I think we are all really excited about the seed pilot project. This is a good place to talk about it. How could it be different or better? Why is it cool?
Here is the link to the online store. GoingToSeed.org, and review the information below if you don’t know what this is referring to.
The goal for this pilot project is to give participating gardeners a jumpstart on landrace development by consolidating and mixing seeds for a specific species, making it easier and more affordable to obtain genetic diversity in a single packet. For the first year, we will be focusing on popular crops that (for the most part) are the highly outcrossing species which are easy to grow and develop as locally adapted landraces. For members of our community: seeds are free, you pay only for postage.
A volunteer Seed Steward will manage each crop. They will receive, mix, and package seeds for distribution. Anyone in the community can contribute seed – and we hope all of you will. We’ll even reimburse you for the cost of shipping your seeds to the Seed Stewards.
The seeds coming into the project are from all over. Some seeds may have been grown in climates and ecosystems similar to yours. Other seeds are coming from radically different ecosystems. What the seeds share in common is our commitment to genetic diversity. They were grown by small scale growers who value a plant’s ability to adapt to local conditions which often include imperfect weeding, too much or too little moisture, low inputs, and lack of coddling. The growers often taste every plant before saving seeds, leading to deliciousness.
Although we will be mostly based in the US for the first year, a volunteer in Canada will be shipping seeds to Canadians. In the future, we hope this can be a prototype for groups in other countries. If you don’t live in the US or Canada and want to share seeds with others in your region, please see the last lesson in this chapter.
Just ordered a few things. Looks like if you order it’ll be shipping in February. Still earlier than I could start any seeds anyways.
Is there somewhere with more info on sending seed back in to keep this going? And if I have other stuff growing can I send back, let’s say, seed from the maxima squash from here and seed from my maxima squash grex with info on what is in it?
Yes you can still order, and would be good to do so, because when it opens back up in February it will be to a broader community (somethings will run out) and prices might or might not change.
Just in case, is there a limit to how much seed you want us to send in for any one particular species? I ask because my spaghetti zucchini cross keeps being great, so I keep saving most of the seeds. I’ll probably have a few thousand seeds from fruits I found great that I can contribute next time we send in seeds.
I figure you guys probably feel like, “The more great seeds, the merrier!” It just seems worth checking.
How does someone become a seed steward for the main Going to Seed project? Is the project still looking for more stewards?
How can seed be sent to the stewards? Is older commercial seed accepted? I may have some semi-rare material that is in danger of just going bad, since I don’t have time to plant it. Mixed into a “grab bag” it could be useful.
Hi Malcolm, These are great questions that we’re not quite ready to answer because we haven’t started working on the next season of seed sharing. Have you checked out the seeds available now?
Hi, Emily. Just saw your question. They should be good for quite a few years, and I expect that we’ll be able to use them for seed libraries, new members, etc. If you have space to keep them for now, please hang onto them. Thanks!
Store Update! We now have a limited supply of some exciting, speedy common beans in stock. Hoping that some of you will grow these out this year, and contribute back to the mix for 2024. Check them out at: Bean, Common – Going To Seed
It’ll be interesting if we find we need to put the brakes on donation sizes. How can year-on-year demand changes be predicted in such a new enterprise?
The amount of seed donated to the Fukuoka grab bag varied widely, with packet sizes from 20 seeds up to a pound of seeds. At least for the grab bag, I think that a recommended packet size would help (something like not more than 1/2 cup of small seeds, or two cups of large seeds).
I was under the impression that the seed for the corn I grew from GTS was supposed to be grown so it could cross and then the results sent back? If not I’ll just send some back for the various seed shares. I’m also curious if it is okay to sell this seed through Experimental Farm Network etc? I’m also open to doing grow out etc for GTS if needed.
@nodinesplants we absolutely want you to send seed back! This will enable to program to continue, and improve, next year.
We may want to limit the size of donations for some crops – corn and the grab bag and possibly beans are the ones that come to mind. Things which produce lots of big seed would be easy to overload on, and we don’t want the mixes to be dominated by any one grower. I’ll leave this up to the individual stewards to set a limit for their crop, if they wish. I’ll add this to the topics for discussion at our upcoming meeting.
If you have excess seed, it it yours to do whatever you want with it! I hope that you will save some for replanting yourself, and to share with others in your area. @nodinesplants are you selecting for anything in particular this year, or just everything that produces seed?
