Kent Whealy's Letter to SSE Members

[canadamike]

Alan I agree with you totally, this is nothing but damage control, and totally empty of substance, I was right 2 days ago, lawers were working on the case.

I reserved my judgment out of sheer respect for the organisation. I feel no need to try to be impartial anymore.

For crying out loud, they were preparing his retirement. What is a couple of years more? The job of that board was to support HIS

[canadamike]

SORRY, I PUSHED A WRONG BUTTON. THIS IS THE REST OF MY POSTING...


The job of the board was to support HIS vision, not the other way around. And I strongly believe that if this organisation was properly structured, WITH MEMBERS HAVING THE RIGHT TO VOTE, this board of BORGS would never have acted that way, knowing full well that they would be ousted by the mob of angry supporters of Kent.

The only way for them to deal with this would have been to let him do his work and support him like the members would do, or to leave if unhappy...

Now, because the board of this organisation was not a democratic one but a private club of big names, we end up with 5 big egos that have to be satisfied. So of course Kent could be a disturbing presence, he had to play puppet.

BOYCOTT JONNHY'S SEEDS AND GOLDMAN'S BOOKS.

[Mischka]

January 18, 2008

To friends and members of Seed Savers Exchange,

On the morning of January 15, 2008, I arrived at work to find several e-mails from concerned friends and members of the Seed Savers Exchange, who were responding to Kent Whealy’s recent letter. I cannot and will not attempt to comment on everything in that letter. But, there are two issues I feel compelled to address, which include Kent’s repeated statements of crisis and lost vision at SSE, and misinformation about SSE’s current Board of Directors.

SSE was founded in 1975 by Kent and me, as a not-for-profit organization committed to collecting, conserving, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, and providing education about the value of genetic diversity. SSE was born in that spirit and has prospered because of the creative energy, hard work and dedication of thousands of people who believe in the value of our mission. This mission remains unchanged and I am confident that it continues, stronger than ever, as the heart and soul of SSE today.

As co-founder of the Seed Savers Exchange, I have been involved with the day-to-day operations every day since 1975. I have shared my home, family, telephone, kitchen, garden and good will with staff, funders and visitors from all over the world. I did whatever needed to be done to advance SSE’s cause, and I continue to do so today. For the past 20 years I have been privileged to live at Heritage Farm and in the middle of SSE’s preservation projects. I have walked and admired the peaceful Twin Valleys long before that farm became a part of SSE. My responsibilities have been varied and challenging over the years; I have initiated numerous projects that have benefited SSE and which in many ways are the cement that holds things together. I will never have any regrets about my decision to create and nurture SSE, nor do I expect any extraordinary reward for doing my job. Any suggestion that I would cause damage to this precious gift that I, and so many others, have nourished is offensive and unthinkable.

I also would like to address the statements in Kent’s letter that attack the integrity of SSE’s Board of Directors. After reading their bios, you will recognize that the Board members have accomplished careers and full lives. Everyone on this Board has given freely of themselves. The professional guidance they have selflessly provided was instrumental to SSE’s maturity. To insinuate that this Board of Directors needed or used SSE to advance personal agendas is incorrect. Kent and I selected these Board members because of their professional qualifications, and we were delighted and proud to have them agree to join us. SSE has been enhanced and has benefited from these Board members’ valuable experience, talent, time and commitment to SSE. This Board views the seed collection as a sacred trust and would never act irresponsibly or use SSE for any personal agenda. I do not believe that any Board member has a personal agenda to change the direction of SSE or dismantle any projects.

Amy Goldman has been a member of the Seed Savers Exchange since 1991 and has written two books featuring heirloom vegetables. In 2001, Kent and I traveled to New York to visit Amy when she was beginning the process of writing a book about melons. We were both excited and obviously thrilled that someone had taken a serious interest in SSE’s melon collection. We had sent her two boxes of seeds, realizing that their contents contained much history, diversity and beauty. We knew that, through Amy’s book, the seeds would be transformed into beautiful fruits that would be photographed, documented, and described. We also knew this book would create new interest in growing and maintaining unique varieties of heirloom melons. All of Amy’s publications were encouraged by Kent Whealy and SSE who willingly provided support and seeds. In 2004, Kent wrote the forward for Amy’s The Compleat Squash. Both Kent and I were grateful and enthusiastic about the exposure SSE received from each publication and we visited Amy’s garden on many occasions. In my opinion, this was a positive and fair exchange. SSE has encouraged and assisted many members, breeders and scientists to use its seed collection as a resource for their projects.

Neil Hamilton, currently Chair of the Board for Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), introduced SSE to the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program that created the permanent conservation easements between SSE, the USDA and INHF. I firmly believe the resources of Twin Valley Farms will be protected and maintained by SSE and through this easement.

Together we have created the Seed Savers Exchange, and it is my sincere hope that together we will find a proper way to support Kent, while at the same time continue to support SSE, and its Board of Directors, staff, Advisors, donors, and members. SSE has been in my life since 1975 and you have my commitment to continue working for the mission of the Seed Savers Exchange and to protect what has been created by so many.

My present involvement, and my history, with SSE provide valuable experience and insight into SSE’s future. I hope you are reassured by my commitment to the future of our organization, which has never been stronger. SSE is operated today by extremely dedicated and talented staff members, who are directed and assisted by active and engaged Directors and Advisors. The SSE members remain at the core of our mission; you are important and we are grateful for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Diane Ott Whealy
Vice President of Education

[pyrorob]

This still sounds like damage control. It also sounds pretty tame coming from an ex-wife...

--->Rob

[MawkHawk]

"Kent and I selected these Board members because of their professional qualifications, and we were delighted and proud to have them agree to join us."


Then it must especially suck to be stabbed in the back by them.....

Alan, I dunno how you can tolerate these posts after SSE deleted yours.

[Alan]

Just being the better man and the "SANE" alternative to tomatoville and SSE forums. As long as we are an open forum people will come to us and see the value of our board and come to share their knowledge with us.

[Mischka]

I was posting them out of courtesy to the members here, nothing more. I don't own or operate SSE nor did I have anything to do with recent events.

Honestly Markhawk, your continued petty behavior toward me here only makes you look more of a fool.

Delete my posts if you want, Alan. I'm done playing nice.

[Alan]

BTW dear SSE moderators, good job trying to block me on the SSE site, to bad you failed at it because I'm smarter than you. Go ask Jere Gettle just how easy it is to get around being blocked.

[spudleafwillie]

MISCHKA,
QUIT BEING AN ASSHOLE TRYING TO INTIMIDATE OTHERS. IT DIDN'T WORK AT TOMATOLAND AND IT WONT WORK HERE

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT IN YOUR PEA BRAIN THAT THREATS DON'T WORK !!

P.S. I JUST FLUSHED THAT "PEA BRAIN" DOWN THE TOILET W/ THE REST OF YOUR CRAP

SPUDLEAFWILLIE

[bunkie]

thanks for keeping all the posts up alan. at least people can get the full story here. you are the 'best' man! your responses to SSE were spot on.

the 'at this time' thingy in the first SSE letter bothered me also.

i'd like to see the facts and figures....something concrete, or even an explanation. what's the legal stuff tying them up so they can't give us one? Kent's letter was so specific and pretty detailed.

and, as mentioned before, what's with Johnny's Rob Johnston? i sure would like to hear from him.

too many questions and no answers......

[jtcm05]

mischka said:

I was posting them out of courtesy to the members here, nothing more.

HAHAHA! Oh please! You've never done ANYTHING as a courtesy to anyone but yourself.

[plantsnobin]

I think keeping all posts up on this or any forum is the right thing to do, even if a person infuriates others. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. I just typed a long winded post, but I backspaced up to disinfectant. Let's just say it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Karen

[canadamike]

I would like the tone to quiet down a bit, if only by courtesy to Kent Wealy, who was very decent in is letter. As far as I know, the Wealy marital situation is none of my business and I like it that way.
Since I am new to web forums, I do not know about Mishka on other forums, but one has to understand that she is not part of the board, it is then not her doing, even if their was acrimony in their separation, and she feels OK with the decision, ( which I don't know about) I would prefer a more respectuous tone.

It does not change my mind, this board structure is crooked, this is false democracy, I feel un-important as a member, I am furious but certainly not at her. Let us keep our focus.

But if even Kent, in is very long letter, kept her out of this while being very explicit about who he blamed, I am still trying to figure out why I should behave differently.

If she is OK with this decision, I agree to disagree. I will respect her as a founder of SSE. This board structure still pisses me off though, and it has got to change for the sake of SSE's survival.

A more inclusive structure would have helped avoid that mess, if only for having given more solid grounds to the refusal by the board of certain of Kent initiatives, or, at the other end of the spectrum, given him more support.

We would not be lost in the '' them big names VS the idealist father of a great movement.'' mess, which leaves all the people support to Kent and all the power in the hands of the happy few.

In all fearness, diagreaments or different opinions ( they are not the same) would have been expressed at large in the membership which would have supported one side or the other, or probably come up with some form of compromise.

Time for a change I think, and this board should write up a new more inclusive constitution, vote it and get into electoral mode.

The forefathers of your great country were no idiots. Their wiseness and love of participative democracy paid off handsomely.

Time to remember them.

[sammyqc]

Wow. The politics of gardening! It's as nasty as federal politics, hard as that one is to believe! I haven't been around the political arena of plants for as long as some, and I'm not sure I'm getting everything, but I tell ya, if the night time news casts covered these stories, they'd probably get better viewership.

Tomatogate? We just need two nosy reporters, and a Seedthroat, and voila...Oscar's all around!

[lavandulagirl]

Seedthroat? Hahahaha! See? I would have gone for the name "Deep Hole". Sammy has way more class than me! Can I still have one of the Oscars?