Du Quoin Seed Library Seed Story Broadcast

The Seed Broadcast Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station was just at the Du Quoin Seed Library, in southern Illinois, to find out how the library is developing and to listen to the story of seed savers. The seed library was organized through the joint efforts of Perry County Master Gardeners, Mary Jo Novak, Jane Chapman, Jon McClurkin, and Pam Swallers, working in collaboration with library director Kristina Benson and library assistant Sally Cook. It began, this year, when both Kristina and Mary Jo read the same article in Organic Gardening and got together to make it happen.

Sally Cook shows us the seed library, which is stored in the bottom of an old vacant filing cabinet at the Du Quoin Public Library.

This is their first year as a seed library and they are very interested in seeing this library grow. In fact, they are dreaming of the day that the seed library takes over the bottom two drawers of the old filing cabinet in their public library.

The Du Quoin Seed Library discussing their organizational strategies and why this effort is so important for their community.

They hope to address and take action on critical issues, such as health and the well being of people.  Through eating locally produced, healthy vegetables, while getting people out in their gardens for exercise, this seed library is dedicated to promoting and encouraging abundance and vitality for every generation in their community.  They also feel that seed saving is an essential practice to keep seeds and local food alive for the future.

Mary Jo Novak and Jon McClurkin look through the Seed Broadcast Bulletin Board and copy off seed saving and seed library information to post in their seed library.

Admitting there are many challenges that they face, these seed librarians and master gardeners are clearly committed to see this prosper.  They need more vegetable seeds that are open pollinated, they need responsible and dedicated participants, they need a sorting and storage system implemented, and they need to consider what it means to save seeds in the midst of genetically modified industrial agriculture. They are willing to take on all these challenges as they continue through a major regional drought.

If you live in the area of Du Quoin, Illinois and would like to participate in the Du Quoin Seed Library, head on down to the public library and find out how you can help grow this tremendous effort to save seeds, produce local food, and cultivate abundance in community.  Also, on August 6th, at the library, they will be holding a seed saving workshop. So stop by and find out how to save seeds.  Contact the DuQuoin Public Library for more information: (618) 542-5045

You can hear the personal seed stories of Mary Jo, Jane, John, Pam, Sally, and Kristina here...

Seed Broadcasters - Nina Dubois, Jeanette Hart-Mann, and Seed Librarians - Sally Cook, Jon McClurkin, Jane Chapman, and Mary Jo Novak after meeting for an afternoon of seed stories.

Thank you Du Quoin Seed Library for sharing your seed library and stories!

Seed Stories from Du Quoin, Ilinois

Below are Seed Stories shared at the Du Quoin Seed Library, in Du Quoin, Illinois. You can listen to more seed stories by going to the Seed Story Broadcast page, or following this link.

Jon McClurkin shares his seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

Mary Jo Novak shares her seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

Pam Swallers shares her seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

Jane Chapman shares her seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

Kristina Benson shares her seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

Sally Cook shares her seed story from Du Quoin, Illinois.

You can listen to more Seed Stories from around the country at the Seed Story Broadcast Page or follow this link.

Mighty Billboards, Mississippi, Rain, and the Seedy Mural

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LuLu's Herbs, owned by Pam Bramlett, in Balwin City, Kansas invited us to stay on on the farm before heading to Du Quoin, Illinois.  We hung out with 3 of the farm WWOOF'ers and checked out the herb gardens. Thank you Pam, Sarah, Alan, and Aaron for you hospitality.  You can check out Pam's garden blog here: Lulu's Garden Herbs.

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View Seed Broadcast Tour - Manitou Springs, CO to Des Quoin, IL in a larger map 

Heading towards Du Quoin, we ran into a huge thunderstorm.  This rain ushers in a new era of moisture for me.  I do not think I have seen this much rain for years. But still, it is dry, even here in the lush, pseudo-tropical, hill country of southern Illinois.

Along the way, people keep asking, "What are you doing?" But, the conversations that emerge are passionate, fascinating, and inspiring. Today we met, Swan the Story Teller in Carbondale, Il. She related information about a mock trial that was recently held here at Southern Illinois University, indicting the corporate hand-hold of people's basic human right to seeds and justice.  Swan said that they will soon be releasing a documentary film about this.

We have finally initiated the Seedy Mural on the exterior of the Seed Broadcast Mobile Seed Station. The images so far include seeds saved from Fodder Project Collaborative Research Farm, Suzanne Coffey, Cathy Kahn, and John and Cindy McCleod. All from New Mexico.  We scanned and photographed these, then scaled them up, printed, and wheat pasted them all over the van.  We will continue to paste the sides with images of seeds as we tour the country.  Please bring a favorite seed to the Broadcast events, we will photograph/copy/print it and you can help paste it onboard.

More Seed Broadcasts from Lawrence Farmers' Market

Miriam Maples, from the Willing Horse Farm, shares a Seed Story about her grandmother's green beans.

John Pendleton describes the operation of his family farm, the challenges of being a full-time farmer, and the flower seeds that they actively save from year to year.

Lawrence, Kansas Farmers' Market

Stephanie Thomas shares a seed story about her Greely Nesting Onions.

We sputtered into Lawrence, Kansas yesterday during the record breaking heat wave. It was over 106 degrees and continues today to be nearly too hot to breathe. We decided to stay overnight, not because we like saunas, but because the oldest Farmers' Market in Kansas is held here every Saturday. The Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market. And...we were excited to find some local, fresh, fruits and veggies.

Along with the local produce we were hoping to meet some folks with seed stories to share.  As we asked around about local seed saving efforts we were told that the Kaw Valley Seed Project is currently underway, with a spring seed swap, monthly meetings, and intentions to save, promote, and share local, heirloom varieties.

Berrigan Willmott shared his story, emphasizing the role of strong relationships and community.

We met some amazing farmers and ate some fantastic fare. One producer of Purple Hull Beans, shared her fantastic bean salsa with us.  Zingy and Zangy!

Avery Lominska insisted that farming was real work, but not regular.....he emphasized the fact that farmers give everything they have to this commitment of growing food and do not always have the luxury of labor to make space for a practice driven by passion and ethics.

Market producers generously shared thoughts on seed saving and the challenges of doing this while trying to grow for the market.  We also heard seed stories from several people, reminding us of why seeds and local food engenders friendships, memories, and abundance to be shared for a lifetime.

One story was recollected several times among different people....and unfortunately I managed to erase it from the audio sd card....but maybe I can try to recollect it here:

Jessica Pierson, from Red Tractor Farm told us about a specific tomato variety that was grown during World War II at a German Prisoner of War, Internment Camp, in Lawrence, Kansas.  Since then, it has been shared throughout Lawrence and prospered as an heirloom beefsteak type - delicious, hardy, and reminding us of a tragic history which seems so very far away.

We plan on having all these Seed Stories posted in the next couple days, so keep an ear out for our next blog posting and check out the Seed Story Broadcast page, as we continue to compile these Seed Stories from across the country.

Thank you Lawrence Farmers' Market and all the people we met, for sharing your local food and seed stories with us.......and thank you Tom for tending that giant tomato and keeping the skunks from eating it.  We ate the whole thing for lunch!