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Post by macmex on Aug 21, 2015 3:32:28 GMT -6
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keith
New Member
Posts: 8 
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Post by keith on Sept 9, 2015 20:57:56 GMT -6
George , here is how this journey started for me all but absurd . Flying to Oklahoma I had some magazines I brought along to read . Magazine is called
"Garden Culture " mainly about indoor gardening .usa/Canada edition issue 5 .On page 66 there's an article about how companies like Monsanto are buying up heirloom seeds and companies and shelving them to get rid of them and using their patented seeds instead . I was stunned at the numbers and it stuck in my mind for a few days . Sitting at Wes' place one afternoon I picked up a week old news paper and seen this article . I tell Wes my story and he says he knows you . At that point my SeedSaver journey in life began . Funny how that works eh!
Keith.
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Post by macmex on Sept 10, 2015 0:13:34 GMT -6
It's a small world! Monsanto is a bully. But I'm more concerned about a culture which seems oblivious to the "full cycle of food," to try and coin a term. These days fewer and fewer people have any idea of how to grow things (or raise them for that matter, as in animals). Even fewer think in terms of sustaining what they grow. Something that I stressed with the reporter is that I'd like our "seed repository" to be our people. By this, I meant, that rather than collecting seeds and socking them away in some frozen storage facility, we can have a body of growers growing, multiplying and distributing our crops; and that freely. To do this effectively will involve a cultural change for most. And, we need a lot of people to do it effectively.
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Post by john on Sept 19, 2015 16:52:33 GMT -6
You are absolutely right George. What good does it do for us if all the worlds rare and endangered seeds are locked away in some vault in Sweden? We have become dependent on "experts" to do everything, including producing our food and growing our seed.
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Post by macmex on Sept 20, 2015 5:29:50 GMT -6
Yes, sometimes experts can be a real help. But in the area of preservation, I'm afraid that "politics" can truly interfere. I use the term "politics" in a very broad sense. It's possible, for instance this frozen seed repository in Svalbard (Norwegian Island) sounds like a good thing. But it depends upon the Norwegian government and various grants. The winds of favor can change. Conflicts may arise. God only knows what might happen there if there truly was a catastrophic event. The Svalbard repository might not be a bad thing. But in case of need, a person wanting access to such seed is going to have to be in good standing with a government body, which is in good standing with whoever controls that repository. Those seeds would most likely have to go through several "layers" of bureaucracy and "experts" before they would be distributed to private growers. If there was great need of seed because of sustenance needs, I surely wouldn't count on those!
Scenario:
Bang! A cataclysmic event strikes. Folk need to grow as much of their own food as possible right away! We communicate with our government and ask that they request seed from Svalbard. The government bureaucratic gears begin to churn, the question arises, "Whose job is it to ask? What are the channels to be followed?" Oh, and by the way, any number of other countries, as well as the United Nations (notorious for inefficiency) are also making requests. Hold on, we have to hold some meetings to resolve these issues."
Also, if one should obtain seed from such a repository, how can they know that they are suited for their climate. Should we expect the curators to know our conditions and match us with the right seeds?
In real life here's how I think it should go:
In 2005 I moved from NJ to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I had grown Nothstine Dent corn in NJ, in 2004 and noted that it blew over with the slightest puff of air. Having some previous experience with Oklahoma, I contacted Glenn and Linda Drowns, of Sandhill Preservation Center (really good on corn), asking for a suggestion for a good corn for windy, harsher conditions than found on the East Coast. Glenn, out of hundreds of corns which he has grown and maintained, in Iowa, made five recommendations, based upon what I told him that I was looking for:
1) Resistance to lodging (blowing over)
2) Productive
3) Good for cornmeal and grits
Out of the five options, I chose Mesquakie Indian, which Glenn told me was exceptional in all of these characteristics. I purchased seed from him and planted it in Tahlequah. Glenn was right! In 2006 I grew it for the first time. It attained a height of over 10' during a drought year. Then, when the ears were at their heaviest, we had 70 mph wind and four inches of rain all in one hour. My corn "tilted" but did not fall over. It made a good crop. I have also grown this corn, planting it after a good rain, in April and harvesting after 100 days with almost no rain at all. The stalks were stunted and the ears small. But it still produced something. As I grow this corn I automatically select for characteristics best suited for my area. I have also distributed seed to others. Finally, it is my goal to have a gallon or two of this seed on hand, at all times. If we had great need to grow corn for sustenance, I would hope to be able to hand out packets of seed to a good many people. I would be able to tell them how to grow it and when to plant it for our region. If several individuals all grew it in the same area, it would be possible to exchange seed, in case of inbreeding depression. All this could happen spontaneously, through natural human relationship, the way I believe it should.
If a person went the "Svalbard" route, it might take a year or two to obtain that seed, probably more, as they would have to multiply the seed before regular citizens could have it. The one receiving the seed would receive just enough to grow a seed crop, taking another year to get up and running. The odds are it would take at least two or three years to get to know the variety, and there would be a chance, that through the bureaucratic process, they would receive a corn, better suited for some other region. Three, four, or five years is a LONG time to wait, if you are in desperate need of food!
In 2008 circumstances came about, by which I came into possession of Cherokee Squaw, a corn which had some historical value for our area. I obtained the seed for someone who wanted to do a Trail of Tears era historical garden. Since they were new to seed saving I held back enough seed that I, too, could grow it. It was a good thing. Their crop flopped. Cherokee Squaw turned out to be an excellent variety for our region, and somewhat easier to shell and grind. Since that time, I've tried to alternate, growing one corn per year. I feel on the verge of being overwhelmed with the extra load. Eventually I may have to go back to just one corn, and for me, it would probably be Mesquakie Indian. But since 2008, I was able to return seed of Cherokee Squaw to Sandhill Preservation Center (They had a hand in making the seed "public" years before I obtained it from another source). I also have been able to distribute seed to a number of individuals who simply love this corn. So, as long as we have a number of individuals growing, maintaining and promoting it, we have a full circle of resilience, one more resource for our community.
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Post by john on Sept 20, 2015 16:01:52 GMT -6
Very true. That is a good example.
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