USDA identifies mystery seeds

Aug 04, 2020

Americans in all 50 states have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined the contents of some unknown seed packages Americans have been receiving.

“We have identified 14 different species of seeds including mustard, cabbage, morning glory, and some herbs like mint, sage, rosemary, (and) lavender,” Osama El-Lissy, a member of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) plant protection program, said in a July 29 update.

Hibiscus and rose seeds were also discovered, he said.

Americans in all 50 states have reported getting packages of seeds from Asia. The envelopes were usually labeled as jewelry or other goods.

#APHIS is working closely with @CBP and State Depts of Ag re: unrequested seeds. If received, pls contact State Dept of Ag https://t.co/g0WhR57Wv3 or the #APHIS State Plant Health Office https://t.co/CdHtWghDbC. Keep packaging and do not plant seeds from an unknown origin! pic.twitter.com/LORKeTh4Tc
— USDA APHIS (@USDA_APHIS) July 27, 2020

Some officials believe the seeds are part of what’s known as a “brushing” scam.

The scam involves sellers using an address “to make it appear as though (the recipient) wrote a glowing online review of their merchandise, and that (the recipient is) a verified buyer of that merchandise,” the Better Business Bureau said. “They then post a fake review to improve their products’ ratings, which means more sales for them.”

The reports prompted the USDA to issue warnings about opening or planting the seeds.

“Seeds for planting pose a significant risk for U.S. agriculture and natural resources because they can carry seed-born viruses or other diseases,” the USDA said in a Q& A document. “Imported vegetable or agricultural seed must meet labeling and phytosanitary requirements and be inspected by APHIS and (Customs and Border Protection) at the port of entry.”

One man, however, did plant the seeds before reporting them to the USDA.

Doyle Crenshaw from Booneville, Ark., nurtured the seeds in his garden for two months.

“We brought them down here and planted the seeds just to see what would happen. Every two weeks I’d come by and put Miracle-Gro on it and they just started growing like crazy,” he told KFSM-TV.

The plant has a large white fruit and orange flowers like a squash plant.

State ag officials have since removed the plant for further study.

Farms.com has reached out to USDA for comment.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.