I read and subscribe to a long list of blogs, 90% of which have a common thread - a lifestyle of simple, rural, self-sufficiency. Anyone striving for self-reliance is interested in growing their own food. And anyone striving towards simplicity in their lives is interested in using what they have and saving money. What better way to accomplish a true self-sufficient lifestyle than to be able to save your own seed for use from year to year? Planting open pollinating seeds is not just about jumping on the bandwagon against Monsanto. We rural folk don’t do bandwagons, but we do take care of our own and we do know the difference between a fresh egg and a store bought one. We appreciate our food more, because we know where it came from and just like the egg, we know what a tomato is supposed to taste like. We know our home grown tomatoes don’t last in the refrigerator for six weeks, and we know they wouldn’t make it on a truck shipped thousands of miles cross country. We don’t need them to and we don’t need the hybrid seeds that produce thick skins to prevent bruising at the cost of real flavor.
So, forget not supporting Monsanto. Forget saving the world, or at least your family and neighbors, with your heirloom seeds when the loss of biodiversity threatens catastrophe far beyond our imagining. Do it for you this year. Do it for the people you care for and give or sell you produce to. Plant heirloom variety open pollinated seeds and enjoy food the way it was meant to grow and taste. Learn how to save seed that will come back “true to type”. Harvest a little more from your labor this year, by gathering the seed also.
Think of the cost savings in not having to buy seed year after year because the hybrid seeds were never meant to be cultivated. It just makes good sense! I promised myself that I would not preach on modern seed development, but I would like to say that, you, a lone, backyard vegetable gardener, keeping heirloom seeds alive, can potentially make all the difference in the world.
I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods. Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup. ~Wendell Berry
7 comments:
Hear, hear, Michaele! That's one bandwagon worth jumpin on. I just found your blog via Verde Farm (watch out there'll be more!) We garden in South Dakota and like to keep an eye on you Nebraska folks, so I'll be joining along! Thanks!
Until I saw something on PBS recently, I was completely unaware of what Monsanto is doing.
It was sickening to watch them ruin the lives of the small farmers. And literally use a form of terrorism turning farmer against farmer by black listing them.
And please - how stupid is it to create seeds, plants and fish that can't even reproduce? I mean, really! Dumb, dumb, dumb!!
I will attempt to grow some tomatoes this year but the deer eat them every time. :)
True very true. B
When I was a little girl my great grandmother brought seeds to my mother that had been brought here from Europe. My Mom always had the most incredible gardens. Every year it was our job to gather the seeds for the following year. So it is true like a small time capsule that goes on generation to generation.
I'd love to plant heirloom tomatoes, but blight takes them before they ever bear a fruit. Other heirloom seeds, though, I can raise.
totally agree! I've been saving my heirloom seeds for the last three years, since I really got into growing veggies. I love that I can now plant way more than I need and share them with all my friends. There are some well travelled tomatoes out there now :)
Sall's Country Life started off her comment exactly how I was going to start mine....HEAR HEAR! Last year was the first year for our garden here on the farm and I did purchase some heirloom vegetable seeds. I did collect some squash seeds but this year I plan on collecting seeds from the other vegetables. Looks like we're neighbors and you're sandwiched between Sall in South Dakota and us here in Kansas. I'm now going to become a follower...I think I'm going to enjoy peeking in on your life on the farm. Enjoy your day!
Maura :)
Post a Comment