Not tiny or local at all
"We are global. We are local. We are HM.CLAUSE"
I drove back from the market today on what we call the 'scenic route'. It's actually not all that scenic in parts, in fact downright ugly in one spot, but it does follow the Yarra River - not that you can see it at all. And as you approach Eltham, going through Templestowe you pass this seed farm, which from the road looks small and marginally distressed. There are one or two not very grand looking buildings - I think one of them looks a bit greenhouse like, and the whole place is really not that big. Just a few rows of vegetables. You are past it in the blink of an eye. And talk about a discreet entrance - dirt road, just round a corner. You could easily miss it.
There are rows of vegetable plants, mostly cabbages it seems to me, not looking all that healthy - but then, of course, this is a seed farm, and so they are presumably left to seed. Anyway I thought I would look them up, expecting to see the story of a small struggling business in the global world. But no. It's just one small part of a massive global company, which itself is part of an even bigger global company Limagrain. In fact it is the second largest vegetable seed producing company in the world. I was amazed.
So who are they? Where did they come from? Well, like many of the world's large companies it began with several small companies that gradually came together. And originally it was French - indeed the European headquarters are still there in Valence - the town that seems to me to mark the split between the north and the south of France. If you are travelling by train from Paris to the south, after Valence the sun comes out. At least it always seems like that to me.
The earliest part of the company was Tézier named after Pierre Tézier who grew seeds in Valence. A hundred years or so later in 1891 another frenchman, Lucien Clause began a similar company in Paris. In 1924 he set up one of the earliest seed research labs and heralded the beginning of the genetic age in seed development. (Tézier on the left and Clause on the right.)
Meanwhile in America another two companies, Harris Seeds founded in 1859 and Moran Seeds founded another 100 years later in 1963, merged in 1984 to form Harris Moran - the HM of today's company name. In 1996 Limagrain bought Harris Moran. I'm not exactly sure when the French joined the company or when Tézier joined Clause, but anyway that is how it came to be called HM Clause.
'global reach, local touch'
Such are the words following the logo on their website. And all the way through the blurb on the website this seems to be the emphasis. They use all the right words, sustainable, innovative, community and so on. Here is how they describe what they do:
"We specialize in the breeding, production, and sales of vegetable seeds. From the world market to the farmer’s market, we collaborate with our customers to deliver successful solutions for the agricultural challenges of today, and produce the highest quality seeds for the future. Our global team of experts and state-of-the-art research facilities enable us to work side-by-side with growers to provide the most regionally relevant and reliable vegetable seeds available."
And try as I might I could not find any negative reviews or articles on the company at all. Seeds are one of those essential and overlooked things aren't they? The future of the world depends on them in so many ways. How can farmers grow their crops without seeds? For I imagine that this company is developing seeds for farmers, not for us very amateur home gardeners. I know the world has noted the importance of seeds - there is that massive seed bank somewhere in the icy north that I'm sure you would know about, but we often don't think about the millions of seeds that are required world-wide to feed the billions. Let's hope that they are not just focussed on quantity and storability. They say not:
“HM.CLAUSE strives to develop genetics that will not only improve the business of our customers, but also delight consumers,”
And I did see one article on a particular melon called Fiji that is being developed in America and which has proved very popular not just for its easy growing but also for its taste. Here in Australia the 'Thor' Roma tomato seemed to be a thing.
Anyway - interesting. I'll look at that place with a different eye next time I go past.
