EASLEY — “State agriculture officials are warning South Carolinians to be wary of unsolicited packages of seeds mailed to them,” a release emailed to this newspaper began.
“Interesting,” I thought — and then did a quick copy/paste, labeled it for inside page three as a “staff report,” and promptly forgot all about it.
Until, that is, I got home and saw the same news release on Facebook — this one with a photo.
Let me back up a minute …
Several weeks ago I had a hankering for rhubarb pie. Now, because rhubarb is almost impossible to get here in S.C., my Dad ordered me some rhubarb seeds through Amazon.
A few weeks later, I received (what I assumed to be) my rhubarb seeds. However, by this time I had done a bit more research on the growing of rhubarb in S.C., and lacking a green thumb, had decided to mail the seeds up to my Dad in Pennsylvania where they had a better chance of growing.
Fast forward two weeks, the seeds (tucked back into their original packaging) were still sitting on my desk — because I’m a slacker like that.
Enter the news release …
“The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and Clemson University’s Regulatory Services division are working together to investigate after residents reported receiving packages they did not order.
Similar reports, many involving addresses from China, have been made to agriculture officials across the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is collecting reports and coordinating a national investigation.
If you receive an unsolicited package containing seeds officials are cautioning residents to not open the seed packets or handle the seeds and not to plant unidentified seeds as they may be invasive species that could displace or destroy native ecosystems.
Instead, retain the seeds and packaging and put them in a zip-top bag and contact the APHIS Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) program.
APHIS SITC may be reached at their website, by phone at 800-877-3835 or by email SITC.Mail@aphis.usda.gov. More guidance from USDA is expected soon.”
When I saw the photo of the “mystery seeds” packaging, I realized it looked exactly like the one I had received. So, I looked under the “My Orders” menu on my Dad’s Amazon account and, sure enough, my seeds hadn’t been sent yet, owing to the heat.
Two seconds of Googling “what do rhubarb seeds look like” confirmed that whatever those little seeds were — they certainly weren’t rhubarb.
Referring back to the original news release, I called the 800 number listed only to be met with an answering service with a full message que. Undeterred, I emailed them, including a photo of the seeds and packaging and received the following automatic response:
“Thank you for your message. A member of the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance staff will reach out to follow-up shortly. We appreciate your patience and willingness to help stop Agricultural Smuggling and protect American Agriculture.”
In the meantime, I’ve followed the release’s guidance in placing everything in a Ziploc baggie and am awaiting my “follow-up.”
South Carolina Department of Agriculture Assistant Commissioner Derek Underwood, who oversees the agency’s Consumer Protection Division, said whatever the reason for these mailings, it’s “important to use caution when it comes to unidentified seeds” and Steve Cole, director of Clemson’s Regulatory Services unit, warned residents about throwing them away as they may sprout in a landfill.
Not to worry guys, they’re back to where they were before this whole thing started — sitting on my desk.
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