Seed-saving Article in The Guardian

"Seed-saving should not be the goal, but merely a skill that is used in an ongoing relationship with the plant."

The article presents the idea that TEG seedsavers seem very good at implementing. Near loss of heirlooms and corporate interests are considered.

digitS' said:

The article presents the idea that TEG seedsavers seem very good at implementing. Near loss of heirlooms and corporate interests are considered.

Click to expand...

I saw that article a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me. After the monumental flooding last year, I wondered about how many heirloom seeds were washed away and whether or not there were backup supplies.

My daughter and I are at least the fifth generation of our family to steward a variety of cutshort beans. My mom shared them with a local business a few years ago and honestly I had mixed feelings about that. It helped that I knew the lady that owns the business and that she's all about getting people growing and saving seeds than turning a profit. But still there was a part of me that felt a bit selfish about it. Then three years ago I only saved a handful of seeds as I figured my mom had saved seeds as well. Turned out she didn't and that handful of seed was all we had. It was at that point I was glad that she'd shared the seed as I knew I could easily get more if we had a crop failure.

Now I view my role in growing as a steward of many varieties. My goal with limited seed the first year is mainly seed production and observation. If I have an overabundance of seed, they are shared with fellow enthusiasts and gardening neighbors. If I decide to grow it the next year, I make the effort to taste the beans in various stages of growth.

I also have a variety of columbine that I brought here as a seedling from my grandmother's garden over thirty years ago. A few years ago I noticed it had disappeared and then I noticed one blooming under a bush but got busy and forgot to go back and collect seed. It was gone again the next year. This spring I found another seedling and will definitely keep an eye on it and save seed.

Agreed! They should be grown, and then saved, and, if they cross pollinate, you can have you own by product.

I saw this article too, in my instagram feed. Haven't read through it all yet, just a cursory glance, but seems to bring up some relevant considerations; I've met 'freezer averse' seed saving folks. They think it's like Rip Van Winkle, with the associated issues. I'm not against freezers myself, someday I may use them. Whatever works, to my mind.

So many things in orbit around the seedosphere. All the world in a mustard seed indeed, it becomes a lens.

It's kind of funny how the same contentions circulate over and over, like laundry in the dryer. The 90's and 2020's rotated around concern about patents, ownership and 'corporate permission only' seeds. Just once it seemed that was finally put to bed in the court of public opinion at least, the idea that nobody 'owns' life in the form of seeds, the same idea is being repackaged again, re: 'who is allowed to grow what seeds' bulletin. A part of me is a bit surprised this is unfolding in real time (again), and then I remember where there are humans there is human nature. lol And then I also remember that all of the chatter that surrounds seeds is often done by people who aren't super into growing seeds, they're super into 'ideas about growing seeds'. I'm kind of holding out hope that the common sense revolution underway is going to steer the seed wagon straight again, and hopefully for good.