Dixon Elementary School Visit

 Early on the morning of Monday October 29th, with the air still chilly from low overnight temperatures, students, teachers and parents from Dixon Elementary School arrived on mass to the Taos Center for the Arts to take part in SEED4 www.seedtaos.org

Aaliyah Sanchez at the seed drawing station.

 From the beginning, experiential education has been an essential component of the show. At SEED exhibitions visitors are encouraged not only to look at artwork inspired by the seed but also to engage in hands-on learning about the remarkable lives of seeds and their utmost importance in our lives. The SEED Exploratorium, is an entire room with new displays every year dedicated to engaging all five senses, so that understanding can be synthesized in multiple ways. This year SEED 4 Exploratorium highlighted the theme “Seed to Food”. The "seedettes" a group of four incredible women who organize SEED every year put allot of their energies into arranging field trips for local schools and the Dixon group,of kindergarten Ist and 2nd graders, were to be the last group before the closing of the exhibition.

Benjamin Gonzales with his seed story.

Denim Padberg  sharing his seed drawing.

 Katie Woodall, a seedette, skillfully gathered the group outside the exhibition space and introduced everyone to the various areas of activity, the exhibition, the exploratorium and the SeedBroadcast mobile station.  SeedBroadcast provided a creative seed drawing station, where the students could look at seeds through lenses and make drawings to place on the seed wall in the broadcast unit. Inside the unit they investigated the Ipods to discover seed videos, seed story interviews, and looked at the seed books. In preparation for this visit, their teacher Eva Behrens, had the students create their own seed stories so they could be recorded. When each student felt ready and confident we introduced them to the recording equipment, did sound tests and then asked them to tell us their stories. Here are a selection.  Eva will continue to record other stories back in her classroom as as we receive these they will be  added to the seeds story library.  Thank you so much students for being so courageous in sharing your stories with us. 

Investigating ipods in the mobile broadcasting unit.

Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station and Seed Stories from Taos, New Mexico

Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting and the Creative Seed Drawing Station in Taos, New Mexico.

SeedBroadcast hosted the Seed Story Broadcasting Station outside the Stables Gallery, at the Taos Center for the Arts, during the final weekend of the Seed 4 exhibition. Broadcasting in the public parking lot between the gallery, the Taos Auditorium, the main strip, and Kit Carson State Park, many passerby's stopped by to see what was going on. While the station played seed stories over the outside loud speakers to the Taoseno environs, people were encouraged to explore the resources in the Station and make drawings of favorite seeds and plants to be posted on the bulletin board inside the van.

SeedBroadcaster, Chrissie Orr, watches as a Seed Story picture is drawn.

Many people came by to share seed stories from the Taos area, as well as from distant homes. Conversations arose over local seed security, a concern many local growers have that their rights as food producers and seed savers will be compromised if resources such as seeds and water become controlled by the proprietary interests of corporations and governments.

Watching the video Seeds of Freedom inside the Mobile Broadcasting Station.

During the afternoon, Greg Nussbaum, along with a young student from Camino De Paz, stopped by after their morning selling produce at the Taos Farmers' Market. Greg, the Camino De Paz's Farm Director, shared information about their amazing school, located outside of Santa Cruz, NM. It is a farm-based middle school, which integrates hands-on working experiences of living on a farm with applied learning in the fields of "sustainable living practices, traditional arts and crafts, ecology and environmental education." Asking the question...what if public education looked like this?

We asked those we met if there was a Taos seed swap, seed library, or informal seed sharing organization, and no one seemed to know of any....although everyone seemed to think it was a grand idea. Perhaps folks we met over the weekend would be interested in working together to organize one? If you would be interested in getting involved with this please email us and we will try to get everyone in touch.

Looking at corn From Fodder Project Collaborative Research Farm and sharing some seeds.

Miguel Santisevan, a local farmer and teacher we spoke to via email, said he has been working on a seed library for several years. Its goal is to increase local seed stock among area farmers. Even though this seed library is not a public resource at this time, he encourages people to contact him to find out more about the agricultural projects their farm is undertaking. In the future, they hope to build seed networks among local farmers, and provide seed saving, cleaning, and processing workshops. You can find out more about their projects and contact Miguel at: http://solfelizfarm.wordpress.com/

Taos Seed Stories are now being broadcast!
Here are the Seed Stories from people we met over the weekend. Thank you all for sharing these wonderful stories.

Seed Story from Bob Fies, Taos, New Mexico

Seed Broadcaster, Jeanette Hart-Mann, recording Bob Fies' seed story

One of the people who stopped by to share a seed story with us while we were in Taos was Bob Fies. For the past seven years Bob, a retired physician, has been the owner and caretaker for the Arroyo Hondo property on which the historic New Buffalo commune was established. Although he was not involved in the founding of the commune in 1967, Bob shared a deeply moving story of gratitude for the generosity and compassion that local Pueblo and Hispanic people bestowed upon the young back-to-the-landers - sharing the necessary skills for building shelter and growing food in this challenging environment.



Since acquiring the New Buffalo property, Bob has supervised preserving, restoring and making sustainable the main building, planting hundreds of native trees and restoring the land. On Sunday, we followed up on his invitation to visit the property and spent the morning with him as he shared the history of this unique place, as well as his recent efforts to develop the New Buffalo Center into a place that will continue to serve as a center for connecting, learning, and creativity.

Bob Fies and Seed Broadcasters at the New Buffalo Center

View of the newly completed passive-solar greenhouse

Inside the restored sunken round room at the heart of the original structure

Guerilla Sprouting with Sibylle Ingeborg Preuschat, Taos, NM

Sibylle Ingeborg Preuschat with her Guerilla Sprouting project -
part of the SEED 4 exhibition and exploratorium

As part of the Seed Exploratorium component of the SEED 4 exhibition,  Sibylle Ingeborg Preuschat presented her Guerilla Sprouting project - a demonstration DIY sprout garden. Sibylle shared with us the story of how she came to adopt sprouting as an act of self-reliance and empowerment. She sited Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma as an influence that shifted her thinking about the carbon footprint of even the healthiest of store-bought organic produce. Sibylle describes sprouting as, on one hand, a response the waste and inefficiency of large-scale commercial farming, and on the other hand, it is also a symbolic act - of reclaiming responsibility for one's health and well-being by tending to life in a direct, hands-on way.

The Guerrilla Sprout garden a little after two weeks of being planted

"The folks running the Seed 4 Exploratorium did an amazing job growing sprouts in the middle of a busy exhibition - and these don't quite look like they would when tended at home... still you get the idea of how tenaciously they grow even when conditions aren't the most ideal!" - Sibyille

Along with her demonstration sprout display, Sibylle disseminates information on how to sprout to encourage others to try it themselves. You can read her blog, and download this great how to document which she put together for a workshop she gave during the SEED 4 exhibit.

Seed Story Broadcasting at Seed 4 in Taos, New Mexico

On October 27th and 28th, SeedBroadcast traveled to Taos, New Mexico for the closing festivities of the Seed 4 exhibition and exploratorium and to collaborate on a Seed Story Broadcasting event with Seed 4. The Taos Seed exhibitions, now in their forth year, bring together artist, educators, local farmers, gardeners, and the public to investigate the power of seeds as a concept. In the gallery, a wide range of art explored the visual performance of seeds, current perspectives about bioengineering, and the magic of sculptural stratification and transformation.

The Seed 4 exhibition, inside the Stables Gallery at the Taos Center for the Arts, in Taos, New Mexico.

The entire exhibition was filled with Seed Stories as visual and textural expressions. The statements written by participating artists provided a keen insight into the complex, personal, and powerful connections that people feel about seeds in form and process. During our Broadcast we met Peter Chinni, a local sculptor and participating artist in the Seed 4 exhibition, and he shared his seed story with us.

Using a magnifying lens, Seed Broadcast takes a closer look at cucumber seeds while harvesting, cleaning, and sharing them with visitors.

The Seed 4 organizers, Siena Sanderson, Mandy Stapleford, Katie Woodall, and Claire Cote put together a public celebration on October 28th, for the final weekend of the exhibition. They shared local seeds and food with everyone who stopped by. During this reception Claire and Katie took some time to share their seed stories with us.

A gift of hollyhock seeds from Seed 4 and local Sanborn Farms.

You can also listen to more Seed Stories at the Seed Story Broadcast Page. Stay tuned for more Seed Broadcasts from Taos, New Mexico, coming soon...and don't forget to sign up for email updates, which will deliver blog posts directly to your email address. To do this fill out the following form:

Enter your email address to receive Seed Broadcast updates:

Seed 4 Taos Broadcast Oct 27th and 28th

This Saturday and Sunday, Oct 27 and 28th, stop by the Taos Center for the Arts, Stables Gallery, in Taos, New Mexico, and join SeedBroadcast for a two day broadcasting event and final weekend perusal of the Seed 4 exhibition.
SeedBroadcast will be conducting seed story interviews, so bring favorite stories from your gardens, kitchens, and studios, to share with the broadcast crew. We will also have the broadcast station open, with copy shop, library, videos, drawing board, and close up views of open pollinated seeds to explore. So come by and check out the seeds, stories, resources, and art.

Event Details
October 27th and 28th, 2012
Times: 12pm - 6pm
Location: 133 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, New Mexico
For more information:
Email: SeedBroadcast@gmail.com
Call: 1-575-718-4511

Download event pdf

South Valley Academy, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Students from the South Valley Academy, check out the drivers seat of the Seed Story Broadcasting Station van.

The day after the Machine Wilderness atmosphere of ISEA2012, Seed Broadcast slowly made its way down Isleta Boulevard, to the South Valley. This is the traditional agricultural area of Albuqueque, situated in the fertile bosque of the Rio Grande. We had been invited to the local high school, South Valley Academy. This Charter High School is a series of cream-colored porta-cabins, nestled in between huge, ancient cottonwoods, with a population of students from local New Mexican families and new immigrants from south of the border. Five years ago, Richard Brandt, a South Valley local, initiated Dragon Farms, on a piece of land adjacent to the school; to educate the students in local growing practices and healthy eating. Check out this wonderful community/school project at: http://www.southvalleyacademy.org/dragonfarm/

Garden beds at the South Valley Academy, Dragon Farms

 
The principal, Kata Sandoval had arranged for the science teachers to bring their students over to the mobile unti, although at one point a class of students arrived reading books, it was the reading class! We engaged the students in a dialogue around the importance of seed saving and guided them in numerous experiences, which included wheat pasting printed seeds on the outside of the mobile unit, accessing audio and video information via the technology set up inside the unit and sorting, packaging, and labeling seeds. Many of the students asked to take some of the seeds with them, as they had gardens at home. They loved the blue corn and creeping onions from Fodder Farm. We were told that their families, often grandparents, grew corn and squash and some had apple and peach trees. Many of the students talked of ranches that were left behind in Mexico.

Students check out the interior of the Broadcast Station, listen to seed stories, and note their own on the seed story board.

One of the teachers suggested that they take some of the seeds and plant them at the Dragon Farm site to record and keep track of how they grow. They also talked about starting their own seed library. We asked that they keep us updated on the progress. We hope to be able to visit again. Thank you to all the teachers, Kata Sandoval, and Richard Brandt for making this visit so informative.

ISEA 2012 Block Party - Seed Broadcast

SeedBroadcast Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station spent an evening sharing seed stories on Central Avenue, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the International Symposium on Electronic Art, ISEA2012 Block Party, on September 26, 2012.

Albuquerque area residents, along with ISEA visitors, explored the Broadcast Station, listening to seed stories from around the country and watching videos like Seeds of Freedom, by The Gaia Foundation and the African Biodiversity Network, and our very own video, Letter From a Seed Broadcaster.

Drawing and writing on the Seed Broadcast "Germination Board," many people answered the questions, WHY IS SEED SAVING IMPORTANT? WHY DO YOU SAVE SEEDS? citing needs for survival, grassroots control over resources, and the poetry implicit in each act of planting and saving seeds.

Folks also participated in the SeedBroadcast event by filling out questionnaires and voicing their thoughts about the importance of seed saving, favorite seeds, sharing seeds, and concerns about seed saving. This fall, as we wrap up the 2012 tour, we will be including these textual thoughts in the blog. So stay posted for the publication of these digests and if you are interested in contributing your own questionnaire, these are available online for you to fill out and submit. Check it out at: SeedBroadast Online Questionnaire.

Several passerby's asked for seed saving information and used the SeedBroadcast Bulletin Board to copy and take references home, to further pursue their own seed saving experiments. One document that we have, from the Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library, was of particular interest: Seed Saving Guidelines.  You can find other downloadable information from seed saving organizations around the world at our Online Bulletin Board. And, if you have a reference source you would like to share, email us, and let us know about it, so we can include it in the Online Bulletin Board.

Many local gardeners were also interested in locating or forming an Albuquerque Seed Swap. There were rumors of one being organized in the South Valley, and one last year at the Hubbell House, and in Old Town. If anyone knows of a local seed swap in Albuquerque, let us know, so we can pass on the information. Also, you can contact the Gardeners Guild of Albuquerque and check out their website to find out about more organizations across the city, who are supporting local food and gardening interests. These may be excellent places to start forming seed swaps. Also, ask you neighbors if they have seeds to share. You might be surprised how many people save seeds and grow gardens. It is simply incredible.

Best and in Seed Solidarity,
the seedbroadcasters

SeedBroadcasting in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Join us for an afternoon of Seed Broadcasting!

SeedBroadcast Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station, in partnership with Dragon Farms and Valle Encantado, will be at the ISEA2012 Block Party, on Sunday, September 23, from 4pm - 9pm, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We will be interviewing local folks and broadcasting seed stories. The broadcasting station will also be open for everyone to check out: to copy seed resources, to listen to stories from across the country, and to help wheat paste pictures of seeds all over the van.

Event details
September 23, 2012
Time: 4pm - 9pm
We will be parked on the south side of Central Ave between 5th & 6th Streets
Albuquerque, New Mexico 
For more information:
Email: SeedBroadcast@gmail.com
Call: 1-575-718-4511

Download event pdf

Occupy the Seed!

Permaculturalist, Gerald Anderson, from Conway, Arkansas, just sent this link to an amazing event, which we can all participate in. OCCUPY THE SEED! Thanks Gerald for sharing!

Go to: Seed Freedom Fortnight of Action for more information....note I just copied over the following information from International Permaculture Day....please visit Seed Freedom Fortnight of Action for live links....

Seed Freedom Fortnight of Action – how to participate:

• Join the Seed Freedom Movement: Sign the Declaration on Seed Freedom
• Organise an action and add it to the Fortnight of Action Calendar - email: info[at]seedfreedom.in
• Example actions for the Fortnight of Action
• Become a Seed Saver / Start a Seed Bank
• Become a Seed Defender
• Download the Seed Freedom Action Kit (more items to be added)
• Subscribe to the Seed Freedom blog
• Follow Seed Freedom on Facebook
• Follow Seed Freedom on Twitter
• Subscribe to Seed Freedom on YouTube – link to follow
• Share a link to this page link with others
• Download the Fortnight of Action Promo Button for your website or blog. Link it to the Fortnight of Action page
• Share and embed Dr Shiva’s Seed Freedom video on your website or blog:

• Share and embed the Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seeds on your website or blog
• Share your own ideas and actions
• Offer to translate Seed Freedom information and the Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seeds (see below) into other languages – email: info[at]seedfreedom.in
• Donate to the Campaign - click on the “Donate Now” button

There will be updates and additions to the bullet points above. Check this page for those updates.

Vandana’s Message to Permaculturists

Dear Permaculturists,
There can be no permanent agriculture without the permanence, diversity and renewability of seed. Unlike industrial monocultures, permaculture depends on the co-operation between different species – plant and animals, perennial and annual.
The seeds of this diversity are at the heart of an agriculture of permanence. This is why you have an extremely important role to play in the Global Campaign for Seed Freedom both to save the diversity of seeds as well as our freedom to save and exchange seeds. Everywhere new laws are being imposed that make seed diversity, seed freedom and seed exchange illegal.
That is why I invite you to play a leading role in the Fortnight for Seed Freedom from 2^nd October (Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary) to 16^th October 2012 (World Food Day). In the spirit of Gandhi’s satyagraha, we plan to focus especially on the 2nd October (Gandhi’s birth anniversary) as a call for civil disobedience against unjust seed laws, to declare our Seed Freedom.
I enclose some ideas for actions for the Seed Freedom Fortnight [above] and look forward to planning common strategies and receiving from you a calendar of actions for the Fortnight so that together we can reclaim our Seed Freedom. — Vandana Shiva, 17th August 2012

Invitation to join the Global Citizens Alliance for Seed Freedom

Dear Seed keepers and Seed warriors,
On behalf of Navdanya, I write to invite you to become part of a Global Citizens Alliance for Seed Freedom – the start of a global campaign to alert citizens and governments around the world on how precarious our seed supply has become – and as a consequence how precarious our food security has become.
We started Navdanya 25 years ago to protect our seed diversity and farmers’ rights to save, breed, and exchange seed freely, in the context of the emerging threats of the TRIPS Agreement (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which opened the door to the introduction of GMOs, patents on seed and the collection of royalties. A Monsanto representative later stated “In drafting these agreements we were the patient, diagnostician, physician all in one”.Corporations defined a problem – and for them the problem was farmers saving seed. They offered a solution, and the solution was the introduction of patents and intellectual property rights on seed, making it illegal for farmers to save their seed. Seed as a common good became a commodity of private seed companies, traded on the open market.
Today, the threat is greater. Consider the following:

• The last twenty years have seen a very rapid erosion of seed diversity and seed sovereignty, and the rapid concentration of control over seed by a very small number of giant corporations
• Acreage under GM corn, soya, canola, cotton has increased dramatically.
• Besides displacing and destroying diversity, patented GMO seeds are also undermining seed sovereignty, the rights of farmers to grow their own seeds and to save and exchange seed.
• In countries across the world, including in India, new seed laws are being introduced which enforce compulsory registration of seed, thus making it impossible for small farmers to grow their own diversity, and forcing them into dependency on giant seed corporations.
• Genetic contamination is spreading – India has lost the cotton seeds because of contamination from Bt. Cotton and Mexico, the historical cradle of corn, has lost eighty percent of its corn varieties and these are but two instances of loss of local and national seed heritage.
• After contamination, Biotech Seed Corporations sue farmers with patent infringement cases. More than 80 groups came together recently in the US and filed a case to prevent Monsanto from suing farmers whose seed had been contaminated.
• As farmer’s seed supply is eroded, and farmers become dependent on patented GMO seed, the result is indebtedness. Debt created by Bt. Cotton in India has pushed farmers to suicide.
• India has signed a U.S. /India knowledge Initiative in Agriculture, with a representative of Monsanto on the Board. States are being pressurized to sign agreements with Monsanto. An example is the Monsanto Rajasthan memorandum of understanding (MOU) under which Monsanto would obtain intellectual property rights (IPRs) on all genetic resources as well as research on seed carried out under the MOU. It was only after a campaign led by Navdanya and a “Monsanto Quit India” Bija Yatra that the government of Rajasthan cancelled the MOU.
• Pressure by Monsanto on the US Government and the joint pressure of both on governments across the world is a major threat to the future of seed and the future of food.
• Wikileaks exposed the US government’s intentions to proliferate the use of GMOs in Africa and Pakistan. Pressure to use GMOs imposed by US government representatives is a direct effort to support giant biotech business and to expand their markets.

These trends demonstrate a total control over the seed supply and a destruction of the very foundation of agriculture. We are witnessing a seed emergency at a global level.
The disappearance of our biodiversity and of our seed sovereignty is creating a major crisis for agriculture and food security around the world. We must act before it is too late.
Seeds are the first link in the food chain and the repository of life’s future evolution. As such, it is our inherent duty and responsibility to protect them and to pass them on to future generations. The growing of seed and the free exchange of seed among farmers has been the basis to maintaining biodiversity and our food security.
I am sure you will sense the emergency as deeply as I do, and feel the need to join forces to reclaim our seed and to protect our Seed Diversity and Seed Freedom.
Let us collectively make 2012 the year to “Save our Seeds” and “Reclaim our Seeds as a Commons” – from privatization through patents, from compulsory registration laws, from seed monopolies, from genetic erosion and contamination.
Let us plan common strategies and common actions so that the voices of the 99% in issues related to seed become louder than the bullying by Monsanto and the other four Agricultural Seed- Biotech Giants, who are determined to control the world’s food systems by stealing our seed and our freedoms.
Please send your ideas, your hopes, your dreams so we build a strong movement to “Occupy the Seed”.
I look forward to joining forces with you to make 2012 the year of the Liberation of the Seed and to help ensure a sustainable and just future for generations to come.
In Solidarity,
Vandana Shiva

To get involved, contact:

Global Movement to Defend Seed Freedom
info (at) seedfreedom.in
www.seedfreedom.in
www.navdanya.org

Two documents that provide an in-depth understanding of the seed issue are:

1. The Manifesto on the Future of Seeds (2004), available in several languages. Its principles were the basis to the Regional Law of Tuscany on Seed heritage that same year.
2. The GMO Emperor has no Clothes: false promises, failed technologies – published by Navdanya International last year together with an alliance of citizens movements (see below). The report made evident the severe threat to seed from erosion, pollution and privatization.

Seed freedom is food freedom: Act Now!

Seed Story Broadcasts from Conway, Arkansas

The following seed stories were shared during the Seed Broadcast event at Conserving Arkansas's Agricultural Heritage (CAAH!) Seed Lab at the University of Central Arkansas, in Conway, Arkansas. This Seed Broadcast event was also co-hosted by several other local, Arkansas organizations working hard to promote local food and seed sovereignty.


Nancy Duke shares a seed story about a 60 year old jar of butter beans, she found in an abandoned family garage.  These beans came from her husband's, great aunt Zena Alexander's pea patch from around the 1965.


Angela Gardner, shares seed stories from her community garden and Central Arkansas New Agrarian Society (CANAS).


William McClintock shares a seed story about his garden located in Cabot, Arkansas and shares his joy to plant anywhere and eat the best food ever, from his garden.


Dr. Brian Campbell, faculty at Central Arkansas University, in Conway, Arkansas, shares seed stories from his garden and from the Conserving Arkansas Agricultural Heritage! (CAAH!).


Gerald Anderson shares a seed story from Conway, Arkansas about his permaculture dreams at his Summer Berry Farm in Tilly, Arkansas and a story about his family millet.


Lynita Langley-Ware shares a seed story about the Grow Garden and their seed saving efforts at the Faulkner County Museum, in Conway, Arkansas. She also recalls the memory her grandmother's seed saving efforts and the way we are now relearning how to do this once again.


Bryan Mader, McKenzie Earnest, and Michael McHalffey share a seed story about working with the Russellville Community Market, their work at seed swaps, and building a gardening and seed saving community among the local college students.


Michael McHaffley shares a seed story about his family's farming efforts and his desire to create an experimental educational farming opportunity for other people to learn from.

Thank you everyone for sharing your seed stories!
You can also find these seed stories and more from around the country by checking out the Seed Story Broadcast page.

Conserving Arkansas's Agricultural Heritage

Listening to Seed Stories in the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station

Seed Broadcast visited the University of Central Arkansas, Seed Lab, on August 7, and met up with folks from Conserving Arkansas's Agricultural Heritage (CAAH!), the Arkansas Local Network, the Central Arkansas New Agrarian Society (CANAS), the Faulkner Public Library, local permaculturalists, farmers, gardeners, and a really old jar of white beans, brought in by Nancy Duke.

 Dr. Brian Campbell discussed how the CAAH! - Seed Lab and Seed Library operates and also described the challenges of community seed saving and sharing: asking others to contribute to this local seed action. CAAH!, helps regional communities start their own yearly seed swaps and promotes growing, saving, and sharing of local heirloom varieties. They have also been busy creating a regional seed library, as well as, producing feature length videos and organizing educational workshops. Check out their latest video Seed Swap. And keep an eye out for more, coming soon.

As a group, we held a round table discussion, where everyone shared thoughts from their gardens and concerns over the drought.  The entire region, much like the entire country is suffering under extremely dry conditions. This looked like the worst yet, with leaves from trees shrivelling, turning brown, and dropping.  People also shared another major environmental concern: fracking. With seismic quakes rumbling in the area, local concern and outrage has stopped the industry for now, until further study can be conducted.  On top of this, is the inevitable fear that water sources will be polluted.

Nancy Drakes, very old jar of white beans....

Even when facing issues like these, which seem bigger than any one person can deal with, the conversation returned to what is being done. Planting, growing food, digging in the dirt, saving seeds, finding seeds long thought lost, and sharing a wealth of care and commitment. It was said, that the only way we can grow stronger and more resilient is by doing. Just like plants adapting to climate change, pursuits at growing our own food, are only possible by continuing to plant, save, and share seeds of resistance.

Angela Gardner, a local gardener, loves popcorn, and loves to grow, save, and share these stories.

Dr. Campbell generously shared several of his published articles on Ozark biodiversity, traditions, and open pollinated seed swaps, check these out below:


"Closest to Everlastin'": Ozark Agricultural Biodiversity and Subsistence Traditions

Open-Pollinated Seed Exchange: Renewed Ozark Tradition as Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation

Thank you Brian, Angela, Michael, Gerald, Nancy, W.C., Bryan, and McKenzie!
The Seed Stories from Conway are coming. So check back in the next couple weeks for audio Seed Stories from CAAH!

Also, coming soon is the next Seed Story Broadcast, from the farm of Herb Culver, an Ozark seed saver, in Deer, Arkansas.

University of Central Arkansas Seed Lab

Seed Broadcast will be at the University of Central Arkansas, in Conway, AR, tomorrow from 1 pm - 4 pm, hosting Seed Story Broadcasting along with Conserving Arkansas's Agricultural Heritage (CAAH!), Arkansas Local Food Network, and the Central Arkansas New Agrarian Society. Stop by, check out the broadcasting station, and share some seed stories.

More Seed Stories from Montpelier

Here are the latest Seed Story Broadcasts from Montpelier, VT. You can find these and more by visiting the Seed Story Broadcast page.

Mary Telfer talks about her first adventure with seeds she collected and planted from store bought peppers.
John Waldo shares stories from his garden which is a collaborative adventure with his friend Roy. He also talks about the bean seeds he was given by another friend, making these into a delicious chili.
Jeff Weinstein, a local commercial soup maker, shares his thoughts on local food economy, seeds, and diversity.

Seed Broadcasting at the Vermont College of Fine Arts

Seed Broadcasting on the college green.

Seed Broadcast Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station will be at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, in Montpelier, Vt, from July 29 - Aug 2, listening to seed stories and broadcasting these across the greens.  Below are some of the stories shared so far....keep listening for more seed stories and visit the Seed Story Broadcast page to find more.

We ran into MDL, an anonymous VCFA graduate student, on July 17th. MDL talked about her home grown scarlet runner beans and how she uses them in the classroom for experiential learning.

Hunter Neal shares some seed stories from George Washington to Cuban cigar seeds to the tomato seed, Mortgage Lifter, which he hopes to start saving.

Please stop by and visit us, we would love to listen to your seed stories. You can locate us at 36 College St, Montpelier, Vt, on the college green.
Hours:
July 29 130 - 430 pm
July 30 130 - 400 pm and 830 - 930 pm
July 31 130 - 430 pm
Aug 1   130 - 400 pm
Aug 2   130 - 330 pm

Or call if you would like to make an appointment - 575-512-5740
Or email: SeedBroadcast@gmail.com

Seed Broadcast at the Capital City Farmers' Market

Seed Broadcast visited the Capital City Farmers' Market on Saturday, July 30.  We met many visitors to the market along with several local producers.


Kate Milligan, a local medicinal landscaper shared her seed story with us and told us all about the local organized effort to take back health care through using herbs found in our own backyards to treat health issues. The organization she works with is actively saving seed and helping local folks to grow their own medicinal landscapes. For more information on local efforts to acknowledge and practice health care from the earth visit: Vermont Center for Integrated Herbalism.


We also met Arealles Ortiz and Emma Lutz-Higgins who shared their stories about participating in the local Montpelier High School Seed Library.

While at the farmers market we were blessed to meet Carol and Robert Mouck, two amazing seed savers with magical twinkles in their eyes.  They talked about their efforts in Ontario, founding a seed sanctuary, while trying to encourage and help others to save and grow more seeds. They are both passionate about this effort and worried that many people are not yet ready to embark on this mission. One of the most important aspects they feel the world struggles with is the simple gesture of love and generosity. Something that even seeds desire.

Thank you everyone we met for your joy, encouragement, and struggle to keep seeds in the hands of people!

Montpelier Seed Library at the local High School

Montpelier High School Gardens

Seed Broadcast met up with Tom Sabo, teacher and organizer of the Montpelier High School integrative, sustainable curriculum, where students learn everything from Spanish to Biology directly from the food they grow. This High School is also the site of the current public Montpelier Seed Library.

Picking blueberries.

Tom showed me around the High School gardens and greenhouse.  All the food they grow here goes directly to the cafeteria and is eaten daily by the students, giving them all an opportunity to experience the cycle and interconnection of food production, labor, culture, and research. We picked some blueberries and ate them along our walk.

Seed Library Cabinet

This Seed Library is housed in the High School Library.  It is accessible to the public, although the hours are limited to times when the school is open.  Tom said that he is currently discussing the possibility of growing this library and collaborating with the local, Kellog Public Library, so that the seed library will be more available to the Montpelier Community.

This library began when high school students met with local farmers who had been growing local heirloom varieties.  They listened to the stories from these local seed savers, and brought seeds back to school with them to contribute to the seed library. These are now grown at the high school gardens.

Keep listening....we hope to interview Tom later this week....

Seed Stories From Rutland, VT

Local seed savers, gardeners, farmers, and people who want to learn more about saving seed, stopped by the Seed Broadcast event at the Rutland Free Library on July 17. Several people shared thoughts on saving seeds and also their personal seed stories.
You can listen to these and other Seed Stories from across the country at the Seed Story Broadcast Page.

Sylvia Davatz is a Hartland, Vt seed saver, owner of Solstice Seeds and homesteader. She shared some seed stories and talked about the reason why she saves seeds and loves to grow.

Sharon Turner shares a seed story about her family's lost parsnip seed that she is looking for.

Ed Graves shares a seed story about possibility and seed broadcasting, from the Rutland Seed Library

Carol Tashie of Radical Roots Farm, in Rutland, VT, shares a seed story of the local heirloom tomato, "Prattico," which she grows and encourages others to grow.

Scott Courcelle shares a seed story about the efforts of local growers to collaborate on a seed saving project in Rutland, VT.

Thank you for sharing all your seed stories with us!

Rutland Seed Library - Seed Broadcasting Event, Rutland, VT

Ed Graves, Assistant Director of the Rutland Free Library discusses the creation, organization, and dreams of the Rutland Seed Library.

Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station at the Rutland Free Library

Local Seed Savers checking out the Rutland Seed Library and the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station, while discussing local seeds, saving and growing.

Seed Broadcast collaborated on a broadcast event at the Rutland Free Library, in Rutland Vermont on July 17.  We met folks who came from local seed saving projects, market gardeners, and visitors to the public library. We were reminded of why we do what we do, as we headed up New York State towards Vermont and saw the following billboard...

Rutland Seed Library Collection, as people stop by to pick up seeds

Ed Graves, who is the assistant director of the Rutland Free Public Library and who organized the Rutland Seed Library, comes from a background as a market gardener. He was interested in starting this seed sharing project when he moved to Rutland because he had a large collection of seeds that he had been saving. This Seed Library is organized as a annual seed swap, which usually occurs in the spring. He would like to see it grow, as people participate in not only taking seeds home to plant, but returning seeds to grow the library collection.

Ed talks to some local gardeners as they look over the seeds from the library collection