Hi all
how is everyone today?
I am doing a seed swap with a guy in the US,
he has offered to send me a couple of kinds of seeds, and I have naturally offered him some seeds in return.
He has asked that I get a handful of English soil and send it to him. Apparently his wife's family originated here and she wants a piece of home, as she has never set foot in England.
My question is...is this illegal, will either of us get in trouble for it?
With their security awareness I don't imagine it would even get there.
I know when you send seeds and bulb etc you need to make sure all soil is removed, so surely sending soil alone is no good.
Peter
No! no! no! no! no! :o
Don't do it :o
Lishka
Seconded, if you read the Rules and regulations for sending plant material to the USA you would see just how wrong that is!
I have said to him that I can send him something else english.
So I will see what he says.
I was pretty sure it wasnt allowed, thought I would ask anyway,
cheers for that guys.
Peter
See if he'll settle for a can of English air, lots cheaper to post. ;)
LOL Brilliant! :D
or some Dust
Tea is light! send them some PG tips!!!!
Hi Peter,
Do not send soil they won`t like it.
Favoured food items are,
weetabix, marmite, and garibaldi biscuits.
Just occured to me ... what about a stone in a setting? send it as jewellery.
For this part of the world, flint, jet and amber are suitable but I come from a place in the midlands where the local stone is pink granite. So if you find out where the ladys family originate from you could find a stone that would be appropriate.
Col
Prezzie for a lady?
Send her a Tower of London tea towel :P
Quote from: Columbus on February 07, 2007, 16:59:43
Favoured food items are,
weetabix, marmite, and garibaldi biscuits.
Garibaldi biscuits :o ? Are those considered English? I grew up eating those in Belgium (they're called something else there; the name escapes me)
As for Marmite YUCK :P
Saffron from Cornwall? Very light.
Quote from: dandelion on February 07, 2007, 17:55:04
Quote from: Columbus on February 07, 2007, 16:59:43
Favoured food items are,
weetabix, marmite, and garibaldi biscuits.
Garibaldi biscuits :o ? Are those considered English? I grew up eating those in Belgium (they're called something else there; the name escapes me)
As for Marmite YUCK :P
I've searched high and low for Gari bikkies.....Can't find a one in Belgium...Do they still make them??
Hi
I think that you need to complete a prior notice of inport from the FDA to send anything like soil or seeds ( or food ) into the usa.
Apparantly there is a big block on sending these types of things to the states. I dont think its illegal but its not really encouraged.
By the way to register with the fda takes 5 min and to complete the form your looking at 45 min!
Cambourne7
Quote from: kenkew on February 07, 2007, 18:21:46
Quote from: dandelion on February 07, 2007, 17:55:04
Quote from: Columbus on February 07, 2007, 16:59:43
Favoured food items are,
weetabix, marmite, and garibaldi biscuits.
Garibaldi biscuits :o ? Are those considered English? I grew up eating those in Belgium (they're called something else there; the name escapes me)
As for Marmite YUCK :P
I've searched high and low for Gari bikkies.....Can't find a one in Belgium...Do they still make them??
I've asked my mum to check. She normally shops at Delhaize.
Hi guys
Thanks for all the ideas, I will have some suggestions to offer him when he gets back to me, see what he wants to do.
I like the rock idea, obviously it would have to be a small rock.
or maybe they would like an old photo of wherever it is her family orginated from.
Whatever happens I will let everyone know.
Thanks again ppl
Peter
English oaks in the form of acorns.
Quote from: Columbus on February 07, 2007, 16:59:43
Hi Peter,
For this part of the world, flint, jet and amber are suitable but I come from a place in the midlands where the local stone is pink granite. So if you find out where the ladys family originate from you could find a stone that would be appropriate.
Col
Is that Mountsorrel by any chance?
I have family living in Mountsorrel.
Jo.
Hi Robert,
Yes I`m from Mountsorrel. :) :)
Its a small world. I was born there and still have family in the village.
I went to the infants school as it was and to St Peters primary as a child,
in the sixties.
I lived within sight of the War memorial.
The village has changed a lot, I think the estate I lived on is now called
the Orchard Estate, it was near allotments which are now gone.
My wife sends Garibaldi biscuits to the states. They come from Tesco.
Col
I thought so; I did a Geology degree years ago, and the granite is quite well known. I used to live in Leicester at one time as well.
Quote from: ACE on February 07, 2007, 20:41:03
English oaks in the form of acorns.
These wouldn't be allowed as they could harbour insects or disease.
When I went out to the states I took my American sister-in-law two dozen packets of chocolate Angel delight as she acquired a taste for it when she lived in the UK. I also took out packets of shortbread and some jars of special marmalade and jams. Processed food is all right if it is still in the packets but things such as fresh fruit are definitely forbidden.
During my visit I went to a nursery and ordered some reblooming irises. The nursery had to wash the roots of all soil, sterilise them and then take them to the Secretary of Agriculture to get a "Nursery Inspection Cerificate" before posting them to me.
They're very strict about plants, but it's possible for someone over there to get permission to export small quantities of cleaned seed quite easily. I don't know whether this works in reverse.
Hi all,
One day, when I have a garden, I`m going to have a huge piece
of Mountsorrel pink granite in it To you all, it would be just a peice of
roadstone but to me its a link to my childhood and several generations
of family. So you see how the right stone might be significant to the
family in the states in the same way.
Its also more localised and permanent than soil. It doesn`t have to be a boulder
just something for the mantlepeice.
Col
Quote from: dandelion on February 07, 2007, 19:01:36
Quote from: kenkew on February 07, 2007, 18:21:46
Quote from: dandelion on February 07, 2007, 17:55:04
Quote from: Columbus on February 07, 2007, 16:59:43
Favoured food items are,
weetabix, marmite, and garibaldi biscuits.
Garibaldi biscuits :o ? Are those considered English? I grew up eating those in Belgium (they're called something else there; the name escapes me)
As for Marmite YUCK :P
I've searched high and low for Gari bikkies.....Can't find a one in Belgium...Do they still make them??
I've asked my mum to check. She normally shops at Delhaize.
Kenkew, in Belgium it's sold under the brand name Sultana. http://www.sultana.be/waco/sultana/nl/product.html
They do different flavoured ones these days; when I lived in Belgium it was raisins only.
Right then
I have put him off the idea of soil. He has suggested a rock or stone of some kind, I told him about your ideas for sending a stone as jewellery, and I think he likes it.
He says he would like a stone with a whole in it, I presume so that his wife can put it on a string. I have managed to establish he family were from the Cambridgeshire area, so anyone know what kind of rock woule be applicable?
Peter
Depends on which part of Cambridgeshire, here in the South, chalk and flint are the local stone, which is why we the only old stone buildings are the colleges which could bring in stone from elsewhere. In most of the county, it's either fen silt or clay and not much in the way of rock/stone. They used to mine for coprolite around Cambridge (fossilized dinosaur poo) - that would certainly be an unusual gift!
There are plenty of plants with Cambridge in the name - maybe seeds from one of those?
i am not 100% sure, but fluorite is found up that way somewhere and is absolutely stunning if polished up, as is good old calcite, dunno if that occurs there though ;)