Why I Immediately Embraced Landrace Gardening
Landrace Gardening has restored my peace of mind and allowed me to love my garden the way it deserves! All of the unnecessary hardship has been alleviated. This amplifies my efforts by saving time, increasing yield, and decreasing inputs. All while resulting in healthy vigorous plants that are adapted to my growing conditions? It just really makes sense.
My Own Personal Heirloom Rabbit Hole
Before I was introduced to Landrace Gardening I had tunnel vision when it came to Heirlooms yet was working on unraveling the mystery. Something didn’t quite add up. Pouring through The Garden Seed Inventory it speaks of all these open-pollinated varieties that have been dropped from commerce. My first inclination was terror. These varieties don’t exist anymore and the genetics of our food supply are lost forever? That wasn’t what I should have been focused on. I should have been paying attention to the dates.
I went to antique malls in search of any old seed catalogs or paraphernalia that could help shine a little light on the situation. What was causing the decline and when did it start? What I found was even weirder. There really aren’t any leftover remnants of Heirloom seed preservation. I poured through around ten antique shops. A collection of old seed packets from the seventies that they wanted over a hundred dollars for and a Garden Journal from 1909. That was it.
I purchased the periodical so I could thumb through it. There it was, I began to see the whole picture. The turn to the ornamental, synthetic amendments, and a whole lot of advertisements for grass seed. After more researching into older seed catalogs and noting the descriptions of how almost everything is described as a new variety it just kept getting clearer. To be honest, it was a little maddening. Everything I thought I knew took a shift.
Heirloom seed saving was indeed a relatively new concept.
https://archive.org/details/usda-nurseryandseedcatalog?tab=collection
When my grandmother was a child in the late 1930’s they did not have a car. She told me that she had not ever been to the town up the road till her late teenage years. She knew it existed and had met people from there but had not physically set foot in a town that was three miles away. Why would she have? That’s a long walk especially if you didn’t have a reason to make the trip.
Not even 70 years ago a drive that would take an hour today would be an all day trip. Even with a vehicle the roads were not capable of allowing speeds like we experience on the blacktops today.
Additionally, hoop houses,microclimates,and sunny windows were implemented but grow lights and heating pads? How did folks begin seeds outdoors and bear fruit in a single season before?
My Great Great Grandmother and Grandfather were sharecroppers. I can glean bits and pieces of their farming practices through the stories. They say she started tomatoes outside in egg containers, ripped them apart when the soil warmed and planted the individual cells. She had lots of the biggest best tomatoes around is how the story goes! When I asked about the seeds they didn’t know anything except that she kept them and they were ones that she always grew. That would totally make sense.
Seed stewarding? Domestication? Concepts as old as time. Growing seeds not from your local area? That I’m sure was a rarity and not such common practice as it is today. Ordering seeds from across the Country/Globe has to be a recently developed luxury. Ancient isolation techniques? Sure there are exceptions but as the standard?
Ahhh …perspective.
Personal Observations
Past and current experience with unintentional promiscuous pollination and biodiversity
I have seen increased local adaption for many years in crops that I have unintentionally let promiscuously pollinate. Sunflowers being my favorite example. How in the heck are you supposed to bag a Sunflower head? Even if I could, it does not seem right to cloak that beauty! The only Sunflower seeds I have intentionally planted were one pack of Hopi Black Dye and one of Russian Mammoth. I do feed birds and allow the volunteers to grow also. Four or so years ago I was blessed with Jerry. I named him after the infamous Jerry Garcia. I kept the head that first year he appeared and cast him out in the early Spring. Rising to 15 feet tall is the absolutely larger than life guy. He blooms later in the season after most have flowered and gone to seed. When he first comes on his petals are all ruffled and tousled looking. Within the week he’s all stretched out with petals as long as my hand and a head bigger than mine! Every year since I worry he won’t come back that massive and I’m happy to report he always does, even in the drought he’s right out front truckin’ with around twenty or so friends!
I absolutely have more examples of seeing unexpected vigor, hardiness, productivity,tolerance,etc in crops that have been unintentionally mixed around. In the interest of staying within the topic I’ll save them for another time.
Behavioral Conditioning
An absolute true concept that can be seen in every plant, animal, person,soil life, the vibes we throw out, etc. Absolutely everything. A survival mechanism regulated through brain chemistry and all that jazz.
Does it make you feel good and produce the desired result? All those receptors fire up and you want to do more and more.
Bummer result? It feels the opposite and you don’t want to do it again. You will experience fear or anxiety at just the thought of repeating what actions resulted in that horrible feeling. Or… an intelligent species would figure out a way to achieve the desired result without the undue hardship.
Most definitely a survival mechanism. Otherwise we’d all be running off of cliffs and handling hot coals.
Plants are an intelligent species. They absolutely know what they are doing. They will throw out tendrils and fix themselves in the most opportunistic spot they can. They will lay down flat to get to a spot or climb higher. I am fascinated by the little black “spikes” that the cucumber grex I am growing has developed. If I were a slug I would not crawl over them. Crazy smart. The book did such a beautiful job illustrating this. Beyond fascinating!
Acclimation
So it’s Fall out and it’s 50F. Freezing right? In the Spring 50F is almost breaking out the shorts weather! I totally see how and why it is logical to allow plants to acclimate to their local situations.
Landrace Gardening IS the Key to the Return of Self-Sufficiency for All
I believe the author nailed it. The revival of the home garden is being postponed due to this fear of unsuccessful yields and plants that just don’t thrive the way that they should. So true that the majority of homegrowers begin with plants from the big box stores. Genetics and variety aside, we all know the undesirable effects of taking the likely diseased plant from its greenhouse environment and sticking it outside. Disappointment is likely soon to follow. Some are immediately done for and the survivors eek out a living for a couple months and produce enough for a few slim pickings. The few that do start their own seed to thwart this cycle do so with seed they purchase every season from far away that has all the complications that this extremely crucial project addresses.
Combine that with the extra cost of watering, amendments, and highly labor intensive gardening styles…
The brain says that is a lot of work and the garden didn’t do very well. I don’t think I’m going to try that again.
It would be correct. That is a discouraging set up.
What if local growers could cast seed on untilled ground in the Spring and harvest from healthy crops all season long? I want it all. Why shouldn’t it be possible? It was before. That my friends is my dream that I feel Landrace Gardening will once again make a reality.
Gratitude for Joseph and the Community
I wanted to take the time to “put this out there” to show my appreciation. Wow, I mean wow! I did not have the ability to come to these conclusions on my own. I could have continued to question, ask, learn, etc. Maybe I would have arrived at the correct conclusion? I honestly don’t think I would have. Without a background on the subject and equipment it’s pretty tough to see. Especially from the inside looking out! The most monumental shifts come from someone in the right place at the right time who cares enough to make the move. Those are the heroes. I don’t believe I would ever be able to adequately express my appreciation. How do you thank someone for such an incalculable positive impact?
If you’ve completed the course but not read the book, you could be missing out on a beautiful experience. It really does read like a love story. The course is mindblowing, full of information complete with links and easy to navigate. Everything you need is totally there for free. I read the book out in my hammock this Spring after completing the course. So true that it’s hard to put down. I have been forever changed. My worried mind which was burdened with “I have to” is now allowed to appreciate all the freely given abundance. The wording flows and the good vibe totally comes through. The absolute most crucial take away that really helped me to find peace of mind and balance in the garden? Do what you love. I can’t phrase it any better than that!
I opted to order with a stamp and an autographed copy. Remember that feeling of getting something awesome unexpected in the mail? You get the feel good feeling of supporting a local print shop too!
I am filled with absolute joy when browsing through the posts. This is a group of innovative do-gooders with such passion and love for all of Creation. Nothing but the best of intentions and creative pursuits. My heart bursts with happiness when I read of the ideas. The World has no clue that they have such superfriends looking out for them. I do! I’ve read the phenomenal plans and seen the pictures of all the caring. Amazing!
I am five months into relearning what I thought I knew. I can absolutely see how vital community is to this effort. I have learned so much and appreciate the kindness and gentle encouragement that is shown. A bit lengthy but I just really wanted to share my appreciation and how much I believe in this project. Eager to learn and grow with you all!
