ARE ALL OF YOUR SEEDS CERTIFIED PEANUT FREE?
YES!
All of the seeds that we use are certified peanut free by a third party accredited lab.
We source all of the seeds we use from facilities that do not process peanuts. They are then stored, blended and packaged in our purpose-built peanut free facility.
WHAT ABOUT TREE NUTS?
Our Something for Everyone blends (and our ‘Peace’ black oil sunflower seeds) do not contain any tree nuts, however, at this time, they are NOT lab tested for traces of any of the tree nuts and therefor they are not certified tree nut free, they are only certified peanut free.
We source all of the seeds we use from facilities that do not process any of the tree nuts. Our facility is tree nut free.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER ALLERGENS?
We understand first hand the need to be able to rely on honest and accurate labelling as it pertains to allergens, so that everyone can then make an informed decision that's right for them. To that end;
PEANUTS: The seeds that we use are certified peanut free by a third party accredited lab. Our facility is peanut free. TREE NUTS: The seeds that we use are not lab tested for traces of any of the tree nuts. We source all of the seeds we use from facilities that do not process any of the tree nuts. Our facility is tree nut free. WHEAT, SOY & MUSTARD: Due to how the seeds are initially processed (before they arrive to us) they may contain an unintended low-level presence of or trace amount of wheat, soy & mustard (other than this our facility is wheat, soy & mustard free). OTHER PRIORITY ALLERGENS: The seeds we use are not lab tested for traces of any allergen other than peanut. Sesame, milk, eggs, fish & shellfish: our blends do not contain sesame, milk, eggs, fish or shellfish. We source the seeds we use from facilities that do not process sesame, milk, eggs, fish or shellfish. Our facility is free of sesame, milk, eggs, fish and shellfish.
DOES YOUR FACILITY HAVE AN ALLERGEN CONTROL PLAN IN PLACE?
YES!
An allergen control plan is in place that is modelled after allergen control plans designed for and used by manufacturers of peanut free food.
Careful steps and precautions are taken at all points in the process and it is with confidence that when our products leave our facility that they are certified peanut free.
The seeds used are of the highest quality but are not food grade and are NOT for human consumption, they are strictly for feeding wild, backyard birds.
IS YOUR PACKAGING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?
YES!
Our packaging is 100% Compostable. It’s also PFAS free.
Most important is that we had a packaging solution that keeps the seed secure in its peanut free state, and we were determined to find a solution that was also kind to the environment. In order to tick all these boxes we needed to have a two-bag solution, which is as follows;
OUTER BAG: FSC certified paper suitable for home composting. It can also be recycled with regular paper recycling.
INNER BAG: The seed is sealed inside this inner bag that is 100% plant based and BPI Certified Compostable under ASTM D6400 (where municipal or industrial facilities exist). The European equivalent to ASTM D6400 is EN 13432. Both ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 specifications require that compostable products completely decompose in a composting setting in a specific amount of time and leave no harmful residues behind.
PFAS free! PFAS are those nasty forever chemicals. In order for items to be BPI Certified Compostable they must be free of PFAS.
ARE ALL OF THE SEEDS YOU USE NON-GMO?
YES!
DO YOU USE ANY FILLER SEEDS?
NO!
Did you know that many blends of wild bird seed can contain up to 70% (or more!) of filler seeds? They can. But not ours.
Filler seeds, like corn, wheat, milo (sorghum) and red millet, are seeds that backyard birds either aren't that fond of or don't eat. They make it seem like you're getting quite a bit of bird seed for not a lot of money but most of these seeds (and your money) just goes to waste. And, the seeds that are tossed to the ground (because the birds don’t like them), can get moldy, which can be very harmful to birds. If all that wasn’t reason enough to avoid filler seeds, these unwanted by the birds seeds can attract rodents, who are more than happy to enjoy them.
We decided very early on that we wanted nothing to do with fillers, even if it meant our blends would cost a bit more. We truly believe it's worth it, for the humans and the birds.
A re-cap about filler seeds
Backyard birds aren't all that fond of them.
Birds toss them to the ground, which can cause mold and attract rodents.
Your money, along with the filler seeds, just goes to waste.
You're not attracting near the amount of birds you could be with quality seeds birds actually love.
(To be fair, there are birds that will eat these filler seeds, but they’re largely either ‘nuisance’ birds that you really don’t want at your feeders, like European Starlings and House Sparrows (both of which are considered invasive species in North America) or birds that don’t frequent backyard feeders such as quail, pheasants and turkeys.)
WHAT SEEDS WILL ATTRACT THE MOST BIRDS?
Life can be complicated enough, especially when you’re navigating it with a peanut (or any) allergy, and so we wanted to keep things simple and create just one blend (ok, two) that offered Something for Everyone. Inclusive. Simple.
Our blends contain only premium seeds that all the backyard seed-eating birds truly love (no fillers, ever). These are black oil sunflower seeds, sunflower chips, safflower seeds and white proso millet. Some birds love one of these over the other, but there’s something for everyone.
If you were wanting to use only ONE kind of seed, instead of a blend, then black oil sunflower seeds are the ones to use. (we donate 25% of net proceeds from every bag sold of our black oil sunflower seeds to charities supporting the people of Ukraine. Did you know that sunflower seeds are Ukraine’s national flower? They are. We wanted to do something to help and this seemed a fitting way.)
You could also use only sunflower chips (which just means that the outer shell has already been removed). This is a great option if you’re not keen on the sunflower shells gathering under your feeders (they can be great for your garden) or your feeder is on a patio or balcony where discarded shells might be a bit unsightly or inconvenient.
All of these options will help you on your way to a peanut free yard full of birds.
Inclusive. Simple.