During our 24 years of landscaping, gardening and farming at Pacifica Graduate Institute, we have also grown out and saved seed and tubers for conserving heirloom and traditional varieties. From the beginning I have maintained and added to our collection of ancient grains, fava beans, other beans, and other crops plants that have proven to be well adapted to this unique growing environment. Thirty years ago I helped organize a S.B. Seed Saving Group, modeled after the Seed Savers Exchange of Decorah, Iowa. More recently Oscar Carmona has organized grow outs for seed saving for a new S.B. Seed Saving Guild. At Pacifica, we are saving seed from 4 heirloom and traditional cherry tomatoes and contributed seed for 3 kinds of bush beans grown out at Fairview Gardens. Mesa Harmony Gardens produced a bumper crop of lettuce seeds for the Guild. I have already processed three tomato varieties and have harvested a second round of these and Isis Candy cherry tomato for processing later today. These and other well grown seed will be distributed to schools, seed libraries and other local outlets. Oscar plans seed saving workshops and a wider network of skilled seed savers. Sustainable societies are better fed from locally adapted crops of high nutrition and vigor.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 12:44:02 +0000
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