NEEPS

wildgarlic

Crop diversity: eat it or lose it

6 January 2009

annepan001 · Neepster Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 125 Location: Midmar

This is really important! Most old varieties are disappearing, as the big corporations buy up the small seed companies and increasingly sell their F1 varieties in preference to the open pollinated varieties.

I spent a few weeks as an agricultural botany student working on the commonwealth potato collection at Bush estate, Penicuik, but I heard from people who worked there that they were losing varieties every year. It's a huge undertaking to keep varieties going which are not 'commercially viable' but so important for maintaining the genetic diversity for dealing with future unknown disease/pest threats.

You can 'do your bit' by supporting the henry doubelday association (HDRA ... also known as 'Garden Organic', e.g. by joining their heritage seed library, where they're keeping approx 850 heritage veg seeds alive.

You can also sponsor some veg varieties .. Vital Veg are sponsoring 5 veggies this year, or consider giving a sponsorship as an unusual gift!

www.gardenorganic.org.uk

You can also try saving your own seed and swapping seed with friends. There's a new Highland People's Food Seed Bank project which was featured on 'out of doors' on radio scotland recently. Here's a link to a BBC news article about it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8047717.stm
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Forget-me-Not · Neepster Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 1031 Location: Insch

Maria, would this be a good moment to share all the stuff about seeds you were telling me on the dog walk. Maybe I'm not the only one who didn't know and still can't quite remember

Who are they? It's not Montezuma!

Maybe we need a Seed Thread? Facts, worries, saving, swaping etc etc?

Beth
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wildgarlic · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject:

great idea - would love to do a seed swap on here. You want to look after it FMN??

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Smooth Hound · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:57 pm Post subject:

im in, ive been looking at doing these traditional veg seeds for a while now, maybe its about time i did it

Forget-me-Not · Neepster Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 1031 Location: Insch

Yes, I'm happy to do Seed thing, not sure what needs to be done though.

Family a little green and wobbly today, so will be back tomorrow.

Beth
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www.womblehouse.blogspot.com

The Community that composts together survives together.

'Simplicity is the whole secret of wellbeing.' Peter Matthiessen.

mike and louise · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:33 pm Post subject:

A good way to keep potato varieties going is by using micropropagation. We used to keep about 25 varieties at the uni this way. They had to be recultured every 6 weeks, but only took a small area under lights at 20 C, to keep them going. From 1 plantlet, something like 3,000 tubers could be produced in a season.

earthroots · Neepster Joined: 12 Aug 2007 Posts: 146 Location: deeside

thought this site might be useful here - tips on seed saving and somewhere to send your extras to perhaps:

http://thehighlandpeoplesfoodseedbank.webs.com/
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Forget-me-Not · Neepster Joined: 25 Jan 2008 Posts: 1031 Location: Insch

I love this!

Only thing I wasn't sure of, but only had time for quick look, is what seeds do we use in the first place? I understand the concept of them being local to here but some could be saved from last year and some can be from local garden centre, I realize not the hybrids but the others?

Beth
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www.womblehouse.blogspot.com

The Community that composts together survives together.

'Simplicity is the whole secret of wellbeing.' Peter Matthiessen.