ManyTracks - Heirloom Varieties

• Tired of the sameness of monoculture?
• Looking for varieties better suited to your area?
• Wondering if it is time for a change in your garden?
• Interested in the history, in the stories behind the seeds ?
• Do you share the concern about loss of genetic diversity in today’s crops?
• Do you want to put some pizazz in your vegetable dishes?
• Are you interested in quality food from your garden?
• Do you want to be able to share seeds with other gardeners?
• Do you desire to be independent of the commercial seed companies?
• Are you dismayed by the discarding of old varieties by commercial seedmen?
• Do you want to become involved in preserving an old variety for future generations?
• Are you interested in just plain having fun?!

There are a hundred and one reasons to get save your own garden seed and plant open pollinated and heirloom varieties. Most gardeners do so for a variety of reasons. The important thing is that they are doing it, and so can you.
        The how-to is as easy, and as hard, as gardening. You start with open pollinated seed —then plant, harvest, save, replant next year—and so on into the future. To be successful, you need to learn a few rules and guidelines. But they aren’t difficult, and are certainly understandable to any gardener who is connected to the plants in their garden. There are fellow seed savers, seed company catalogues, books, and organizations to help you out. Not all garden seed is easy to save, especially in the short season northern gardens, but there are enough to keep you busy, and well stocked with seed to plant and to share.
        The varieties you plant do not need to be old, they can be a new offering from a seed catalog, or a variety you bred in your garden. The fun and beauty, and just plain good eating, of the diversified open pollinated varieties is a world worth living, and gardening, in.
        Where do you get open pollinated seed? How do you get started growing those heirloom varieties? Below you’ll find a list of books and publications that can help, as well as a list of independent seed companies that sell open pollinated and heirloom varieties. Most of these companies are small family businesses whose owners are dedicated to the growing and preservation of the great diversity of the older varieties.
        There are seed saving groups and organizations. There is the U.S. based Seed Savers Exchange, made up of a large group of seed savers who offer samples of a vast variety of seeds through the yearly SSE Yearbook. In Canada, there is Seeds of Diversity Canada (formerly Heritage Seed Program). There are other organizations in other countries. It is not necessary to have seeds to offer in order to join and become involved in these organizations. Many seed savers get their first start there.
        Don’t forget your fellow gardeners. Ask around—you may be surprised at the number of seed savers out there, most quite willing to share their knowledge. Get involved, and it won’t be long before you will be one of them.

Contact me by email at sue@manytracks.com or by regular mail at 770N Fox Rd, Cooks MI 49817.

There are a number of books and publications available to help in your seed saving and heirloom gardening. A few which I recommend are:

Seed to Seed, by Suzanne Ashworth. Seed Saver Publications, 1991. A comprehensive book on seed saving. I wish this one had been around when I started, I've used it often since.

Growing Garden Seeds; A Manual for Gardeners and Small Farmers, by Robert Johnson, Jr. Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion Maine 04910, 1983. A good, inexpensive booklet to get you started.

Homesteading Adventures, a Guide for Doers and Dreamers, by Sue Robishaw. ManyTracks, 1997. Includes chapters on seed saving as well as gardening and growing food.

Frost Dancing - Tips from a Northern Gardener, by Sue Robishaw. ManyTracks, Third Edition, 2000. More than 240 tips, hints, and ideas for the short season gardener.

Garden Seed Inventory, by Kent Whealy. Seed Saver Publications, 1995. A comprehensive listing of mail order seed companies, the standard (open pollinated) varieties they offer, and the varieties which have been dropped.

Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory, by Kent Whealy and Steve Demuth. Seed Saver Publications, 1993. Comprehensive source book for mail-order nurseries in the U.S. with variety descriptions.

Seed Savers Exchange: The First Ten Years, by Kent Whealy and Arllys Adelmann. Seed
Saver Publications, 1986. Nice collection of articles from the first decade of the SSE.

Seed Savers Yearbook, Seed Savers Summer Edition, and Seed Savers Harvest Edition are annual publications to members of the Seed Savers Exchange.

For more information about the Seed Savers Exchange and their publications send $1 to:
Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101. www.seedsavers.org.

For more information on Seeds of Diversity Canada, contact them at Box 36, Station Q, Toronto, ON, M4T 2L7, www.seeds.ca.

The above books are available through your favorite bookstore or from the publishers.

Independent Sources for Open Pollinated and Organic Seed (send $2 for catalogue)

Abundant Life Seed, PO Box 772, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.abundantlifeseed.com
Bountiful Gardens, 18001 Shafer Ranch Rd, Willits, CA 95490
www.bountifulgardens.org
Fedco Seeds / Trees, PO Box 520, Waterville, ME 04903
www.fedcoseeds.com
Filaree Farm (garlic), 182 Concunully Hwy, Okanogan, WA 98840
www.filareefarm.com
Fisher’s Seeds, PO Box 236, Belgrade, MT 59714
406-388-6052
Great River Vineyard/Nursery, 35680 Hwy 61 Blvd, Lake City, MN 55041
877-345-3531 / grv@mchsi.com
www.greatrivervineyard.com
THE source for hardy, short season grapes from top grower John Marshall
High Altitude Gardens, PO Box 1048, Hailey, ID 83333
www.seedstrust.com
High Mowing Seeds, 76 Quarry Rd, Walcott, VT 05680
www.highmowingseeds.com
802-888-1800
Irish Eyes-Garden City Seeds, PO Box 307, Thorp, WA 98946
www.irish-eyes.com
Maine Seed Saving Network, PO Box 126, Penobscot, ME 04476
207-326-0751
Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old S. V. Rd, Sturbridge, MA 01566
www.osv.org
Prairie Garden Seeds, Box 2758, Humboldt, SK S0K 2A0
www.prseeds.ca
You can also get information on Seeds of Diversity Canada from Jim Ternier (who is Prairie Garden Seeds)
Sand Hill Preservation Center, 1878 - 230th St., Calamus, IA 52729
563-246-2299 sandhill@netins.net
The Drowns are not only involved in seed preservation, but rare poultry preservation as well.
Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Winn Rd, Decorah, IA 52101
www.seedsavers.org
Seeds of Diversity Canada, Box 36, Station Q, Toronto, ON, M4T 2L7
www.seeds.ca
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, PO Box 460, Mineral, VA 23117
www.southernexposure.com
Territorial Seed Company, PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
www.territorial-seed.com
Underwood Gardens, 1414 Zimmerman Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098
www.underwoodgardens.com
Wood Prairie Farm (potatoes), 49 Kinney Rd., Bridgewater, ME 04735
www.woodprairie.com

Heirloom Varieties

Planting the seeds of the past for today and the future

Planting the seeds of the past
for today and the future