About the Why of STONE SEED Preservation Initiative
heirloom (-luːm) noun, something valuable that has been handed down in a family from generation to generation.
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The
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that 75% of the
worlds crop biodiversity has been lost. Research by the Rural
Advancement Fund Inc. suggests that 93% of vegetable varieties have
become extinct. In popular seed catalogues, whereas once (1903)
there were 285 varieties of cucumbers available to gardeners,
today only 16 remain; from 408 varieties of tomato only 79
remain. Similarly, 95% of cabbage,
91% of corn and 94% of pea varieties have been lost. (Seeds of
Diversity, 2018). In
2008 the top 10 seed companies accounted for two-thirds (67%) of
the global prioprietory seed market. (ETC Group, 2008). 2021 Top 10 global seed owners - https://krishijagran.com/agripedia/top-ten-seed-companies-worldwide/
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'Seed
knowledge is eroding even faster than seed biodiversity.'
(Matthew
Dillon, Organic Seed Alliance)
Our food resources need to hold and keep the remaining genetic variety. Most know of the potato famine, and now it seems that now a number of commercially grown favorite foods are in danger of extinction due to monocropping, commercial growing of fewer varieties, environmental changes and soil degradation due to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
A good reason to advocate organic, public domain, open polinated seed. Supporting organic seed and seed diversity can mean supporting agricultural resiliency, a healthier planet, and more opportunities and choices for farmers.
Seed Saving was once common knowledge, that knowledge has now mostly been replaced with reliance upon fewer and fewer seed companies, with fewer offerings. Individuals, communities and governments no longer know how to save seed in ways needed to keep it pure.
Seeds belong in the hands of the people who have a right to grow their own food. Seed saving and access to seeds is the basis of all agricultural systems and personal systems of sustainability.
The young need to be taught how to grow things from seeds and how to save seeds just as much as they need to be taught to value and respect all of the earth's resources.
Keeping the older, and the rare varieties alive preserves the foundation work of thousands of years of human food heritage.
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STONE SEED Preservation Initiative began in 2022 when I, Patricia C. Coleman realized that I had some very old heirloom bean and corn seeds that were collected in the early 1980’s with the intention of developing a community seed bank. I do wish I had been of the mind to pass them alongto others. The seeds have resurface and after doing internet searching of images, was unable to find a number of the seed, and what I did find was in a very small number of obscure collections; a few of the seeds had lost their names and renamed.
Since beginning this initiative, I have learned that I was collecting seeds at the beginning of what I will call the Big Save in the early 1980’s. Seeds were being dispersed for saving, the Seed Savers Exchange and open pollinated initiatives came into being; I was inspired by the Bean Man stories of JohnWhithee. Seeds seemed to be flowing across the nation, into the midwest and the Brown County/Bloomington community. Many based local community resiliency upon our food resiliency and that security was based upon seed.
Regional resources were searched for in hopes of finding an established group to consider taking this work on because even though land is available, my health does not afford me the luxury of gardening as I would love to. My internet searches found a few regional organizations working to secure, preserve and protect heirloom seeds in the North American east, the west and Canada; nothing in the midwest, in mid America. So this collaborative effort launched modeling the process after existing projects I found in hopes of finding some of the old seeds somewhat viable, getting them grown out and go from there.
I chose STONE because it represents strength, time and enduring earthly delights, the divine and eternal. I also chose STONE to honor my matrilinial family name of peoples from Lynchburg, Virginia. If family stories hold some truth, my mother was one quarter Native American. I have since learned that native people choosing not to live on the reservation were categorically removed from Virginia tribal records and reclassified as Negro.
I choose STONE because stone energies have call to me, just as the animal spirits, drum energies, plant spirits, and the universal vibrational life energies have called to me since early memories, and have been reflected inmany aspects of my life. The voices of the seeds and stones softly sing through my waking dreams, and I seek to answer as I may. I believe this call is in my blood, the murmurings of my anscestors - ancestrial and genetic memories.
Seed represents both female and male energies. There is a balance in that. From this balance is the center from which the Cosmic Tree of Life grows. It is the fertile life to be with the latent potentiality containing wisdom, development and creativity. Seeds also represent hope, nourishment, the Sacred, time and initiation into sacred consciousness, reproduction and earth cycles.
Seeds
are the ultimate potential, seeds are a metaphore for life, death and renewal in one neat package. A beautiful and divine meditation.
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I am only one
But still I am one
I cannot do everything
But still I can do something
and because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the
something that I can do
-Edward Everett
'Seed
knowledge is eroding even faster than seed biodiversity.'
(Matthew
Dillon, Organic Seed Alliance)
It is hoped that a community of individuals and families will develop to foster the seeds in this collection and regularly grow them out and replenishing with fresh seed, enjoying the benefits of their heirloom harvest.
May these seeds be like precious stones and kept generation upon generation as the most precious posessions as our ancestors have done for more than 13,000 years.
Picture an existing Earth where loving peoples live in collaborative cooperation and unity; evolving just, regenerative and secure food, health, culture and environment systems.
- SEED SAVING RESOURCES – link this
A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers
https://seedalliance.org/publications/seed-saving-guide-gardeners-farmers/
Seed Savers Exchange -
