'Laying claim to nature's work': plant patents sow fear among small growers

Large companies are claiming intellectual property over new seed varieties, inhibiting small-scale breeders and diversityFor nearly 40 years, Frank Morton has been breeding plants. Particularly drawn to lettuce, he began breeding specialty salad greens, once a rarity in the produce market. Using an organic farm system, 68-year-old Morton developed entirely novel lettuce varieties and eventually started the Philomath, Oregon-based, Wild Garden Seed company with his wife, Karen.Though he loves the work, being a small-scale plant breeder doesn't come without challenges. Over the years, Morton has watched large corporations take over the seed industry, using utility patents to claim seeds as an invention. Continue reading...