Fundies Invade my hobbies - Baker Creek Seeds

[Witsec1]

So, a few weeks back I sent away for the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog. This morning I was lying in bed reading it and drinking my tea. Beautiful photos and illustrations, lots of interesting stuff. But the more I read, my attention is distracted from my gardening obsession to my Free Jinger obsession.

Catalog bio of the company founder, Jere (Jeremiah) Gettle: rural Missouri homeschool graduate, started the biz when he was 17. Now has a mini-empire of seed company, pioneer "village", retail stores in Petaluma, and Connecticut. Bible verses and quotes from founding fathers scattered throughout site. So far, so fundy. But the Bible quotes are mainly about peace, so maybe more of a crunchy Chrisian hippie? Google image search search reveals interest in period costumes, but also a preference for clashing plaids so awful they just have to be some kind of ironic hipster thing. His wife is lovely, always in fundy-correct "feminine" attire- but they only have 1 kid and have been married at least 4 years, so she's behind production schedule for a QF wife.

I poked around the forum the Baker Creek Seed Co runs: idigmygarden.com and found a reference to the fact that the wife, Emilee Gettle, is more conservative than her husband and had written a book called "The Hope Chest Organizer".

After more googling, I found her old blog on homesteadblogger!

homesteadblogger.com/emilee/category/titus-2-ministry/

Unfortunately, it only has 2 posts.

Seasons of Change…

February 7, 2007 in Titus 2 Ministry by Country Simplicity | 6 comments

It has been several months since I've had the opportunity to write on my blog! So much has happened, from getting engaged, to being married… then moving and traveling! It's a blessing to be settling down again…

God has been so faithful to me! Jere and I are extremely happy and we rejoice in the fact that God miraculously brought us together. It is so wonderful to see His hand move on our behalf and answer the prayers we've so longed to be fulfilled.

I look forward to sharing online what the Lord lays on my heart, as He grants me the time to do so. ;) I've missed sharing with you all here! I'm sure there are many new friends to be found on Homesteadblogger, since I've been gone! Please do feel free to leave me a comment; I'd love to hear from you!

Blessings in Jesus!

Emilee (Freie) Gettle

Titus 2 Ministry (The ministry my parents and I started) [titus2ministry.com/ - nothing there]

Genteel Girlhood (A sister to T2M) - [titus2ministry.com/GG/main/index.html - also gone]

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company (My husband's business)

The lord lays things on her heart! She is a true blue fundy gal, all right!

Does anyone remember an Emiliee Freie or the above defunct "ministries"? Anyone with info on Baker Creek Seed fundy connections? I am all ears.

[MamaJunebug]

I don't remember any Freies but I distinctly recall that my first exposure to the uber-perfect Jordan Niednagel Family was when Meliss and the first baby won the BCHSC's old-time costume competition at the annual seedfest. :roll: The Baker Creek folks are in to their earlobes.

[ilovetchotchkes]

OMG I got my catalogue from them and had the EXACT SAME THOUGHT! I saw her outfit and my "fun-dar" went dingdingdingding!

[Witsec7]

Try Territorial Seeds in Eugene Or or Peace Seeds (sold though Seeds of Change) or Nichols Garden Nursery. All owned and run by progressives.

[Miss M]

Here is some back story on Jere and Emilee's parents.

rodaleinstitute.org/20080509/nf1

[devilsadvocate]

The Gettle family is, as I understand it, Seventh Day Adventist. I believe that Seventh Day Adventists have some significant theological differences with the other Protestant churches out there so I'd be pretty surprised if they are part of the Quiverful/Gothard thing.

(I also believe the Gettles are also vegetarians, as are many Seventh Day Adventists, so that's another way that their lifestyle is different than many of the folks on here).

I give Jere Gettle credit for trying to preserve so many rare heirloom seeds, and for speaking out against GMO seeds. It's pretty sad that it is getting to be hard to get some kinds of seeds that haven't been GMO contaminated.

It probably should not be surprising that people who are FARMERS, especially farmers with an interest in historic plants, are old-fashioned in some ways, though.

[Witsec1]

The Gettle family is, as I understand it, Seventh Day Adventist. I believe that Seventh Day Adventists have some significant theological differences with the other Protestant churches out there so I'd be pretty surprised if they are part of the Quiverful/Gothard thing.

(I also believe the Gettles are also vegetarians, as are many Seventh Day Adventists, so that's another way that their lifestyle is different than many of the folks on here).

I give Jere Gettle credit for trying to preserve so many rare heirloom seeds, and for speaking out against GMO seeds. It's pretty sad that it is getting to be hard to get some kinds of seeds that haven't been GMO contaminated.

It probably should not be surprising that people who are FARMERS, especially farmers with an interest in historic plants, are old-fashioned in some ways, though.

Well, there are lots of companies and groups that do this, not just the Gettles. Seeds of Change that Experienced mentioned has been around since before Baker Creek. I did see somewhere that Jere's family is 7th Day. Do 7th Day Adventist have pacifist leanings? I honestly know very little about them beyond the veggie thing and the Saturday church thing.

How well do other fundies tolerate 7th Day? Were Emilee's family 7th Day? The names Titus 2 and Genteel Girlhood seem mainstream (?? is that an oxymoron?) fundie. Or is Titus 2 and "feminine dress" a 7th Day fetish too? So many questions.

[Miss M]

It probably should not be surprising that people who are FARMERS, especially farmers with an interest in historic plants, are old-fashioned in some ways, though.

Being a Farmer, which I am, in that my Mother and I raise as much food as we can summer, heirloom by the way, does not mean playing dress up and running a DollyWood type resort! We don't wear dresses while we harvest onions, mostly we wear old cut off Levis and act like normal people.

I get what he is trying to do, I really do! But there is just something weird about this whole family!

We also have 160 acres in market crops, meaning corn and soy beans...gotta pay the bills and the taxes!

M.

[Conuly]

You might try Seedsavers, which seems to be entirely secular.

[Witsec1]

Being a Farmer, which I am, in that my Mother and I raise as much food as we can summer, heirloom by the way, does not mean playing dress up and running a DollyWood type resort! We don't wear dresses while we harvest onions, mostly we wear old cut off Levis and act like normal people.

I get what he is trying to do, I really do! But there is just something weird about this whole family!

We also have 160 acres in market crops, meaning corn and soy beans...gotta pay the bills and the taxes!

M.

This. Here in the People's Republic of Santa Cruz, I know lots of organic dirt farmers who raise heirloom crops and dressing up is not really on their agenda. Tattoos and piercings, maybe, skirts only, no.

Respect to you and all farmers, M. Re: the bolded part - are you referring to p. 77 where she appears to be pulling an onion in that dirndl sort of dress with a pristine white apron?

[Miss M]

Respect to you and all farmers, M. Re: the bolded part - are you referring to p. 77 where she appears to be pulling an onion in that dirndl sort of dress with a pristine white apron?

Yes, because that is just so staged and it looks STUPID, no real farmer/gardener looks like that! But like I said, I get that part, they are running a business. But I usually come in at the end of the day, covered in dirt, stinking a bit and tired as fuck! We have close to an acre in vegetable gardens and fruit trees between my 70 year old Mother's garden and mine...we don't look PRETTY!

M.

[pixydust]

I did see somewhere that Jere's family is 7th Day. Do 7th Day Adventist have pacifist leanings? I honestly know very little about them beyond the veggie thing and the Saturday church thing.

How well do other fundies tolerate 7th Day? Were Emilee's family 7th Day? The names Titus 2 and Genteel Girlhood seem mainstream (?? is that an oxymoron?) fundie. Or is Titus 2 and "feminine dress" a 7th Day fetish too? So many questions.

My hubby's grandmother and aunt are SDA. Many fundies consider SDA to be a cult (I'm not really sure why, they seem way less cultish than fundie protestant Christians). I know that they don't drink or eat pork or shelfish (hubby's SDA fam love me because I'm Kosher!). I don't think that SDA really worry about modesty, Hubby's SDA-raised cousin was a cheerleader for 12 years, has always worn bikinis, and had non-SDA boyfriends...not sure if that's how SDA is, maybe she is just spoiled! SDA fam also doesn't try to "witness" to people and seem to believe that I'm going to heaven (Jew). Once again, I'm not sure if that is SDA or just the fam.

Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything, but the Branch Dividians were an offshoot of SDA (or an offshoot of an offshoot).

[Crackedeggs]

Yeah, the fundies are in the gardening thing, you can't avoid them. I mean, egg boxes with verses on them, seeds, you name it. I love to grow stuff, can stuff,.. and some of the best advice comes from fundie friendly sites. It just goes with the territory.

7th day Adventists CAN be very fundie like - dresses only, long hair, etc. Depends on the congregation.

[Witsec1]

Yeah, the fundies are in the gardening thing, you can't avoid them. I mean, egg boxes with verses on them, seeds, you name it. I love to grow stuff, can stuff,.. and some of the best advice comes from fundie friendly sites. It just goes with the territory.

7th day Adventists CAN be very fundie like - dresses only, long hair, etc. Depends on the congregation.

Not just fundies, but eccentrics of all kinds. The fundy/hippie interface fascinates/repels me.

Would "Titus 2' be an SDA buzzword?

[Crackedeggs]

Not just fundies, but eccentrics of all kinds. The fundy/hippie interface fascinates/repels me.

Would "Titus 2' be an SDA buzzword?

I knew of them from an old neighbor of mine. I think it could be, I remember googling her church and seeing some kind of mentoring program there for that.