Page 26 - Sonoma County Gardeners Resource Guide 2017.indd
P. 26

The year was 1997, 20 years ago
Why Your Seed Matters
chain, yet it is part of our food system that many people pay little attention to. Most gardeners are either intimidated by starting seed and buy starts that others have grown, or they buy whatever seeds the hardware store has on the rack without much thought. Everything from how the plants actually make seed, to all the steps to grow and harvest the seed, are absent from our consciousness when we stand in front of a rack of seeds with pretty pictures on them.
By Sherry McGary
I had been in the house for several years now, the first year I had pulled
By Sara McCamant
Seed is the first link of the food
up all the weeds and discovered a bit of a garden underneath, that was a nice surprise. Then I acquired a bunch of old windows from our family cabin and built a funky ole green house. It was there next to that greenhouse, a big weedy spot that called out to me every time I passed.... That’s the spot... I’d been looking at..... and turning over in my mind... for months. That’s where it all began for me....my
starting place. That’s about the
time I stumbled upon keyhole gardens while leafing through a book at Harmony Farms. The book Permaculture One explained the benefits of this style of design. As
I read it with a critical
gardener’s eye, I was
trying to figure out if
it would actually work.
After going back to the
store for the 3rd time I
was finally certain it would. It all made so much sense. I would do it! I was certain, although I did feel a little guilty about not buying the book.
I had drawn a sketch of the keyhole design and made my plant list and map. There was a central path with generous garden beds on each side. I designated a compost area at the end of the path. That was the layout. I was ready.
The Community Seed Exchange (CSE) in Sebastopol is trying to change that. Their goal is to increase awareness of the importance of seed and of our seed sources and to build a repository of locally grown and adapted seed for Sonoma County gardeners. The CSE has a seed library with over 180 varieties of vegetables, grains, herbs and flowers. The majority of the seed comes from their Community Seed Garden where they steward a quarter-acre garden to grow seed for the community. They also host monthly classes on seed saving and gardening. All of this is free to the community.
Before the rains came
What people don’t realize is that most seed companies are actually repackaging companies-- they buy seed on the global market, sourcing much of their seed from China and Europe. So while we might grow local food to reduce our carbon footprint, the seeds we use have some serious miles on them.
So I prepped the garden beds by double digging on both sides of the path and adding lots of fluffy garden compost, I did this to increase the waters infiltration rate and at the same time increase the soils water-holding capacity
I frequented that area more than any other part of the garden. I started to analyze my trips to that area. This is what I found... as I suspected I was going there more often because of the compost pile, but also I noticed... I was picking fruit on the way back to the kitchen. Then I started bringing a basket.
Fast forward to 2017 present day. For 18 years now this garden has filled
our bellies as well as our pantry with harvests of Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Asian pears, persimmons, artichokes, and lots of greens. The success of this 1st project inspired me study Permaculture in 2003 and on it went from there.
Community Seed Exchange has
a monthly gathering the last Saturday
of the month from 9 am to 12 pm. The seed library is open all morning, and CSE offers a class from 11 to 12. CSE
is located at St Stephen’s Church at 500 Robinson Rd., Sebastopol. For more info, go to communityseedexchange.org
(basically to store more rain water). Next I added amendments: crushed oyster shell, rock phosphate & wood ash to ensure that the fruits and vegetables would be full of calcium and minerals.
Conventional seeds large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers because they are in the ground longer. Seeds grown this way are adapted to be grown with
Fast forward the year is 2002; It was five years after planting that 1st keyhole garden when I realized that
When you buy your seed from small organic bio-regional seed companies that tell you who grows their seed, you are supporting a healthy food system. Those seeds are adapted for organic conditions, to be grown with less inputs. and nclude many open-pollinated varieties, not just hybrids.
The Community Seed Exchange also encourages people to start growing their own seed. Consider growing out one of your favorite varieties and sharing the seed with your community through the seed library. Saving and sharing seed supports a food system that is based on caring for the commons (our seed heritage) and committing to stepping out of an unhealthy food system. CSE offers classes on how to save seed and a resource for help with questions you have about seed saving.
After the rains came I was ready
to plant ... first the fruit trees; Asian pear, Fuyu persimmon, Satsuma
plum and a Satsuma mandarin. Then some drought tolerant vegetables: tree collards, sorrel, chard, arugula and mache. Lastly some self-perpetuating annual flowers: Rose campions, California poppies, Love in a Mist and Forget Me Nots. Then everything was seriously mulched to keep the ground warm, retain the rain water and keep the weeds at bay.
more water, more fertilizers, and no competition from weeds. Conventional seed is also highly controlled by multinational corporations. Seminis is one of the largest distributors of vegetable seed in the country and it is owned by Monsanto. When you buy cheap seed you are supporting that system.
Today I show people how to create these kinds of gardens. You’re invited to a FREE garden workshop beginning Wed April 5th. For more info go to www. GardenAngelDesign.com
Sherry McGary is a Certified Permaculture Teacher (2004) and a Certified Master Gardner (1989). She founded Garden Angel Design in 1995.
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