Wheat Seeds in Thatched Roofs

English botanist John Letts has found thatched roofs are a very rich source of historical seeds. Seeds of rivet wheat, bread wheat and rye have been found in 250 thatches dating from the 15^th Century in Devon, England.

The seeds have survived because the houses were built as open halls with a central fireplace. The heat kept the seeds dry and the smoke prevented them from rotting. The fact that some thatches consisted of straw from rivet wheat, bread wheat and rye woven together, has lead Mr Letts to speculate that medieval farmers grew them all in the same field. This would have minimized risk – if the season was dry, the rye would grow well, but if it was wet, the wheat would flourish.

Here is an article detailing more.

Long Distance Distinctions

This photo was taken about a week ago looking towards the Stirling Ranges in the Great Southern. It's a good example of how distance and climate conditions play out in our big state. I was touring with an international guest and it brought home to me how vast our distances really are.

Here in the Great Southern the canola was pretty much in full bloom whereas to the north near Dandaragan and Moora farmers were already starting to swathe their canola crops in some areas. This is a farming practice utilised to get the seed pods to dry uniformly and at the same time so they can be harvested in one go.

Around 200 kms further south around Northam and York the canola was nearing the other side of being in full bloom. Already spent flowers were falling from the plants and overall the fields were not looking so vividly yellow. This was overall in the fields I observed and it is possible that they were sown at different times which is also part of my point that over distance there is a marked difference in plant growth due to a clear change in conditions. This is visually evident with the quite rapid change of the native trees and flora over various distances, climatic conditions and soil types.

From Northam to the Great Southern region is another 300-450 kms (450 kms to Albany). The area I traveled with my friend was a relatively small portion of Western Australia, yet in comparison to say an area the size of Europe we would have covered enough distance to cover parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Or a good third or more of Spain!

Sometimes it is a little lost on some folks as to why we focus on locally adapted seeds. We make them our focus because even though you can get in a car and be in Perth in just over 4 hours - that distance you cover in air-conditioned comfort has quite an effect on the way our vegetables respond to local conditions as opposed to the same vegetables growing in Perth. Further north again to say Geraldton and there are extra conditions. Here in the south we still share a Mediterranean Climate with the lower west coast, but we are on the Southern Ocean with its own varying effects on our weather cycle.

Don't be fooled by the conveniences of modern technology. A comfortable car or an hours plane flight to Perth further perpetuates the illusion. Distance matters.

Seed Circle Project

We are underway with the project now. Over the next few weeks participants will be planting out their seed selection and nurturing their plants to a successful harvest of new, fresh seeds.

The initial offerings were chosen to match the current season as we head into the winter months and to offer something a little unusual and/or easy to manage for those new to seed saving.

In addition to the gatherings which are planned to be bi-monthly at this stage, we have launched a dedicated forum for project participants to offer support and answer queries in a quick and efficient way.

The project is focused on perpetuating locally adapted seeds of open-pollinated/heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers and useful plant varieties and is therefore focused on local participants in Albany and the surrounding areas.

Seeds - The Buried Beginnings of Food

Saving Your Home-grown Tomato Seeds

Fully ripe disease-free tomatoes are the best candidates for seed saving. Seeds can be saved casually, for example, by squeezing them onto a piece of paper towel and air drying them. Fermentation is a better option for long term storage and seed swapping. It removes germination inhibitors and the gelatinous sheath from seeds, and it may treat some seed-borne diseases. For long term storage and quick germination, fermentation is the trick.

Here’s the method:

Cut tomatoes open– one variety at a time– and squeeze the pulp, juice, and seeds into a glass or plastic container.

Fill the container halfway, but don't initially add water as a substitute for tomato juice if the mix is wet enough as water slows fermentation. In this current hot weather spell you may need to top up with a little bit of water just to prevent the seeds and pulp drying out altogether.

Label and set aside the containers for about three days in a warm spot, not in direct sunlight. Glass jars can be easily labelled with either a permanent marker or a white board marker as seen in the image above. Both wash off easily when finished with.

Two or three times daily, stir the fermenting juices to submerge the pulpy material. Give them a quick swirl around as you pass by! If you have a piece of light cloth that will cover the jars or containers but still let them breathe it is handy to keep out vinegar flies and other insects that might be attracted to the fermenting pulp.

After about four days, fill the container gently with water, stir, and pour off the pulpy water, scum and reject seeds on top. The seeds you want are the heavier, healthier ones lying at the bottom.

Repeat two or three times, and pour the seeds into a fine mesh sieve. Under running water, clean any remaining fruit jelly and debris from the seeds with your fingers.

Knock the strainer against the sink to remove excess water and quickly flip the strainer over, smacking it on a paper plate to deposit the seeds. Alternatively, scoop them out with a spoon and put them on a piece of grease proof paper. Label the paper with the variety and date.

Let the seeds dry for several weeks in a well-ventilated place at room temperature. The top of the fridge is ideal if you have an enclosed fridge space as the gentle heat dries the seeds.

Place dried seeds in paper packets, and then in an airtight container that’s stored in a dark, cool, dry place.

Act Locally

In our previous posts we covered some of the main proprietary seed companies. Those companies that ‘invent’ seeds so that they can be patented and secure a profit for the company. Another way we can turn our support away from these companies is to instead support local businesses that are doing the right thing. The primary producers that are working their businesses in a much healthier, sustainable way.

In Albany we are lucky to have two weekend markets (plus some Community Garden produce swaps) and several other regional events throughout the year where we can support local business people with our dollar.

ACTION:  Choose to eat and purchase locally grown and/or indigenous food and so as to support the work and knowledge of local farmers. 

And you're in luck, its the whopper weekend. The Farmers Market and Produce Swap on Saturday and the Boat Shed Market on Sunday. 

Produce Swap & Share

1st Saturday of every month from 10 to 12.

NEXT SWAP & SHARE: 6th October 2012

A chance for gardeners of all kinds to get together and exchange excess produce, seeds, seedlings, advice, stories, experience, magazines & books, preserves, recipes and local food. Even if you have nothing to share come along and be inspired.

No money, no rules - just a love of gardening and producing your own food.

@ Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre Community Garden, 14 Sanford Road, Albany.

Albany Farmers Market webpage

            Ron’s Place

Albany Boat Shed  Markets webpage

Lower King Community Kindergarten Produce Swap

RCNC Community Garden

Please comment below if you are aware of other sites and links we can add to this list to be included.

Cease Support for Multi-National Seed Companies

Part of our Action for Seed Freedom Series

Large companies and corporations are attempting to create a monopoly over local markets and natural resources through the manipulation of seed and its distribution. If they are not supported through the purchase and promotion of their products they will begin to lose income. Income is essential to any business in order to support itself and to plan and sustain itself into the future.

In the first half of the 20th century, seeds remained in the hands of farmers, gardeners and public-sector plant breeders. In the decades since then, large companies have used genetic modification and intellectual property laws to commodify the world seed supply. Through eliminating the rights of farmers and primary producers they aim to control plant germplasm and maximize profits.

In 2007 the proprietary seed market accounted for around 82% of the world's commercial seed supply. This does not include farmer-saved seed. In less than three decades, a handful of multinational corporations have engineered an explosive corporate enclosure of the first link in the food chain - our seeds.

 The World's Top 10 Seed Companies

Company 2007 Seed Sales (US$ millions) - % of global proprietary seed market

1.Monsanto (US) - $4,964m - 23%
2.DuPont (US) - $3,300m - 15%
3.Syngenta (Switzerland) - $2,018m - 9%
4.Groupe Limagrain (France) - $1,226m - 6%
5.Land O' Lakes (US) - $917m - 4%
6.KWS AG (Germany) - $702m - 3%
7.Bayer Crop Science (Germany) - $524m - 2%
8.Sakata (Japan) - $396m - <2%
9.DLF-Trifolium (Denmark) - $391m - <2%
10.Takii (Japan) - $347m - <2%

Top 10 Total - $14,785m - 67% [of global proprietary seed market]

Source: ETC Group

Patented gene technologies will not assist small farmers survive climate change, reduce their dependencies on agro-chemicals or solve world hunger. They will however concentrate corporate power, drive up costs, inhibit public sector research and further undermine the rights of farmers to save and exchange seeds whilst at the same time increasing an ever-growing burden on the environment and our health.

ACTION: Read the labels on everything before you buy. Save your own seeds. Reduce your use of chemicals in your house and garden. Question and learn about chemical ingredients you are not sure about - Wikipedia is a helpful tool for this.

You can view an on-line video called Genetic Roulette here. A documentary that highlights the actual dangers of Genetically Modified Organisms - primarily plants - in our food chain. Essential information for every being.

Nature as a Commodity

From the time people first began cultivating and harvesting cereal grains - some ten to fifteen thousand years ago, plants and their products have been a necessary component of the material foundations upon which human societies were formed. As humans, we all need to eat, and what we eat, whether it is a steak or tofu, pasta or chocolate cake, is originally derived from basic plant material. Plants provide us not only with food, but also with the raw materials required for the production of numerous goods from cotton t-shirts, to automobile tires, to life-saving drugs. Since agriculture began over lO,OOO years ago, humans have selectively bred plants and animals in order to create stronger, healthier, higher yielding organisms.

Selective plant breeding is accomplished by choosing seeds with the most desirable traits from each year's harvest in the hope that the desired characteristics of the selected parent will surface in its offspring. In doing so, over thousands of years the steady accumulation of desirable genes has produced more and more highly productive plants.

In the last two decades, scientists have been able to engage in a more specific form of crop selection by isolating the genetic material of organisms and inducing specific modifications so that the plants carry and reproduce desired genetic traits such as resistance to pesticides, higher nutritional content, and improved appearance. These biotechnological innovations pose large ramifications for agriculture - for farmers, small seed companies and consumers. Seeds reproduce themselves almost indefinitely and thus do not lend themselves to commodification.

So what exactly is “commodification”. Well, it is difficult to own the seed as property because its a biological organism that naturally wants to reproduce under all kinds of different circumstances. So industry pursued two routes of commodification – the social route, which has to do with legislation making the seed ownable, and the technological route, which is hybridisation. In this way they have made seeds patentable by the company that engineers them. They become a commodity of the company.

Because seeds are not easily commodified, two things have remained true until the latter part of this century:

• the genetics of most major crop plants have been regarded as common heritage
• and little private investment has been made in plant and crop improvement. 

In the later part of last century there were technological routes, such as hybridization, taken towards commodification of the seed. Companies have also taken legalistic routes, such as the granting of property rights to plant varieties and, more recently, utility patent protection to certain "new" plant varieties.

The almost infinite reproduction of the seed, however, has always posed a problem for its ultimate commodification: not all plant varieties, especially crops, are able to be hybridized, and even patented plants have numerous offspring.

In recent years, advances in bio-technology have allowed for an increase in the commodification of seeds not only by relying on patent protection for bio-engineered varieties, but through taking a new route to commodification - through bio-technical processes that, among other things, render the seeds sterile or insert easily recognizable "marker" genes that identify plants' DNA strains as being the intellectual property of various biotech firms.

The introduction of these innovations into the international realm of global trade and property protection has been an awkward and at times highly controversial transition. Nevertheless, intellectual property law seems to be the framework under which international protection and control of genetic resources will be discussed and decided.

What used to belong to all on a grand scale is now finding its way into ownership and control by the few.

Interesting?!??

Ages-old plants get a makeover: Corn and tobacco bioengineered as STI and HIV medicines

Bioengineered Plants Gone Wild

Children ofthe Corn: GMO Sterility and Spermicides

What I've learnt about Saving Seeds

I've saved seeds for several years as a backyard gardener, but it has only really been the last couple of years that I have made some progressive leaps in consciousness with regard to it all. Some of these are subtle discoveries, but the impact can be quite profound so I am writing this post to share some of the personal discoveries in the hope that it may assist others in saving their seeds with a little more intention and effort.

Not every seed is destined to greatness

Back when I first started saving seeds, each seed occurred to me as special and of requiring my total dedication. It was a bit like the Monty Python skit 'every sperm is sacred'. The change for me has been saving sufficient quantities of seed (or even just what is available if I only have one decent tomato from which to save seed from) and growing out the lot in an effort to weed out the less desirable seedlings so that the plants I do grow will be the best of the bunch. In seed saving terms this is called roguing. Undesirable variations are removed so that the seedlings remaining are more likely to create true to type plants and seeds. This can also be done with seeds that are damaged by insects, are deformed or are perhaps a different seed altogether that has just been mixed up with others. It is okay to be picky and choosy, unless of course you have a very rare variety and limited seeds.

Recording Information

I am not as organised as I would like to be when it comes to saving seed. I am improving but sometimes I can still be found looking at a bunch of dried seeds on a bit of baking paper and wondering what they are and where they are from. In an effort to at least save them and not miss the opportunity there just wasn't quite enough time to record the details I would have liked to. This is much easier if the basics are written on the paper right then and there as the seeds are drying before putting them away to dry further and prevents having to recall the details weeks or months later.

Even having some of the basic details can be frustratingly lacking for me sometimes. This last season I took to taking pictures of all the various tomato seeds that I had collected and printed them out, cut them to size and recorded the details on the back. In this way I have a colour image of the tomato as well as the details which in many ways is helpful in itself.

 

Processing Seed

While on the subject of storing the seed I have utilised several methods of saving seeds from squishing tomato seeds onto paper towel to plant the following season to breaking the jelly coating down in a jar of water and then drying the seeds on paper and storing as in the picture above. As time goes by and I realise the importance of seed saving I have begun to use the jar method for the processing of wet seeds. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and other seeds that have membranes or jelly-like coatings are all suited to this method where they are placed in a container with enough water to cover and left for a few days to mold over. This breaks down the coating around the seed (not the seed itself) and is easily separated with a colander or seive. The seeds are then dried. There are so many more advantages to this method.

• The seeds are more likely to last longer if you don't plant them out the following season.
• They can be separated more easily and shared out to friends.
• They can be separated out into individual seed raising pots if you feel it is necessary.
• Individual seeds can be removed if they look damaged or are an unwanted variation as mentioned in the beginning of this post. 

I seldom use other methods for wet seeds. This is not to say there is no place for them. It is a matter of time and circumstances, but this method I think is more favourable for the long term and it is invariably the long term that I have in mind when seed saving.

Be Selective

So many seeds, so little time...

Which is why rather than being everything to every seed type I am learning to be selective as to what grows well in my own garden and climate - and what I enjoy eating or growing. My own garden is quite small, so growing space is at quite a premium and in years like this one where I have numerous seeds I am wanting to plant out, I need to prioritise what I grow - or find another way to grow it. To some extent, finding another way to grow it can be interesting, but more often than not I just need to be selective as to the varieties I grow. An example of this is growing butternut pumpkins or small pumpkins. If you only use a small quantity of pumpkin at a time why grow huge pumpkins? Growing a smaller variety of pumpkin means you can keep them longer and there is less hassle trying to find other uses for the extra pumpkin once you cut it open.

Know your Family

This is similar to the above point only it bares mentioning on its own because it can cause so much less hassle for you if you put it into practice. When I look back on my previous gardening experiences I have enjoyed them with each season, but when I look at them in terms of seed saving I can see that I was a bit 'sloppy' in the way I did some of my plantings. This is what I mean - and to highlight the point I will use squashes as an example.

Pumpkins and squash are infamous for cross-breeding and producing mixed results for the home gardener and seed saver. This is not a bad thing. New and unusual varieties are created this way. Sometimes as a fluke, more often as a dedicated attempt to create something unique. If however you are wanting to save seeds then you are more likely to want seed that is going to be true to type. Why purchase your prized heirloom seeds if they are going to cross-pollinate and produce seeds that are a random bunch?!

One solution for the home gardener is to either grow different varieties at different times so that at each stage of flowering only one variety is flowering at a time. This means more often than not planting the seeds with weeks between them and isn't always a viable option if the growing season is quite short or growing conditions are occurring at a peak time.

The easiest solution is to grow one member of each species. In this way cross-pollination is lessened, depending on what you neighbour's are growing of course!

For example:

Curcubita maxima  ie. Jarrahdale

Curcubita mixta

Curcubita moschata ie Butternut

Curcubita pepo ie Zucchini, Spaghetti Squash

Don't Underestimate Seeds

Since becoming more interested in seed saving I've heard a couple of stories of loss. Particular varieties that have not survived for numerous reasons. The seed was destroyed, neglected, stored incorrectly, not shared out and lost as a result of rats, mice, insects, weather or a particularly poor growing season.

My grandfather was a keen gardener and I guess inspired me to garden also. When he passed on I managed to get some bean seeds from his little apartment garden. They were hanging on the plant, looking neglected and lonely. They were probably purchased from a hardware store or supermarket, but my Pop was probably just as likely to have kept some in reserve each year. I will never know. But I still have the seeds. Each year as we'd moved from house to house I'd managed to plant enough just to build up a stock. They are the one living thing from my Pop aside from our family memories of him. To me there is something special in that and it is something I want to hand to my son someday. To have a box of seeds that someone in the family can continue to grow out. Seeds that I have grown and that have nourished our family year after year after year after year. In time they will become a living heirloom that will hopefully be cherished along with photographs and other trinkets of our time. The only difference being, they have the potential to sustain a family.

Seeds must be shared with others. The more hands that hold them and grow them the better. It means the plants are evolving each year - or at least every couple of years. It means there is less likelihood of any getting lost and forgotten.

My appreciation of seeds has increased and the more I learn the further it increases. There is a lot to this seed saving thing. Nothing to get overwhelmed by, just take some of these suggestions and see how they fit for you.

And please, if you are willing to share your own learning, feel free to comment.

Plants for Beginners

Following from the workshop the other weekend a common question was what sort of seeds or plants are easy for beginner seed savers/gardeners to start with. Following is a short list of some of the seeds or plants that are easy to get growing and to save seed or cuttings from with relative ease.

Aside from the broad beans which need a lower temperature to complete their cycle and garlic which needs a long growing season, the rest of the list is suitable for starting at this time of the year in the Great Southern region.

Basil, Peas and Beans, Chilacayote, Choko (from fruit), Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Lemongrass, Watercress, Sage, Sweet Potato, Salad Burnet, Okra, Lettuce, Nasturtium, Marigold.

You may notice that this list is compiled mainly of those plants that have a low or nil ability to cross-pollinate.

Over the next few weeks we'll be posting articles to take you through the various aspects of seed saving and propagating your plants so grab your seeds out and if you haven't already, start to plan your garden for the coming season.

Sprung Into The Garden Workshop Series

The usual Produce Swap is this coming Saturday the 1st September 2012, with an earlier kick-off time of 9am. Various workshops will be held over the Saturday and Sunday as part of the Sprung Into The Garden Workshop Series. Morning workshops on the Saturday are an Intro to Jams & Chutneys, Seed Saving and Butterflies all starting around 10:30 til around 12. Afternoon events and Sunday events as advertised in the local Weekender newspaper. Workshops are by gold coin donation.

For those not in the know, the address for the Community Garden is 14 Sanford Road, Albany.

The rest of the mulch pile was moved this morning at the Community Garden, so our Seed Savers plot is now ready for planting some of our Spring/Summer crops. The new path makes it a nicer experience too!

The Seed Saver's Handbook

I now have copies of The Seed Saver's Handbook for those interested. It describes for Australian conditions - seed collecting, growth cycles, propagation, cultivation and traditional kitchen and medical uses of over 100 vegetables, culinary herbs and edible flowers. Reserve your copy by posting below, otherwise I will have some at this Saturdays Produce Swap at the Community Garden. Price is $32.

Jetto's Patch - Saving Bean Seeds

The post below was an entry by Michelle Franzinelli on her Facebook page for JETTO'S PATCH. Firstly, a little bit about Jetto's Patch. It has been designed as a suburban food garden in Perth, Western Australia.

The Facebook page records the food crops - many which are rare or exotic - that are able to be grown and harvested in the Perth climate on a small suburban lot of less than half an acre and on a natural sustainable basis according to the rules of nature. It is designed to encourage and inspire everyone to grow their own food no matter what space is available to them. Thank you for the contribution Michelle.

Today's job before lunch was gathering and shelling bean seeds for storing (Blue Lake). This harvest is now enough to give several crops next season - you learn quickly always to store more than estimated as necessary, as there may be failures, disease or bad weather. Once we factor in several crops for fresh eating, failures and food store supplies, we realise every bean is precious so a good supply is needed.

Bush beans are great for most gardens but if a trellis can be built then climbing beans are well worthwhile and produce more over a longer period in a smaller space. By this time next year I will hopefully have grown double or triple this amount, excess can then be given away, and much can be used as dry beans for food if necessary, soaked over night and cooked in stews, casseroles and soups, a useful standby and good long term storage crop containing decent amounts of protein, especially when eaten with grains.

Growing from your own seeds improves the growth and disease resistance of the bean as it becomes adapted to the conditions of your garden environment, so it is important for us to save our own seeds from year to year, we then take them out the following season with pride knowing they were not drenched in pesticides, grown and gathered by our own hand and that we have control over the food we eat and a small store to fall back on if necessary.

Conscious Plant Selection

Lorna T. posts on consciously selecting your plant material for growing out, in order to improve the most desired traits from your garden produce.

It is the time of year when you look at your garlic and realise that a lot of it is sprouting. Many people are tempted to plant the first bulbs that sprout, to save wasting them, but from a long term seed saving perspective this can be a bad thing. If the cloves from those early sprouting bulbs are planted, you are selecting for a garlic that does not store too well, so will end up with a whole crop of garlic selected for early sprouting. If you want to extend your season for using fresh home grown garlic, you are far better to plant the cloves from bulbs that are late to shoot and store well for long periods of time.

This philosophy for seed saving can also be applied to crops like lettuce. If you save seeds from lettuce that are the first to bolt, you will be selecting for that characteristic, and will end up with lettuce that go to seed early and give you a very short season of picking.

If you do have seed saving in mind for your vegies, use this type of lateral thinking to all of your crops and ask if early bolting or shooting is a good or bad thing for that crop. Some crops need the opposite selection to that of the garlic and lettuce, such as broccoli. Generally it would be desirable for a broccoli plant to produce flower heads in a reasonably short space of time, as those are the bits that you grow the crop for and eat, so it would be fairly pointless if you selected seed from a plant that took 2 years to produce heads.

There are obviously more selection criteria involved when saving seed than these few points. Disease resistance, yield, flavour, suitability to local climate and resistance to insect attack are some others that are all important, but the main thing is to use that lateral thinking and ask a few questions about the plants that you plan on saving seed from, and if their characteristics are going to be useful to you in future generations.

Lower King Community Garden Produce Swap

The Lower King Community Garden's first ever Produce Swap got off to a good start yesterday - Saturday, 19th of May 2012. The weather was fantastic and there was a real mix of autumn produce on hand from contributing gardeners as well as plant cuttings, seeds and plants, cooking and preserves.

The Produce Swap is held in the grounds of the Lower King Kindergarten every 3rd Saturday of the month between 10 - 12. Instigated by the Kindergarten community it is hoped that the surrounding community will become more and more involved. Given that the kindergarten is situated right in the heart of the suburb it should be easy enough for folks to walk a couple of hundred feet from their door to the Produce Swap to check things out. So great to see community folk turn up with produce for the table, especially for the grand kick-off!

We hope to see this one thrive.