeonia 10/31
Zephyrathes 10/21
Now that I think more about it, the numbers could instead
represent the decision of a seed picker to give me a wide
selection of seeds. Maybe all 15 types of Alstroemeria were
still available.
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Thanks Maggi for that note but it's not exactly what I meant. While the seed senders might include a list of what is sent, it wouldn't be a list (and seed) of what is permitted. For surplus seed of say Saxifraga, we would be allowed some but not others and I can't imagine the packers would want to consult our Biosecurity Index for each item. (No, I'm NOT suggesting that they do so.) We can ensure that the numbered items are permitted but not the genera items. I applied for surplus seed a couple of years ago and only received 2 of the numbered items so most were generic selections.
This isn't any kind of a complaint, I promise you. If there's any problem it is with our bio system, certainly not with the seed exchange. For my own part, I have sown so many seeds this year from 20 or 30 different sources, that the absence of surplus seed is a great relief! :D
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I shall be pretty mad if anyone gets Cyananthus as surplus seed this year as I listed 2 as first choices and received neither! >:(
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Thanks Maggi for that note but it's not exactly what I meant. While the seed senders might include a list of what is sent, it wouldn't be a list (and seed) of what is permitted. For surplus seed of say Saxifraga, we would be allowed some but not others and I can't imagine the packers would want to consult our Biosecurity Index for each item. (No, I'm NOT suggesting that they do so.) We can ensure that the numbered items are permitted but not the genera items. I applied for surplus seed a couple of years ago and only received 2 of the numbered items so most were generic selections.
This isn't any kind of a complaint, I promise you. If there's any problem it is with our bio system, certainly not with the seed exchange. For my own part, I have sown so many seeds this year from 20 or 30 different sources, that the absence of surplus seed is a great relief! :D
Oh, yes, now I see what you mean.... yes, that is a problem.
Some items are marked to show they cannot be ordered by the USA members, and the "live" material is marked.... I suppose it would be rather complicated to have colour-coded markers for what is not allowed where.... :-\ :-X
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It would be impossible for the exchange to make provisions fully to satisfy the regulations for every member. The fact is too, that more and more countries are becoming aware of biosecurity risks even if, for the most part, those horses bolted many years ago, and the regulations for each country are a little different from the others, so arranging for the seedlist to accomodate every circumstance is a no brainer.
We can only be grateful that so far, England and Scotland still permit the import of all seed (all relevant seed anyway) so that the seed exchanges are still able to operate at all. If overseas donations were not accepted and overseas members had to pull out from applying for seed, I can imagine that membership would go down with a bump.
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It is always said that the Seed Exchange is one of the biggest draws for membership, Lesley, but I was surprised to learn that it is in fact only a minority of members, home or overseas, who actually order seed. I don't know what the percentage is from the likes of the AGS exchange but there are an awful lot of SRGC members who never order seed ! :o ??? Very odd :-\
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It is always said that the Seed Exchange is one of the biggest draws for membership, Lesley, but I was surprised to learn that it is in fact only a minority of members, home or overseas, who actually order seed. I don't know what the percentage is from the likes of the AGS exchange but there are an awful lot of SRGC members who never order seed ! :o ??? Very odd :-\
Oh, I don't know. You may come for the seed list, but you stay for the people! :-* This is one very informative and friendly club. ;D ;D ;)
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It is always said that the Seed Exchange is one of the biggest draws for membership, Lesley, but I was surprised to learn that it is in fact only a minority of members, home or overseas, who actually order seed. I don't know what the percentage is from the likes of the AGS exchange but there are an awful lot of SRGC members who never order seed ! :o ??? Very odd :-\
Hi Maggi,I was under the impression that you had to be a member to get seed from the exchange, so how could they be the minority?
"Very odd" Maybe there are a few members out there like me who could not get into the seed exchange and so put it into the "to hard basket" and moved on.
bye Ray
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I would say that most of the members that I know individually do not take part in the seed exchange. They are part of the club because they just love the SRGC!
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It is always said that the Seed Exchange is one of the biggest draws for membership, Lesley, but I was surprised to learn that it is in fact only a minority of members, home or overseas, who actually order seed. I don't know what the percentage is from the likes of the AGS exchange but there are an awful lot of SRGC members who never order seed ! :o ??? Very odd :-\
I suspect that lots of people who don't ask for seeds from the list have very good networks of seed/plant swap buddies. :o
Or run out of room in the garden.
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It is always said that the Seed Exchange is one of the biggest draws for membership, Lesley, but I was surprised to learn that it is in fact only a minority of members, home or overseas, who actually order seed. I don't know what the percentage is from the likes of the AGS exchange but there are an awful lot of SRGC members who never order seed ! :o ??? Very odd :-\
Hi Maggi,I was under the impression that you had to be a member to get seed from the exchange, so how could they be the minority?
"Very odd" Maybe there are a few members out there like me who could not get into the seed exchange and so put it into the "too hard basket" and moved on.
bye Ray
Yes, Ray, you must be a member to take part in the seed exchange. It is a "minority" who take part because there are more members who do not order seed than the number who do order seed.
I am sorry to hear that you found it "too hard" to make a seed order.... particularly since you mention this now, after the seed exchange is closed for this year!
I am not sure quite how it proved too hard... the paper system is straightforward enough and those who did not for whatever reason receive their paper copy could asaccess the list online and ask me for the orderp agers toprint off to make apostal request and the online seed system is set up to mirror the paper system as closely as possible. Anyone who had any trouble, not knowing their membership number etc had only to contact me.... and that was stated in several places at various times and I would get right back to them with the info they needed.
To further aid anyone who was unsure of beginning the online system, I prepared two pictorial guides, showing the screen view of each stage of the registration and ordering process; these were also flagged up in more than one place here.
So, when you say you consigned the process to the "too hard basket", I must admit I am at something of a loss to know what to say to you.....it is such a pity that you did not speak up earlier, when I could have surely helped to show you that there is no mysterious difficulty about ordering seed.
If the process was truly troublesome, I would have thought that there would be lots of people contacting us to say so: I would not like to leave the impression that seed ordering is a real chore!
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I can understand that a majority of UK members don't order seeds from the exchange. They have so much else to take part in, after all; shows, discussion weekends, tours, visits and of course the monthly meetings of local groups but it would be interesting to know what proportion of overseas members order seed as apart from the Journal and the Forum (which is relatively recent), there is no other way to take part effectively. Then too, UK members have so many sources of both plants and seeds, that are closed to members in other countries, especially outside the EU. We rely heavily on the seed exchange of SRGC and others.
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I do order and donate seed. I was very fortunate this year, only 1 of my 25 requested seeds in the main exchange was not available and out of 50 individual seeds I requested from the Surplus I received 48. I guess I must be ordering most of the easily provided and common seeds. When I get good at growing the easier, common ones I can start to look for the more difficult, rarer ones.
Regardless, I'm extremely happy with what I received. To me it's always exciting to grow pretty well anything from seed and so much of what is available via the seed exchange is unavailable whether they are rare or not here in Canada.
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My seed request has just arrived and I would like to say a very big 'THANK YOU!' to the donors and the volunteers that have made it all possible. I really appreciate it.
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My seed arrived on Friday 2/5. Thanks to all involved. I can't wait for spring.
Eric D
USA
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still no seeds, should I start to worry :-\
jes/denmark
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still no seeds, should I start to worry :-\
jes/denmark
Jes, it will be easier for me to make enquiries about your seed if I know what your name is and your postal address, please pm with these !
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So I'm not the only one who hasn't received seeds yet. There is some hope
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I think there may be postal delays with some of these seed orders.... I'm sending details through to the Seedy Gang to check.... ......
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Thank you a lot, The Greatest Global Moderator Ever!
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Maggi,
I received another allotment of seed, today, which was apparently lost for a while, as these are seed from the original order (first and second choice), from which I previously thought I managed to snap-up none! I have no idea how long they were in the post, as the postmark was illegible. This is over a week later than receiving the supplement seed. There must have been a hiccup somewhere along the line, don't you think? I hope others will not give up hope as there seeds may be simply vacationing in the Timbuktu post office.
For the record, I did get 7 choices from first and alternates. Not bad. ;D ;D
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Jamie, I have no idea what is happening with the post! As I said before, a number of seedlists were not delivered in the first place..... I'm beginning to think that a carrier pigeon is the best bet!
Better to get two lots of seed than none at all, that's for sure!
If only we had a local member in Timbuktu who could search the post office!! ;) ;D ;D
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Well I got my purchased seed today - yay, I have a million Cyclamen seed to sow :-)
4 packets were held by customs and I have the option of having an environment risk management assessment done on them. Included in these was Cyclamen X meiklei and Narcissus confusus
Lesley, if you are reading this thread, you probably have more exposure to these procedures. Can you advise whether the assessment is a major nightmare? Or any other NZ readers?
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I finally got the seed. Happy. Thanks to everybody involved. It took them more than a month to reach Moscow. Are reindeer still being used to deliver mail?
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Why not :D ? Perhaps, although they are not Christmas boxes ;)
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I finally got the seed. Happy. Thanks to everybody involved. It took them more than a month to reach Moscow. Are reindeer still being used to deliver mail?
No, Oleg.... my Sami contacts assure me that reindeers are MUCH faster ! ;D
It seems the post is being delivered (or not, as the case may be) by dying snails.... not even fine healthy athletic ones........ :-X :'( >:(
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Hi Ross, unless your bank account holds as much as that of Bill Gates, forget it. I emailed ERMA on Friday for up-to-date costs re assessment for an article I'm writing at present but haven't had a reply yet. I'll pass it along when I get one. However, last I heard, the application to assess costs $1,200 per species. On top are the costs of the assessment itself including anything they may decide is necessary such as examination in the field, visits to overseas herbaria etc etc. It could literally be many thousands but won't be less that the $1,200. The nasty part is that even if you decide to assess and it's put on the permitted list and released, you have paid the costs while anyone else subsequently may import with no costs at all as it's now a permitted species. Stinks.
It could be helpful if you could find the parents of the Cyclamen hybrid. If they are permitted (just about all Cyclemen are permitted) the hybrid will be. The Narcissus, if very closely related to a permitted species (you'd have to cite a good taxonomic reference) may be released. Have fun. ???
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Oh Maggi, you've done it. Thanks so much. Having to look at that each time he opens a thread will teach Mark M to make rash promises! ;D
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4 packets were held by customs and I have the option of having an environment risk management assessment done on them. Included in these was Cyclamen X meiklei and Narcissus confusus
Ross you should be able to get these two in if you tell them:
Narcissus confusus is a synonym for N pseudonarcissus major and Cyclamen x meiklei is C creticum x repandum
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Lesley and Diane
I have considered contacting them and letting them know the pseudonym of the Narcissus and the parents of the Cyclamen. Knowing these guys they will probably try and change me for the effort though.
Might flick them an email
Ross
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the application to assess costs $1,200 per species. On top are the costs of the assessment itself including anything they may decide is necessary such as examination in the field, visits to overseas herbaria etc etc.
What a job!! I'd love it. Imagine being paid to fly from New Zealand to Samarkand to examine some tulips, on to Peru to look in a herbarium, then Japan for .......
Why are you still sitting at home?
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My Surplus seed arrived today in USA, the first round came last week, so now i have lots of Sax seeds to sow!
Rimmer
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Ross
In my dealings with M.A.F over detained seed ,(in cases where i've requested seed be released),i've found them to be very helpful .
As long as you quote the M.A.F reference number you have been given and supply information backing up the pseudonym/parents names etc,(i copy relevant pages from ,for example, the A.G.S Encyclopedia of Alpines and other publications ), you shouldn't have any problems.
I've never been charged for this review.
As i presume the seed is held in your home city of Christchurch it should be easy to sort out with minimal delay.
Cheers Dave.
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Thanks, Dave
Have sent off an email and we will see what happens
Ross
In my dealings with M.A.F over detained seed ,(in cases where i've requested seed be released),i've found them to be very helpful .
As long as you quote the M.A.F reference number you have been given and supply information backing up the pseudonym/parents names etc,(i copy relevant pages from ,for example, the A.G.S Encyclopedia of Alpines and other publications ), you shouldn't have any problems.
I've never been charged for this review.
As i presume the seed is held in your home city of Christchurch it should be easy to sort out with minimal delay.
Cheers Dave.
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Should be OK and no charge as Dave says. Good luck. :)
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I have always hope to receive them now. What happens with the post???????? ??? ??? :'(
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Dom, we have no idea what silly games the post office is playing , but I hear today that more seed is just arrived in Germany, after being posted in Scotland on the 9th January! :o
The Seedy Gang will make every effort to repick any missing orders possible from the remaining seed in the next while. It does seem, however, that some of the missing orders are now being delivered, so there is hope!
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thank you Maggi. I hope, always positive attitude !! :P ;)
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... just about all Cyclemen are permitted ...
except for that notorious thug C. elegans ;)
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thank you Maggi. I hope, always positive attitude !! :P ;)
Yes, we hope for one of these.......
[attach=1]
but we got one of these........
[attach=2]
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Maggi,
Who's that breathtaking young lady in your new avatar ?? :o ??? :-\
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Maggi,
Who's that breathtaking young lady in your new avatar ?? :o ??? :-\
The result of your Belgian goodies Luc?? ;D ;D ;D
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... just about all Cyclemen are permitted ...
except for that notorious thug C. elegans ;)
True, Ashley. We could probably convince MAF it is a subsp of coum, if the need arose. C. colchicum isn't listed either, or that other very rare species from Ethiopia or somewhere handy. Can't remember the name. Does it actually exist?
Seed of hybrids is permitted provided both parents are permitted.
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However, last I heard, the application to assess costs $1,200 per species. On top are the costs of the assessment itself including anything they may decide is necessary such as examination in the field, visits to overseas herbaria etc etc. It could literally be many thousands but won't be less that the $1,200.
Please, someone, pick me off the floor and phone an ambulence as I've just had a major heart attack!!! A phone call from a nice lady, Senior Risk Assessment Officer at ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority) in Wellington with the information I emailed for, on Friday.
The present cost of a risk assessment is $16,875 per species (the application to assess), plus disbursements (the assessment itself) plus GST. This is for the general run of plants such as you or I may wish to import from outside New Zealand. There is another category of release called "Rapid Release" and this only costs $562.50 but is only for plants or animals for highly specialized scientific purposes and the Officer told me there have only been two such releases since the Biosecurity Act came into force in 1993. This website gives some detail and among other things, before a (e.g.) Fritillaria species could be released for import, apparently ERMA has a statutory obligation to consult with Maori in case there are cultural conflicts etc. God give me strength!
http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/no/applications/release.html
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I can't imagine even a business funding that unless they are expecting
to make a fortune on exports.
Perhaps a rich club might - the Rose Society, perhaps?
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It's all a bit too depressing really, isn't it? I absolutely appreciate the stance on keeping potentially harmful species out of NZ but they seem to accomplish this by making it virtually impossible/unaffordable rather than real assessment.
However, last I heard, the application to assess costs $1,200 per species. On top are the costs of the assessment itself including anything they may decide is necessary such as examination in the field, visits to overseas herbaria etc etc. It could literally be many thousands but won't be less that the $1,200.
Please, someone, pick me off the floor and phone an ambulence as I've just had a major heart attack!!! A phone call from a nice lady, Senior Risk Assessment Officer at ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority) in Wellington with the information I emailed for, on Friday.
The present cost of a risk assessment is $16,875 per species (the application to assess), plus disbursements (the assessment itself) plus GST. This is for the general run of plants such as you or I may wish to import from outside New Zealand. There is another category of release called "Rapid Release" and this only costs $562.50 but is only for plants or animals for highly specialized scientific purposes and the Officer told me there have only been two such releases since the Biosecurity Act came into force in 1993. This website gives some detail and among other things, before a (e.g.) Fritillaria species could be released for import, apparently ERMA has a statutory obligation to consult with Maori in case there are cultural conflicts etc. God give me strength!
http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/no/applications/release.html
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It is my conviction and that of many others that the costs are designed not merely to discourage applications but to avoid them altogether because the so-called indigenous people and the green lobby are so adamantly against the introduction of further exotic species. A stupid attitude entirely and one which has already cost many jobs with nurseries closing as they can't introduce new material, and will ultimately destroy large parts of the horticultural industry.
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Pollen may be unregulated, though, so hybridizers can carry on.
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Pollen is NOT unregulated unless sterilized which I imagine would destroy it anyway.
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Our weather is similar to the South Island, and you'd be a
welcome neighbour.
We'd even let you bring your plants if you wash the roots.
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Our weather is similar to the South Island, and you'd be a
welcome neighbour.
We'd even let you bring your plants if you wash the roots.
Will let you know when I've packed the (washed) plants in containers (will have to charter a ship) and then I'll pack my bags. Booking a flight today. ;D Can I bring Teddy?
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Update.....I had advised of the pseudonym of the Narcissus and the parentage of the Cyclamen primary hybrid but I didn't bother with the other 2 packets which were identified as "Crocus spp".
all four packets were released and I got them in the mail today :-)
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Excellent news, Ross :)
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Still nothing from the AGS though. :(
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I was away from home on business last week and when I arrived home from the deep south (where temps were 20F in Atlanta, but 40F at home in Alaska), my SRGC seed was all waiting! This mid-february delivery date is almost unprecedented for speed. The US Aphis folks really turned it around quickly this time. My laminated labels are just cooling, and the kitchen is full of pots and soil (much to the boss's chagrin) - there are still a couple of months of winter left for winter sowing. The fours seasons of Alaska being June, July, August, and winter of course.
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Hi Lesley,
Sorry you have not received your AGS seed yet. It was picked early in the exchange and posted in the new year after we got going again between large deposits of snow! We included a personalised letter in with each New Zealand and Australian order to satisfy MAF and AQIS bods.
Unfortunately, like SRGC, we have had problems with erratic post both with seedlists and seed deliveries.
Thankfully we had a really good online system for ordering this year which received about 1000 orders but obviously we still have to rely on the snail for deliveries.
I am in touch with many NZ and Aust members who have informed me of some quick deliveries, some slow deliveries and some like yours of disappointment. Please keep in touch. Best wishes,
Colin
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Thanks for this note Colin. I expect it's just held up by MAF and will appear in due course. Their ways, like God's are mysterious. Some things come through uninspected, others inspected quickly and others still, inspected but put aside if they're busy with something else. Or maybe someone didn't enjoy his breakfast or had a row with his wife and is taking it out on me. I'll put a note here, if and when.
Thanks
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Colin, thank you for taking the time and trouble to reply here to Lesley.... very good of you.
The postal system seems to move in very mysterious ways... and when one adds in the MAF inspection and so on, there are only too many chances for mishaps.
It is a shame though, when members are waiting in expectation and the cost of postage is not getting any cheaper, that the service we get is getting worse....wrong leaves on the line, wrong sort of snow.... it'll be wrong sort of envelope next!
I know the delivery service locally is erratic to say the least....and it seems to be a problem endemic in the postal system; so frustrating for all the Seed Teams of the likes of SRGC and AGS who really do their best to get us our seed.
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My AGS seed arrived yesterday, on my birthday, thanks very much Colin. I see it was posted in the UK on 4th February so must have been in the hands of MAF for about a month! Some super things so it's up to me now. :)
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Thank you for letting us know Lesley. Quite why it took so long I don't understand. Perhaps they were waiting for your Birthday!
Best wishes, Colin
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I think Susan and Dave are still waiting for theirs, or were at the weekend, so the problem is obviously here rather than in the UK. Thanks Colin.