News
Hawaii Seed Experts Gather for Maui Workshop
April 24, 2012
A workshop for farmers and gardeners on why and how to save seed will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, at Noho‘ana Farm in Waikapu and Kupa‘a Farm in Kula. An optional farm tour will also be held on Monday, May 21, at The Maui Farm in Makawao. The two-day workshop is designed to create a practical working knowledge of seed growing, botany and biology, plant selection, seed harvesting, cleaning, and saving.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from MauiNow.com
Seed For Thought
OSGATA Newsletter April 2012
Click here to view the newsletter online.
Nonprofits join up to care for Kaua‘i’s land, culture
March 29, 2012
KAPA‘A — The Children of the Land Center for Polynesian Culture (Na Keiki O Ka ‘Aina) has partnered with the Kaua‘i Community Seed Bank at the center’s headquarters in Kapa‘a to promote “growing food together,” seed bank co-founder and spokeswoman Jill Richardson said. To celebrate, the public is invited to a free ninth biannual Kaua‘i Community Seed and Plant Exchange to be held at the center from noon until dark on Sunday at The Children of the Land Center for Polynesian Culture, located in the Kaua‘i Village Shopping Center next door to Papaya’s Natural Foods in Kapa‘a.
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Living Seed company takes root from heirloom seeds
March 28, 2012
From their home in a quiet stretch of Marin County near San Geronimo, two entrepreneurs are hoping to take gardening back to a time when an abundance of plant diversity was the norm. Matthew Hoffman and Astrid Lindo grow, source and sell seeds of rare and heirloom edibles. Their young business, the Living Seed Co., hung up its virtual shingle just last year. "What's amazing is 100 years ago, everybody saved their own seed and in just a short period of time, just a couple of generations, all that changed," Lindo said.
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How Young Scientists Are Determining the Future of Organic Farming—and Craft Beer
Washington State University graduate student Brook Brouwer Stephen Jones breeds the type of wheat that makes bakers go nuts. It’s local, organic, and flavorful, and it can help restore soil health on small- to mid-sized farms. A few times a year, the Washington State University research center Jones heads holds a field day, inviting growers and farmers to check out what breeders are doing with the hundreds of thousands different crop varieties in their fields.
Click here to view the article online.
Free webinar and recordings of Organic Seed Alliance 6th Organic Seed GrowersConference Proceedings; The organic plant breeding track, and the upcoming "Breeding for Nutrition"
The conference proceedings are available for free download here.
Conference recordings, which feature the organic plant breeding sessions, are available through eXtension.
US Farmers Sue Monsanto Over GMO Patents
OSGATA has been chronicling a bibliography of all media references to the OSGATA v. Monsanto lawsuit.Click here to access these references.
Growing Lettuce in your Kitchen or Vegetable Garden
January 3, 2012
By Colleen Carroll (E-mail colleen@naturetalks.net Web site www.naturetalks.net)
At the Hawaii Public Seed Initiative on the island of Kauai tiny packets of seeds were handed out filled with the promise of lettuce. Well, I am happy to say the lettuce has completely filled the tiny space they were given in my 10 x 10 garden. The seeds were very vigorous with a high germination rate and 100% survival when I transplanted the tiny seedlings to wider spacing in early December. Today, less than two months from the time they went in the ground some are ready to eat! I wanted to share these photos of the healthy edibles before me; the bugs and my friends’ pet bunny begin to chomp away.
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TheGardenTalks: The State of Seeds
Highlights from the first Hawai'i Public Seed Initiative workshop
December 27, 2011
By Colleen Carroll
In the not so distant past, seeds were one of the most valuable currencies one could have. Just imagine for a moment no Home Depot, no Internet, and no seed catalogue sales. Where would we get our seeds? In years past, seeds were a strong commodity, and special varieties would be handed down from generation to generation, moving across time and across countries: Auntie’s beans, Uncle’s tatsoi, the yam from my grandmother’s garden, and the basil from my family in Italy.
Click here to view the article online.
New vitamin A-fortified cassava released in Nigeria, set to improve health of millions
Bred using traditional (non-transgenic) methods by IITA and the Nigerian National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)
December 12, 2011
The Nigerian Government announced on Wednesday the release of three new vitamin A-enriched ‘yellow’ cassava varieties that could provide more vitamin A in the diets of more than 70 million Nigerians who eat the root crop everyday. The yellow color (cassava is generally white) is due to the higher vitamin A content.
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The Promising Potential of Open-Pollinated Corn
December 18, 2011
Misinformation and polarized views on seed seem to flood the media these days, as evidenced by Andrew Revkin’s blog post. I think we all agree, however, that seed is essential to life, now and in the future. There are a few topics highlighted in this blog post that demand a deeper examination. First, what are the relative benefits of hybrid seed versus open-pollinated (OP) seed? Second, what are the reasons the Nepalese government would encourage or discourage hybrid seed instead of OP seed in Nepal?
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2011 East Hawai'i Harvest Festival video
December 13, 2011
Includes highlights of the opening circle, seed swap, panel presentations on favorite local food growing and preparation, eat local cook-off and marimba dance concert!
Watch the video
Groups to Develop Organic Seed Availability Database
December 13, 2011
USAgNet
Stakeholders are working on plans for a revised Organic Seed Availability Database. "We are working to develop a database where seed producers and growers will be able to determine what organic varieties of seed are available," said Lisa Nichols, ASTA director of international programs. The database is a joint project between many stakeholders in the organic industry. ASTA, the Organic Seed Alliance and the Organic Trade Association, with input from the Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA) and the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), have been meeting monthly since March of 2011 to develop a proposal.
Click here to view the article online.
The state of seeds: highlights from the hawaii public seed initiative
December 10, 2011
In the not so distant past, seeds were one of the most valuable currencies one could have. Just imagine for a moment no home depot, no Internet, and no seed catalogue sales. Where would we get our seeds? In years past, seeds were a strong commodity, and special varieties would be handed down from generation to generation, moving across time and across countries. Auntie’s beans, Uncle’s tatsoi, the yam from my grandmother’s garden, and the basil from my family in Italy. The first settlers to Hawaii brought with them canoes filled with vegetative propagation materials for bananas, kalo, and sweet potatoes.
Click here to view the article online.
Sow seeds, not greed: Farmers gather on Wall Street
by Kerry Trueman
December 6, 2011
It's been a long time since farmers congregated in downtown Manhattan -- around 350 years, to be exact. The folks who populate Wall Street and rural America don't cross paths much these days. It's easy to forget that Wall Street used to be rural America; in 1644, the area contained so many cows that the Dutch colonists had to erect a cattle guard to keep them from straying. Livestock farmers literally established the boundaries of Wall Street.
» read more
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Best Vegetable Seed Companies
By Barbara Pleasant
December 2011/January 2012
Finding sustainable seed companies that sell high-quality seeds and provide detailed varietal information is a top priority for many gardeners. By the time you poke your first seeds into the ground each spring, you already have huge hopes for the success of your crops. You’ve spent hours planning, weeks waiting, and your soil may reflect years of hard work spent building its fertility. With so much potential in those seeds, you want to buy from a seed company you can trust. So how do you know which have the best seeds and selections? And which follow sustainable practices?
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
South Kona: Seed exchange set for Nov. 5th
October 22, 2011
By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar
Captain Cook, Hawaii: In South Kona, today we report on a West Hawaii Seed Exchange set for November 5th. According to the Kohala Center, Island farmers and gardeners who save seed are invited to attend the annual West Hawai‘i Seed Exchange from 2–4 p.m. Saturday, November 5, at the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook. The exchange coincides with the garden’s annual Arbor Day Plant Give-Away. Farmers and gardeners are invited to bring saved seed, cuttings, huli, and corms of food crops that grow well in home gardens and on farms.
Click here to view the article online.
Hawaii Organic Farmers Association Meeting
October 21, 2011
Komohana Research and Extension Center ~ Hilo
Click here to view the event proceedings online.
land of the giants: plants that is.
October 2nd, 2011
A year travels by quickly and it has been almost one year to the day marking my first visit to the Kilauea Community Garden. I was led here by curiosity–a desire to learn more about this new revolution in community gardening taking place on the island of Kauai. At the heart of it is sustainability and a strong commitment to growing more local food using environmentally conscious methods and techniques. This garden, under the careful hands of the community is yielding plants that are enormous specimens of their type, whether they are filled with fruit, flowers or seeds.
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The Kohala Center Leaflet September/October 2011
Hawai‘i Public Seed Initiative
Sharing Seed
TKC’s Seed Team
Saving seed as a sustainable practice
August 27, 2011
By Diana Duff
Food security is definitely an important goal for us here in Hawaii. We know that working toward this goal means we need to be growing more of our own food to feed our families, our community and ourselves. Decreasing our reliance on offshore inputs in our food growing process is also commendable and sustainable and can be accomplished on several levels. Creating your own rich soil by turning your food and garden waste into compost is a good start. Compost tea is an excellent fertility product you can make at home from your compost. You'll also find an abundance of home remedies for dealing with insects and diseases in books or on the Internet.
» read more
Speak Your Piece: The President and Seed
24 August, 2011
By Kristina Hubbard
“The crops that we grow are the basis of our civilization,” Todd Leake said. “If anything belongs in the public domain it is the crops we grow for food.”
Last week President Obama held a town hall meeting on the grounds of Iowa’s Seed Savers Exchange, an organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. The stop was part of a larger strategy to appeal to rural voters as the campaign season begins. The president spoke about job creation and the gridlock on Capitol Hill, both issues of concern, to be sure. But what would have really resonated with rural America is a re-commitment to working toward fairness in our farm fields.
» read more
Regenerations Botanical Garden Newsletter
June 2011
Paul Massey and I invite you to join us at the Regenerations Botanical Garden for our community work days: Wednesdays, 9am to 6pm (Paul takes a break to broadcast The Garden Show on KKCR at 12pm); Saturdays, 10am to 7pm. Come for as much or as little time as you like. You will experience the beauty of this land and the life that thrives here, learn about the world of plants and gardening, and meet other people with open hearts and willing hands. Any help is valuable and no experience is necessary; just bring a hat and gloves if you have them. We'll send you home with some organic veggies from our volunteers' Abundance Garden!
Click here to view the article online.
The cost-effective way to feed the world
June 20, 2011
By 2050, the world will have to feed 9 billion people, adapt to climate change, reduce agricultural pollution, and protect fresh water supplies - all at the same time. Given that formidable challenge, what are the quickest, most cost-effective ways to develop more productive, drought-, flood- and pest-resistant crops? ome will claim that genetically engineered (GE) crops are the solution. But when compared side-by-side, classical plant breeding bests genetic engineering. Coupled with ecologically based management methods that reduce the environmental harm of crop production, classical breeding could go a long way toward producing the food we will need by mid-century.
Click here to view the article online.
Peru declares 10-year moratorium on GM seeds
June 10, 2011
Peru’s congress has approved a new law banning the cultivation of transgenic seeds but genetically-modified (GM) imports will still be allowed, website Agraria.pe reported. Scientist Dr Alexander Grobman Tversky has criticized the move as cutting the lifeblood of several Peruvian innovations such as moth-resistant potatoes and leaf spot-resistant papayas, in an interview with website Agronecociosperu.com.
Click here to view the article online.
Keepers of the Seeds
Winona LaDuke: How Native farmers and gardeners are working to preserve their agricultural heritage.
May 12, 2011
For 14 years, Caroline Chartrand, a Metis woman who recently traveled from Winnipeg, Canada, to the 8th annual Great Lakes Indigenous Farming Conference, has been looking for the heritage seeds of her people. It is believed that in the 1800s, the Metis grew some 120 distinct seed varieties in the Red River area of Canada. Of those, Caroline says, “We ended up finding about 20 so far.”
Click here to view the article online.
Seed Increase Trials Lead to Release of Promising New Disease- Resistant Varieties Project title: Trialing and seed increase of promising new vegetable varieties for organic systems
Investigator: Michael Mazourek, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Project location: Cornell University’s 30 acre certified organic Freeville Organic Research Farm Farm, located 10 miles north of Cornell’s Ithaca, New York main campus
Summary: Cornell University has for several years been actively involved in the improvement of vegetable varieties for organic systems. Many of these varieties are now commercially available to organic growers. In this project, Cornell plant breeder Michael Mazourek coordinated seed increases of several new organic squash, melon and cucumber varieties, aided by a pollination cage system to house the growing plants which assist in disease and insect pest management during seed development. Several cucumber varieties undergoing development in this study are now available through organic seed suppliers.
Click here to view the article online.
Federal Court Orders First-Ever Destruction of a GMO Crop
Orders Removal of Genetically Engineered Sugar Beet Seed Crop
Finds Government and Monsanto rushed to illegally plant herbicide resistant crop
November 30, 2010
San Francisco, CA – Today Federal District Judge Jeffrey S. White issued a preliminary injunction ordering the immediate destruction of hundreds of acres of genetically engineered (GE) sugar beet seedlings planted in September after finding the seedlings had been planted in violation of federal law. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety on behalf of a coalition of farmers, consumers, and conservation groups. The lawsuit was filed on September 9, shortly after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed it had allowed the seedlings to be planted.
» read more
Need for Seed
by Chelsea Jensen
June 20, 2010
Maintaining Hawaii Island's agricultural diversity is dependent on residents sharing seeds, and the Hawaii Island Seed Exchange provides the venue for people to do
just that.
"The seed exchange is a time for everyone to come together and exchange seeds from different parts of a island and learn about the work that each other is doing," said event coordinator Nancy Redfeather. "We need to preserve agricultural diversity because it's important to keep a lot of varieties of food going because that contributes to the health of agriculture overall."
Used with permission from the West Hawaii Today
The Story of Seed - A Living Treasure
By Nancy Redfeather
April 11, 2010
When you buy a packet of spinach seeds at the store and bury a handful in the soil, do you see the seed as a living, renewable and sustainable agricultural treasure? As possibly an heirloom to be lost?
Used with permission from the West Hawaii Today
Here's How to Save Seeds from your Garden
By Russell T. Nagata
April 11, 2010
Whether you obtain seeds from the display rack at your favorite garden store, by perusing seed catalogs in either printed or electronic versions, or from friends and relatives, you may one day have a need to save seeds from your very own garden.
Vegetable crops can be divided into three general categories that indicate the ease or difficulty of saving seeds: self-pollinated, cross-pollinated and hybrids.
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune Herald
The Story of Seed Far From Finished
April 6, 2010
The story of seed -- from the wild to the engineered -- will be the focus of a free public lecture from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. The program will precede the Hua Ka Hua-Restore Our Seed Symposium.
Speakers Matthew Dillon of the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath, Ore., will present "The Story of Seed: Wild, Domesticated, Bred and Engineered -- Where Did We Begin and Where Might We Go?"
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune Herald
The Story of Seeds to be Told
March 24, 2010
The story of seed — from the wild to the engineered — is the focus of a free public lecture from 5:30–7 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort preceding the Hua Ka Hua—Restore Our Seed Symposium.
Speakers Matthew Dillon of Organic Seed Alliance and Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath, Oregon, will present “The Story of Seed: Wild, Domesticated, Bred, and Engineered—Where Did We Begin and Where Might We Go?”
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Hawai‘i County News
Aftershocks: Pseudo-Tsunamis and Food Insecurity in Hawai‘i
By Eric Holt Giminez
March 7, 2010
A couple of my young and highly talented friends were winding down in the wee hours after their snapping GO LIVE! REAL FOOD performance in Waikiki when they got the news of the Chilean earthquake. They 'stood fixated on the flat screens, drinks in hand' as real time images of Chilean destruction were quickly followed by an official tsunami warning and a barrage of historic Hawaiian newsreel footage documenting the devastating tidal wave that hit Hilo back in 1947. After ordering an evacuation of coastal areas, the government advised people to stock up on a weeks worth of food. This is when hip-hop artists Jennifer Johns, Erwin Thomas and Lynnete Kaid learned a sobering fact:
There are only 3-5 days of food reserves available on the island. The land of lush tropical forests, sparkling waterfalls and deep, rich volcanic soils imports over 85% of its food. It is materially impossible for everyone to "stock up" on a week's food in Hawai‘i.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Huffington Post
Symposium looks at saving, restoring seed
March 3, 2010
Seed is the foundation of a thriving local agricultural economy and is essential to the development of Hawai‘i's food production, future sustainability, and self-reliance. Hawai‘i currently imports nearly 90 percent of its food and 99 percent of its seed, creating a vulnerable and dependent agricultural economy in the state.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly
Farmers swap seeds, knowledge
By Alan D. Mcnarie
January 6, 2010
Hawai‘i gets most of its food from somewhere else. And even when farmers or gardeners grow fruit or veggies here, their plants probably still started their lives elsewhere.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly
Ke Ola Magazine Story
By Nancy Redfeather
June/July 2009
For 10,000 years, farmers and gardeners all over Planet Earth have tamed and improved seed beginning with wild varieties of edible plants. Through their astute cultivation, observation, selection, improvement, saving and stewardship of seed, an amazing amount of biodiversity has been cultivated and passed on to future generations.
» read more
Used with permission from Ke Ola Magazine
Seeds of Life: The Organic Seed Breeder
By Cooking up a Story
Embattled farmer, Frank Morton, a Willamette Valley organic seed breeder shares his expert knowledge of how plant breeding techniques have evolved, and the importance of the selection process in producing organic seeds that carry the desired mix of plant traits.
» read more
Used with permission from cookingupastory.com