If you have been farming here for any time at all, you are well aware that this area brings unique challenges to the farmer. Year-round potential of frost (how 'bout hail?!), high winds, intense sun, lack of precipitation, poor "soil"... these are characteristic of our beloved Central Oregon! Searching for seeds to match this climate is difficult. Looking to the West side (of the Cascades, that is) brings us seeds which are geographically close and grown around the same day length, but from an EXTREMELY different climate. Through saving seed each season, we can acclimatize plants to our unique locale.
As you plan your garden this year, please consider setting aside some of your crops for seed. You should begin with open-pollinated varieties for seed saving. F1, or hybrid crops, will not remain true to type. Non-organic seeds have the potential of being Genetically Engineered with "terminator" genes, producing non-viable seed. To keep different strains pure, you must consider any cross pollination that might occur between crops or weeds in the same family as the seed you are saving. Choosing even one crop to focus on this year can help move us toward our goal of a sustainable food supply for central Oregon. Make sure you allow enough plants to go to seed to create strong diversity in your strain's genetics. Choose the healthiest, strongest, tastiest, most beautiful plants to be your seed stock. This small sacrifice now - not eating or selling that prize winning head of broccoli - will bring enormous strength for our future.
For More Info on Seed Saving:
*Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth - A complete seed-saving guide that describes specific techniques for 160 vegetables, including botanical classifications, flower structure and pollination, population size, isolation distances, and techniques for caging, hand-pollination, harvesting, drying, cleaning and storage. There are 2 copies in the Deschutes Public Library system.
*Seedsavers.org - a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds
*OSU Extension Office http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/
*http://www.oaec.org/ - a non-profit organizing and education center and OG farm in Northern CA seeking innovative and practical approaches to the pressing environmental and economic crises of our day.
*Navdanya International - Global Visionary Solutions for a secure and sustainable energy and food future.
*Seedalliance.org - Organic Seed Alliance, a non-profit public charity, supports the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed.
*Organic Gardening.com
*Seedsave.org
*primalseeds.org
*Urbangardenmagazine.com
*The Heirloom Gardener - a website devoted to heirloom varieties, blog, magazine
*For safe seed resource list - http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/viewpage.aspx?pageid=261
*http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.php - a website about seed saving
*Seedsavers.org - a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds
*OSU Extension Office http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/
*http://www.oaec.org/ - a non-profit organizing and education center and OG farm in Northern CA seeking innovative and practical approaches to the pressing environmental and economic crises of our day.
*Navdanya International - Global Visionary Solutions for a secure and sustainable energy and food future.
*Seedalliance.org - Organic Seed Alliance, a non-profit public charity, supports the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed.
*Organic Gardening.com
*Seedsave.org
*primalseeds.org
*Urbangardenmagazine.com
*The Heirloom Gardener - a website devoted to heirloom varieties, blog, magazine
*For safe seed resource list - http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/viewpage.aspx?pageid=261
*http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.php - a website about seed saving
State of Organic Seed Report | |
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