More Art and Seeds or the Magic of Sprouting Up At Balboa Park!

A young artist we met at Balboa Park

Bringing together art and seeds….there is a wise saying that speaks to the profundity of holding just a few seeds and planting these into a cycle of relationships between humans and the earth. On the outside this looks simply as a human-centered opportunity, that is, seeds needing us to plant in order that we might harvest the bounty and nourish our practical bodies. But there is also another view, an embedded perception that opens up the magical and somewhat uncanny cycles of the world, bringing needs in touch with medicine, and inspiration in touch with hope. Seeds are the grounding for this as a journey. This journey was very much present in our SeedBroadcast travels from Anton Chico to San Diego and back again.

It began as a moment when, in Silver City, NM, we discovered inspirations of seed wisdom coupled with sheer generosity and good fortune…which seemed to continue throughout our journey.

The Tomato Guy, Rick Bohart, helping with the MSSBS in Silver City

The Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station has always been a persnickety beast, old, strong, and long winded. It always seems to get to where it needs to be by luck and a mysterious desire to wish our way there. In Silver City we broke down and a off-duty mechanic replaced the carburetor and sent us on our way. We made it to Gila and Patagonia with time to spare. But something was still wrong as we trudged westward and made a pit stop in El Centro to try our hand at very amateur SeedBroadcast-mechanic-try. So onward we chugged. I almost felt the need to recite the Little Engine That Could as we barely topped off the Laguna Mountains and puttered down to Chula Vista, San Diego.

 The next morning was looking like an utter disaster and a cancellation of the rest of our tour… but somehow we stumbled upon the most amazing mechanics who basically rebuilt the motor in a day and sent us on our way. As we met each of these people, small talk brought us to seeds, gardens, and hope. It was always the way.

That evening, while pulling into our host’s house, I turned off the van, stepped out, and saw someone I would never have expected. Michael!

Michael Ruiz lived right across the street and was out watering a plant when he saw the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station pull up to his neighbor’s house. Surprised and somewhat confused, he came over and said, “What are you doing here?”

Wow that’s uncanny! Michael was a fellow student at VCFA (Vermont College of Fine Arts) where I went to school when I built the SeedBroadcast van and drove it to Montpelier, VT for my final thesis “exhibition” in the summer of 2012. That was the last time we had seen each other or spoken. The moment was surreal and strangely seed-like. An amazing cycle bringing us together again to inspire some seedy art.

2012 MSSBS Tour at VCFA in Montpelier, Vermont

After catching up, Michael invited us to come to Balboa Park, San Diego’s gigantic urban cultural park in the heart of the city. So spontaneously, on March 26 from 12 – 2 we set up SeedBroadcast between the Spanish Village, the Museum of Natural History, and a SYSCO semi-truck. Like a seed, we sprouted to the occasion and had the joyous opportunity to meet people, share seeds, record seed stories, and learn more about the state of local food and the goal of Balboa Park to redefine “California Landscape” in the inevitable water crisis.

Occupied! Artists At Work in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Here are Seed Stories shared from Balboa Park and also some thoughts about the words “Food Justice”

Michael Ruiz shares a Seed Story about making tortillas with his mother: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/michael-ruiz-shares-a-seed-story-about-making-tortillas-with-his-mother


Michael Ruiz shares several Seed Stories from and of Balboa Park: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/michael-ruiz-shares-several-seed-stories-from-and-of-balboa-park


Jerry Phelps talks about what food justice means and why saving seeds is so important: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/jerry-phelps-talks-about-what-food-justice-means-and-why-saving-seeds-is-so-important


Ryan Rosette talks about what food justice means to him: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/ryan-rosette-talks-about-what-food-justice-means-to-him


Did I mention the stories that seeds have to share?

SeedBroadcasting from Patagonia Public Library/Semillotecas

When SeedBroadcast rolled into Patagonia late Sunday night, March 22, we had no idea that Spring was in full bloom. It was not until the early morning with bird songs and spring smells alight that we realized how far south into the Sonoran Desert we had come. We had landed in the heart of a place filled with life, a small community of ranches, public and private gardens, and two internationally renowned environmental conservation projects: Native Seed/SEARCH Conservation Farm, Borderlands Restoration Project, and now count that three with the newly formed Patagonia Public Library/Semillotecas!

On Monday at noon we gathered with local seed keepers at the Patagonia Public Library in partnership with Native Seed/SEARCH, Friends of Patagonia Library, Patagonia Public Library, and the newly formed Semillotecas, seed library. Folks from around town and as far away as Nogales/Mariposa, Mexico came out to share seeds and seed stories. We were especially blessed to see several NS/S Seed Schooler’s we had met in 2013, in Tucson, and who have gone on to organize deeply rooted community seed and garden projects, work with the Borderlands Restoration Project, and develop experimental dryland farming practices.

Many seeds were brought out from the Libraries collection and many more seeds arrived from surrounding growers to be added. Among these were lettuce, radishes, beans, corn, sunflowers, tomatoes, chard, epazote, chia, Sonoran Wheat, and havas. The library has a space dedicated to the seeds and all the seeds in the collection are cataloged in a series of file folders. Patrons have to sign up to participate and they are encouraged to save seeds and return them to the library. There are also a selection of reference books available near the Seed Library to help patrons discover the ease and complexity of saving seeds.

Abbie Zeltzer, the Director of the library and instigator of the Semillotecas organized the event and also spent time talking about another amazing project she developed called the Patagonia Library’s Legacy Garden. This project is a historical look at Patagonia through the stories of the people and plants who created this vibrant town. These special plants have not only been tended in place at the Library, they have also been propagated around town while spreading their stories across generations. Some of these plants include, Spirea, Rue, Rose, Iris, and Mulberry. Here is a link to more information about the Legacy Garden, along with a downloadable pdf of these stories.http://www.patagoniapubliclibrary.org/?page_id=160

Here is a link to Abbie Zeltzer as she shares some of the stories from the Patagonia Library’s Legacy Garden: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/abbie-zelter-shares-a-story-of-stories-from-the-patagonia-librarys-legacy-garden

The old mulberry tree with stories to tell at the Patagonia Library's Legacy Garden

Here are Seed Stories from folks we met at the Patagonia Public Library/Semilloteca gathering. Thank you all for sharing your Seed Stories!

Inés Ramos, el grupo Mariposas Cosechando el Bienestar y enseñando jardinería orgánica (trans. Inés Ramos, the group Harvesting Wellbeing and educating for organic gardening): https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/ines-ramos-el-grupo-mariposas-cosechando-el-bienestar-y-ensenando-jardineria-organica


Lilia Ruiz quiere que cada quien pudiera tener sus propios verduras para comer mas saludable (trans. Lilia Ruiz’s hope is that each and every person could grow their own food in order to heat more healthily): https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/lilia-ruiz-quiere-que-cada-quien-pudiera-tener-sus-propios-verduras-para-comer-mas-saludable


José Ruiz habla de sembrar el chiltepín elusivo (trans. José Ruiz talks about growing the elusive chiltepín chile): https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/jose-ruiz-habla-de-sembrar-el-chiltepin-elusivo


Andrea Stanley talks about the importance of seeds in her life: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/andrea-stanley-talks-about-the-importance-of-seeds-in-her-life


Lynda Prim shares her story of the cultural significance of seeds: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/lynda-prim-shares-her-story-of-the-cultural-significance-of-seeds


Ron Pulliam shares a Seed Story about granivory, the relationship between seeds and animals: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/ron-pulliam-shares-a-seed


Pete Rundlett talks about his love of seeds: https://soundcloud.com/seedbroadcast/pete-rundlett-talks-about-his-love-of-seeds

SeedBroadcasting from Patagonia, AZ

SeedBroadcast will be partnering with the Patagonia Seed Library/Semilloteca and local seed keepers for Seed Story Broadcasting.

Join us on March 23rd from 1 - 4pm at the Patagonia Public Library
Bring seeds and stories to share!

March 23, 2015
1 - 4 pm
Patagonia Public Library
346 Duquesne Ave
Patagonia, AZ

Many Thanks to our amazing partners: Patagonia Public Library, Friends of the Patagonia Library, and Native Seeds/SEARCH for helping organize this event!