black farmers were sold fake crop seeds to drive them into bankruptcy

Liquid (for soy). It's expensive and you have to use it quickly after you open it, but in the end it's worth it.
That’s what we usually use but we tried the graphite crap this year and never again.
 
That’s what we usually use but we tried the graphite crap this year and never again.
Good to know. I've heard it was a pain in the ass, but I've just never dealt with it personally. Sounds like I'll try and keep it that way lol.

Be safe, and travel well friend.
 
Weren't the seeds tested and deemed inferior to the product they thought they'd purchased? Or were they just different?

Yes.

That's why it doesn't make sense to speculate about if the farmers were the reason the yield was poor. They know that the seeds they received were not the certified seeds. The only thing left to intelligently discuss is how the farmers ended up with fraudulent seeds and whether or not the distributor was racially motivated in how he practiced this con.
 
Yes.

That's why it doesn't make sense to speculate about if the farmers were the reason the yield was poor. They know that the seeds they received were not the certified seeds. The only thing left to intelligently discuss is how the farmers ended up with fraudulent seeds and whether or not the distributor was racially motivated in how he practiced this con.
Precisely. The OP was very clear on that, but isn't it interesting how a certain predictable contingent sounds soooo sure it's really likely the farmers are at fault and they are just lying to cover it up, hm?
 
Yes.

That's why it doesn't make sense to speculate about if the farmers were the reason the yield was poor. They know that the seeds they received were not the certified seeds. The only thing left to intelligently discuss is how the farmers ended up with fraudulent seeds and whether or not the distributor was racially motivated in how he practiced this con.

To be thorough, some white people seeds need tested. What if everyone got the swapped out seeds, that while weren't the certified strain, were fully capable of producing? If then it could be shown there are in fact differences in techniques used...based on skin color... Yeah, that's all I got. :D
 
To be thorough, some white people seeds need tested. What if everyone got the swapped out seeds, that while weren't the certified strain, were fully capable of producing? If then it could be shown there are in fact differences in techniques used...based on skin color... Yeah, that's all I got. :D

At least you're trying and it's the effort that matters, lol.
 
At least you're trying and it's the effort that matters, lol.

Well, we've all seen enough times around here where facts come to light and the pitchfork people end up looking foolish. Trying also to think about it from the perspective of a real court and not just public opinion, since it sounds like that's where it's gonna get settled.
 
Well, we've all seen enough times around here where facts come to light and the pitchfork people end up looking foolish. Trying also to think about it from the perspective of a real court and not just public opinion, since it sounds like that's where it's gonna get settled.
That's what the lawsuit is for, innit? I thought everyone was on the same page on that score.
Edit: where I take issue is after filing a lawsuit, presumably having been taken on by a lawyer because it appears to have merit, unless he's corrupt too, and with an OP that says the accusation is backed up by evidence of wrongdoing, the default response of a very particular group here is that they must be making it up or are just inherently bad farmers.
 
Last edited:
I think you just lost me. :(
The people in the OP have filed a lawsuit. They are handing the issue over to the courts to be decided. If their accusation is legitimate, presumably a court of law is the best place to prove it. If it's not, we'll find out and then they will have ruined their credibility as well as their livelihoods and good riddance to bad rubbish. But if it's true, it's shitty on a massive scale. It's an incredible accusation.

Oh and LOL at the suggestion earlier that it's bad business to be racist in farming.
 
The people in the OP have filed a lawsuit. They are handing the issue over to the courts to be decided. If their accusation is legitimate, presumably a court of law is the best place to prove it. If it's not, we'll find out and then they will have ruined their credibility as well as their livelihoods and good riddance to bad rubbish. But if it's true, it's shitty on a massive scale. It's an incredible accusation.

Oh and LOL at the suggestion earlier that it's bad business to be racist in farming.

Thanks.
 
Yes.

That's why it doesn't make sense to speculate about if the farmers were the reason the yield was poor. They know that the seeds they received were not the certified seeds. The only thing left to intelligently discuss is how the farmers ended up with fraudulent seeds and whether or not the distributor was racially motivated in how he practiced this con.
How would they know that? Were they a totally different breed of soy?

Also, I haven't really heard one way or the other, was it only black people this happened to?
 
http://m.wmcactionnews5.com/story/3...nally-sold-fake-seeds-in-memphis-lawsuit-says



I'll just get this out of the way early, so you-know-who doesn't need to pop in with his usual contribution: "The black farmers were probably just burglars anyways. No big deal."

So anyways, yeah, this is fucking appalling. I hope it's not true for a number of reasons, but mainly because there's probably not going to be any sort of real justice done against a major agriculture company in a farm state.

What we have here are allegations of a racist conspiracy to explain these farmers' low crop yield.

But one thing is clear from the story: the seeds were not actually "fake." Even assuming the "experts" they hired are correct (and they may not be), the seeds were still normal soy beans; they just weren't name brand ("Stine" is the brand). If the seeds were indeed switched, perhaps the motive was just good ol' fashioned greed, and had nothing to do with race (making the case much less interesting). But they haven't ruled out the possibility that these particular farmers did something else to reduce their yield. Perhaps they used the wrong type of fertilizer. Perhaps they planted the seeds too deeply, or not deeply enough. Or perhaps a third party is to blame – either for something done to the seeds, or to the field.

And there's one possibility which I will never rule out in 2018: the farmers could have fabricated this story entirely, for attention, money, or to deflect blame. Anyone who jumps on this outrage train based upon the filing of the complaint is an idiot. At least wait until discovery is done.
 
What we have here are allegations of a racist conspiracy to explain these farmers' low crop yield.

But one thing is clear from the story: the seeds were not actually "fake." Even assuming the "experts" they hired are correct (and they may not be), the seeds were still normal soy beans; they just weren't name brand ("Stine" is the brand). If the seeds were indeed switched, perhaps the motive was just good ol' fashioned greed, and had nothing to do with race (making the case much less interesting). But they haven't ruled out the possibility that these particular farmers did something else to reduce their yield. Perhaps they used the wrong type of fertilizer. Perhaps they planted the seeds too deeply, or not deeply enough. Or perhaps a third party is to blame – either for something done to the seeds, or to the field.

And there's one possibility which I will never rule out in 2018: the farmers could have fabricated this story entirely, for attention, money, or to deflect blame. Anyone who jumps on this outrage train based upon the filing of the complaint is an idiot. At least wait until discovery is done.

Hey, welcome to the party. We were talking about the people who wrote long defenses putting the blame on the farmers.
 
Sorry never ever pondered the existence of black farmers. It takes some mental gymnastics to equate that to racism. I never said or implied that black people aren’t perfectly capable of being farmers or anything else they want. Yet you seem to think it’s racist. Congratulations, you are the problem here not me.

Again the fact that it suprises you that there is a black anything is laughable. I am sorry you can’t handle a little teasing over it, I am not “literally hitler”ing you, LOL.
 
Last edited:
Seed sales is a very competitive business. In the late winter, and early spring seed Representatives come out of the woodwork. They'll drive right up to your shop, offering you the latest and greatest (and annoy you while you're trying to get work done).

They're constantly trying to undercut each other's prices. If a distributor actually tried to pull the scam that was alleged in this news story, the other seed Representatives would relentlessly bury that distributor to any Farmer they talk to, and then seriously undercut their price for that year alone for any farmer that used to do business with that distributor. Seed representatives will do just about anything to grab a bigger chunk of the market share.

The idea that a scam like this wouldn't hurt a seed distributor is so absurd that it could only be said by someone that has minimal interaction with actual customers on a day-to-day basis.


Especially in a commodity buisness, like seeds, not like the supplier has some kind of lock on the consumer. So that makes sense. I still think it’s possible, but if the distributor was larger / established, I would be more doubtful.
 
Back
Top