re CSA for seeds

Cory, this is amazing. Are small household gardeners able to participate in/support this venture at all? I think this is a huge step towards sustainablitiy and needs all the gumption it can get! If any volunteer effort is required, please consider moi as interested. Also, are your seeds available next year for the general public? Thanks for launching such an essential service that will dramatically enhance our ability to take care of ourselves. You're walking the Transition Town talk...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Monica Graf on November 14, 2010 at 8:35

Ok, sounds great and yes, I'm at Naomi's (actually it's now Jeff's place). See you then. Perhaps Nathan, I can corner you on a few questions re Neustadt TT as well, plus update you on ours.

Permalink Reply by Leslie Moskovits on November 14, 2010 at 13:37

Hey All,
I was just thinking a bit about this idea that we are throwing around and I thought I would share some thoughts because I am very prone to having thoughts and then forgetting about them if they aren't shared! My thoughts aren't necessarily towards the idea that you have been discussing about home gardeners being seed growers but more towards your previous idea Cory about a seed CSA. The issue at hand is how to get seed of high quality and large enough quantity produced locally and made available to commercial growers right? So, I wonder at the ability of non-"experts" (I hate that term and I hope you'll take my meaning when I use it) to produce the quality of seed that farmers and consumers expect.
For example, my favourite seed company High Mowing, researches and develops open-pollinated (OP) seed varieties for commercial use with the understanding that OP (as opposed to hybrid) seed has a lot of potential for organic agriculture. They have people who area highly knowledgeable about breeding and seed saving doing this seed development and they are producing some awesome seed varieties that are suited to our climate and produce well enough for commercial growers. But often when I buy seed from smaller, more local companies that don't have these "experts" for research and development, I don't get this quality and it's a real problem. I think this issue needs to be seriously considered when we think about how to make our seed supply more secure because I'm not sure home gardeners will be able to provide what commercial growers need. Nor do I think we will necessarily get more of a consistent commitment than you were getting from the farmers, Cory.
My idea in how to deal with is has to do with streamlining the seed CSA idea. Maybe we can still make a co-op model work but need to open it up to a smaller group of growers - people who are willing and able to grow seed - and not just to anyone interested and have a consultant, or a few consultants, go around and help out these few growers and over time they will get better and better and take on new growers into this "co-op".
Another thing that I just thought of that might allow home gardeners to help out on this issue is to have more specialized growers growing the foundation seed (the seed that is specifically bred and therefore has all the strong genetics that we need) that then home gardeners will grow out to sell in quantity. That could be a good way to address the issues of space and whatnot that seed saving requires.
Okay, those are my ideas, sorry if they are a downer but I think it's a real issue that we need to mull over and so I thought I might as well introduce it before Friday - and before I forget!

Monica Graf said:

I'm ok anytime of day for Friday and yes Cory, carpooling sounds great. We could either meet at my place since I'm mainly on the way, or for ease, we could meet at Chicory. In terms of the size of the group, my suggestion is that small (but not necessarily 'tiny'!) is good, a handful, of up to 5 or 6 heads, is probably the most effective and allows for focus, but later, when things have coalesced and there's a definite solid direction established, others should be welcomed to the process...having said that, if there's tons of interest, maybe the door should just be wide open..whaddayathink Cory? I may not be the best person to be part of this initial group since I know a big fat zero about seed saving but I'm definitely interested in supporting it where ever and when ever I can...

Permalink Reply by Monica Graf on November 14, 2010 at 17:05

You're not being a downer in my estimation...everything you say makes sense. Let's bring it all to the table and assess what the needs are, the skills and resources available, the tools we still need to put it all into effect and a timeline...it's chewin' and brewin' time!

Permalink Reply by Gary Kenny on November 15, 2010 at 20:44

Hi Cory, Leslie, Nathan, and Monica,

Just catching up on your discussion, and want to support your meeting Friday to discuss the TN seed saving initiative. This is an area of great interest of mine, for several reasons, and I would like to help in any way I can, certainly using some of Deb's and my farm to produce quality seeds when the time comes. I confess to having mixed feelings about meetings like this being organized so quickly when others might have liked to participate in the early stages of planning but will be unable to, either because the time is not convenient or they weren't aware. But I also appreciate the need to move ahead while there is interest, commitment and passion among a motivated few. So best wishes for a productive session. I look forward to your report.

Gary

Permalink Reply by Cory Eichman on November 16, 2010 at 5:55

Hi Gary (and the other people listening),

I would be happy if you wanted to attend this Friday too. We were definitely not trying to be exclusive, but we recognized that for an initial meeting/discussion about the feasibility of a project like this, we wanted to stay small. I had originally placed my post about the seed idea in March and never heard anything. So when Monica responded, and with a response that was on my mind already, I felt the need to move with the momentum. There is a timeline for working with seeds, (I just got my Highmowing catalog yesterday) that if we are going to do something this coming season we need to start figuring it out. I am hoping, if it makes sense to proceed, that we would have a very open meeting for further discussion and inviting participation before Christmas (I am usually placing my seed orders the first week of January). As Leslie pointed out, there is quite a bit to consider. Hope to see you there.

Permalink Reply by Deborah McKellar on November 16, 2010 at 11:28

Hi Cory,

Thanks for the invitation, I never thought anyone was being exclusive. I understand the need to move things ahead in small groups. I was just bemoaning a lost opportunity for me to get in on the ground floor of the brainstorming given my deep interest in seed saving. As well as the practical application (seed saving, sharing seeds among the TN ann perhaps wider community), seeds are also a very tangible way of doing advocacy (rural to urban folk, international policy which I'm involved in through my work) in support of small scale farming (over and against the dominant industrial corporate model) and the critical importance of local food and all it represents.

Unfortunately, while I'm usually at my farm on Fridays, I have to work in Toronto this Friday so can't attend the meeting. I hope it goes well and will look forward to what you come up with. I'm sure there will be other opportunities for input. I would welcome the opportunity to use Koliswa farm as a site for some serious seed saving, so please keep that in mind. I think your (and other's) ideas are great and I want to support them.

Best wishes,

Gary

Permalink Reply by Monica Graf on November 16, 2010 at 13:25

Hey Gary, This is only our first 'stir the pot' crack at it. For the next meeting we'll make it work for you too...you sound like you have some valuable resources to offer. Let's keep each other posted.